The Truth About Filming The Iconic Wayne S World Head Banging Scene

Ahead of the 30th anniversary of “Wayne’s World,” which was released on February 14, 1992, director Penelope Spheeris revisited filming the classic comedy and shared what really went down behind the scenes. That iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody” sing-a-long? Yep, it took almost a full day to film. “We were towing the car down the streets in Covina,” Spheeris told The Hollywood Reporter. “I had cameras all over the car because I needed the coverage for the title sequence. The guys were complaining after a while — and I don’t blame them — as they were head-banging for six or eight hours. Unless you’re Dave [Mustaine] from Megadeth, you’re not used to having your head bang about like that. So it was very uncomfortable for them and, I was asked to stop a couple of times. And the rest of history.”

And those celebrity cameos, including Meat Loaf, Chris Farley, and Ed O’Neill, were in part thanks to Lorne Michaels. Related ‘The Pentaverate’: Mike Myers Transforms Into Eight Hilarious Personas for Comedy Series Spielberg’s ‘A.I.’ Divided Critics, but It’s the Ultimate Coming-of-Age Story 20 Years Later Related Oscars 2023: Can Anyone Top ‘Maverick’ in Best Sound? 23 Controversial Film and TV Book Adaptations That Rankled Their Audiences and Authors
“Meat Loaf and I were friends before the movie, I wanted him to play the bouncer. So, [Lorne Michaels] let that happen,” Spheeris said. “He was a sweetheart. And we also have a little cameo from Chris Farley. I remember Lorne called me up and says, ‘I’ve got this fantastic guy named Chris Farley. He’s really afraid of the camera, so be really careful when dealing with him.’ He was so shy, but that was part of his charm. Robert Patrick also had that great cameo as the Terminator cop. We’re still friends.” Spheeris added, “Ed [O’Neill] never broke character. Even between takes, he just sat there, talking to himself about psycho stuff.” As for the alleged riff between Spheeris and Myers, which is rumored to have led to Stephen Surjik directing the sequel, Spheeris cleared the air once and for all. “I am going to break the myth right now. When we were shooting ‘Wayne’s World,’ there really were no clashes with the actors. The reason people think that is I wasn’t able to direct ‘Wayne’s World 2’ because I didn’t want to make any cuts to the first one that they asked me to do. And that was the only point of contention that we had, honestly,” Spheeris said. The “Decline of Western Civilization” director continued, “I have had collisions with actors [on other projects] before, one was Rip Torn and the other was Molly Shannon. My advice to young people who may have a problem is if you think you’re right, call their agent and fink them out.” Meanwhile, the legacy of “Wayne’s World” lives on. “I am absolutely astounded and amazed that it has survived these 30 years and is still in good favor. We had no idea when we made the movie that it would even be around for a week, and now here it is,” Spheeris said. “It is indescribably gratifying. It was a magical combination of cast and crew and a magical moment. There is no other way to explain it.”