Comedian Mike Myers fought back tears as he was honoured with the Icon Award at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards. In his acceptance speech, he expressed deep gratitude to Canadian taxpayers, crediting them for his successful career.
A Night of Tributes
A montage showcasing Myers' career highlights played before he took the stage. In the video, the Scarborough, Ont.-born actor proudly stated, "You can take the boy out of Canada, but you can't take the Canada out of the boy." Introduced by Kids in the Hall's Dave Foley, tributes came from fellow Canadian Will Arnett, who called Myers an inspiration for the entire country, and his Shrek co-stars Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy, who praised him for creating some of the most memorable characters in film.
"It's very weird to watch that," Myers said from the stage as he accepted the award. The Austin Powers star recounted an anecdote where one of his children told him he wasn't funny and called him boring. "Quite a contrast to today," he quipped after receiving a standing ovation.
Thanking Canadian Institutions
Myers acknowledged his wife, children, and parents "for moving to Canada and stressing the importance of being silly." Fighting back tears, he also thanked his brothers, Peter and Paul. "Most everything you've liked can be traced back to Peter and Paul," he said. "Both of them are very funny, but I was stupid enough to think I could do this as a career."
He also recognized several Canadian institutions and screen stars, including Eugene Levy, Martin Short, the late Catherine O'Hara and Gilda Radner, the CBC, Louis Del Grande, The Littlest Hobo, Donald Sutherland, director Norman Jewison, MuchMusic, and John Candy. "I also want to thank the Canadian taxpayer," he said to loud cheers. "I really do, actually. I always say to my American friends … I have 40 million people behind me."
Myers also applauded the TTC and the people at Canada House in London. "I was literally down to $10 and they asked me, 'Do you need a job,' and I stuffed envelopes," he recalled.
Scarborough's Three Fs
"Lastly, I want to thank Scarborough for teaching me the three Fs: When to fight, when to be funny and when to flee," he concluded, blowing a kiss to the crowd. "I just want to say, Canada, I don't know what to say, dude. I'd just literally be nothing without you."
Elbows Up for Canada
Even though he has lived in the U.S. for more than three decades, Myers became a symbol of Canadian pride in March 2025 when he appeared on Saturday Night Live wearing a black "Canada is not for sale" T-shirt after President Donald Trump mused about making Canada a 51st state. As the credits rolled, Myers flexed his arm and mouthed "elbows up" to the camera, a term hockey great Gordie Howe used to signal it's time to fight back.
Myers also supported Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberals, rallying voters with the same "elbows up" message. Political neophyte Carney leveraged the slogan on the campaign trail, promising Canadians he would fight back against Trump's threats of annexation and tariffs.
Myers told CBC's Paul Hunter last summer that he couldn't "stay quiet." "It came from a place of, 'They brought me to the dance — Canada — it's my country,'" he said. "I would be nothing without Canada. The Canadian taxpayer put money into the government, the government subsidized our rent when I was a kid. They accepted my parents from Liverpool, England … put my parents' kids through very fantastic high schools … I would have gone to York University, that would have been subsidized. I worked at the CBC … That's taxpayer money. That somebody paid their taxes is why I'm here."
