Josh Zuckerman 'Takes Offence' at How He Was Cast as Young Dr. Evil

Josh Zuckerman recalls being cast as Young Dr. Evil in 'Austin Powers in Goldmember' after a casting director saw his profile in a 'West Wing' episode and thought he looked like the villain, a reason he still jokingly 'takes offence' at.

Actor Josh Zuckerman recently reflected on how he landed the role of Young Dr. Evil in the 2002 film 'Austin Powers in Goldmember', joking that he still "takes offence" at the reason he was invited to audition, according to People.

How a 'West Wing' Role Led to an Iconic Casting

Speaking in an interview, the 40-year-old actor recalled that the casting director noticed him by chance while watching an episode of the political drama The West Wing. According to Zuckerman, casting director Jeanne McCarthy happened to glance at the television while the show was playing and thought his profile resembled the iconic villain Dr. Evil.

"One of the funniest things is that the reason I even got an audition to play young Dr. Evil was that Jeanne McCarthy was watching -- I had done an episode of The West Wing -- and she was watching the show, and I guess she saw my profile," Zuckerman said, according to People. "She said she was doing something else but happened to look at the TV, saw my profile and thought 'Oh! Dr. Evil!' Which I still to this day take offense at," he added with a laugh, according to People.

An 'Honour' to Join the Franchise

Despite the humorous remark, Zuckerman said it was an honour to be part of the popular spy-comedy franchise created by Mike Myers. "I was a fan of the first two movies. It was a real thrill, and I remember there were a lot of auditions to get that role," he said, according to People.

In the film, Zuckerman portrayed a younger version of the villain in flashback scenes that show how Dr. Evil first met Number 2 during his youth. The movie also starred Beyonce, Seth Green, Michael York, Robert Wagner, Mindy Sterling, Verne Troyer and Michael Caine.

Future of the 'Austin Powers' Franchise

Although Austin Powers in Goldmember was the last instalment of the franchise so far, Myers hinted in 2024 that another film could still happen, saying he "can neither confirm nor deny the existence or non-existence" of such a project.

Asked if the character still has more story to tell, the former Saturday Night Live star responded, "Absolutely," according to People. (ANI)

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