Josh Zuckerman Admits He Still 'Takes Offense' as to Why He Was Asked to Audition for Young Dr. Evil in “Austin Powers”
Josh Zuckerman Admits He Still 'Takes Offense' as to Why He Was Asked to Audition for Young Dr. Evil in “Austin Powers”
Meredith WilshereSun, March 15, 2026 at 4:00 PM UTC
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Josh ZuckermanCredit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty -
Josh Zuckerman was cast as young Dr. Evil in Austin Powers in Goldmember after a casting director spotted him on The West Wing
He joked about taking "offense" to resembling Dr. Evil, but called the role an "honor"
The film starred Mike Myers, Beyoncé, Michael Caine, and more
Josh Zuckerman may haunt the halls metaphorically in School Spirits, but there's one particular story about his casting in Austin Powers in Goldmember that still haunts him to this day.
In an interview with Pop Culture Planet, the 40-year-old actor reflected on his casting as a young Dr. Evil in the 2002 film, joking that he still takes "offense" to how he landed an audition.
One of the reasons he was considered for the role, he shared, was that the casting director accidentally saw him on TV.
"One of the funniest things is that the reason I even got an audition to play young Dr. Evil was because Jeanne McCarthy was watching — I had done an episode of West Wing — and she was watching The West Wing and I guess she saw my profile, she said she was doing something else but she happened to look at the TV, and saw my profile and thought 'Oh! Dr. Evil!'" he shared.
Josh Zuckerman in 'Austin Powers in Goldmember'Credit: New Line Cinema
"Which I still to this day take offense at, but it got me an audition and maybe was a part of how I got the role," Zuckerman added with a laugh.
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Despite the offense, the Desperate Housewives star shared that "it was a real honor" to be cast in the role.
"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.
Zuckerman joined the cast as a young version of Dr. Evil, then known as "Young Evil," in flashback scenes that reveal how Dr. Evil met Number 2 in his youth. In addition to Zuckerman, the movie starred Mike Myers, Beyoncé, Seth Green, Michael York, Robert Wagner, Mindy Sterling, Verne Troyer and Michael Caine.
While the film was the last in the franchise, the door might still be open for other Austin Powers movies, according to Myers. In 2024, he shared that he "can neither confirm nor deny the existence or non-existence of such a project."
Asked whether he thinks the character "has more story to tell," the Saturday Night Live alum simply added, "Absolutely."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
