Wayne’s World Director Explains Rob Lowe Casting After Sex Tape Controversy
As Wayne's World celebrates its 30th anniversary, director Penelope Spheeris opens up about casting Rob Lowe following his sex tape scandal. Wayne's World is based on a Saturday Night Live sketch created by Mike Myers that featured himself and Dana Carvey as two metalheads with a public access cable show. The concept was developed into the 1992 film Wayne's World, which Myers co-wrote with Bonnie and Terry Turner. The film saw Myers and Carvey reprise their characters, Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar, as they sought to promote their small public access show.
The cast of Wayne's World also featured Tia Carrere, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Lowe. However, Lowe was fresh off a scandalous controversy surrounding a sex tape. In 1988, a sex tape surfaced that showed a then 24-year-old Lowe with a 16-year-old girl he had met at a nightclub. At the time, Lowe was a massive star, coming off films like St. Elmo's Fire and About Last Night, and while he would continue to work following the scandal, Lowe did not appear in anything again until 1990. As Lowe built his career back up, he was cast as the antagonistic Benjamin Oliver in Wayne's World. However, that decision didn't quite sit well with Spheeris.
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While speaking with Variety about Wayne's World's 30th anniversary, Spheeris was asked about her feelings surrounding Lowe's casting. According to Spheeris, the idea came from SNL creator and Wayne's World producer Lorne Michaels. Spheeris responded to Michaels' suggestion by saying, «Are you crazy» before adding, «We should not hire him.» Michaels then stated that Lowe could be hired for cheap, and the decision was made to bring him onto the film, and Spheeris admits, «he worked out really
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