Why Was Elizabeth Hurley Absent From Third Austin Powers Film? Actress Reveals
Elizabeth Hurley reveals that her absence from the third Austin Powers film wasn't her fault. Hurley is known for playing Vanessa Kensington in the first two movies.
So, here's the scoop without getting all formal and stuff: Remember that Austin Powers movie, Goldmember?
Well, Elizabeth Hurley, the fab actress who rocked the screen as Vanessa Kensington, wasn't there to reprise her role. And guess whose fault it was? Yup, you got it, blame it on her son.
During a fun chat on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, which aired on Wednesday, April 3, Hurley spilled the beans about why she was MIA in the third Austin Powers flick. Turns out, she couldn't strut her stuff on set because she was busy growing a human! Yep, she was expecting her now 21-year-old son Damian at the time.
Hurley spilled the tea, saying she told the Austin Powers crew straight up, "Hey, dudes, I'm pregnant!" And she wasn't joking around – she really was preggers.
She laid it out for them, saying, "Unless you're ready to roll cameras next week, count me out!"
She spilled the beans that even though she straight-up told the big shots she was preggers, they were all like, "'Oh, you'll be fine, you're so skinny.' " But Hurley insisted. "I put on 63 lbs. when I was pregnant," she told host Andy Cohen.
She wasn't about to let them off the hook that easy. She laid it out plain and simple for them, saying, "I was like, 'No, no, you don't understand. You really have to shoot really soon.' "
Hurley Spills the Beans: Baby Bump Derailed Austin Powers Role
So, here's the kicker, When they finally got around to rolling those cameras, Hurley's baby bump was in full view – no hiding it! So, alas, she had to bid farewell to the film. But hey, she wasn't taking the blame for that one! Liz insisted, with a chuckle, "It would be like Dr. Evil had impregnated me once I was away, so it couldn't work!"
Remember when Hurley lit up the screen as Vanessa Kensington in the first two Austin Powers flicks? Yeah, those were the days! But for the third flick in 2002, she passed the torch to none other than Queen Bey herself, yep, Beyoncé stepped in as the sassy Foxxy Cleopatra.
Hurley made it clear, though, she's got mad love for Queen Bey and the Austin Powers crew, and she's not holding any grudges. She made sure to set the record straight, saying, "I love Beyoncé. I love Austin Powers. It just wasn't my fault."
Hurley teased that she actually shot a scene for the third movie! "I actually did shoot my bit," she spilled.
Hurley Ready for Austin Powers 4... If Mike Myers Is In
Despite missing out on the third flick, Hurley dropped a bombshell to PEOPLE in November 2022, she's totally game for an Austin Powers 4.
But here's the catch: she's only in if her main man Mike Myers is onboard. Hurley couldn't stop gushing about Mike, calling him one of her all-time fave co-stars.
"A brilliant man, fabulously kind and gentle and of course one of the best comedians on Earth," she said. "Mike is a genius. It would be wonderful to do something with him again."
She joked that squeezing into those old costumes might be a bit of a stretch these days. "I'm not sure I'd fit in my costumes again," she said, joking that she'd have to do the film "in slightly different costumes.
Mike Myers Teases Austin Powers 4: Shagadelic Secrets Revealed
Hold onto your hats, Austin Powers fans, because the man himself, Mike Myers, has been dropping some serious hints about a possible fourth movie. In classic mysterious fashion, the 60-year-old actor teased during an interview with SiriusXM's Jess Cagle in May 2022, saying, "I can neither confirm nor deny the existence or non-existence of such a project, should it exist or not exist."
But he didn't stop there, he went on to confess that he's totally on board for another round of shenanigans in the Austin Powers universe. "I would love to do" a fourth movie, he revealed. Looks like we might have some mojo stirring up in Hollywood!
And hey, if you're itching for some more spicy gossip and laughs, don't forget to tune in to Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen airing Sunday-Thursday nights on Bravo. Trust me, it's the hottest ticket in town for all the latest scoop.