A Classic Elizabeth Hurley Comedy Is Now On Netflix
Elizabeth Hurley has one of her best comedies on Netflix.
This article is more than 2 years old
Elizabeth Hurley is known for more than just a pretty face. Her movie career has allowed her to show off more than just an ample figure, one that includes great comedic timing. You can see both (figure and timing) on Netflix as one of Hurley’s most classic comedic roles are now on display.
While Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is without a doubt a Mike Myers film, Elizabeth Hurley holds her own playing second fiddle, so to speak, to Myers’ antics as both the title character and his nemesis, Dr. Evil.
Elizabeth Hurley joins in as the strait-laced, but overly gorgeous, agent Vanessa Kensington, brought on to try to keep Powers in check as he hunts down Dr. Evil. Both Powers and Evil have been frozen for 30 years and when Dr. Evil is regenerated by his Number 2 (Robert Wagner), Austin Powers is brought out of cryostasis to stop the madman.
Thirty years is a long time to be frozen and the world has changed dramatically in that time span. Powers, who was the ultimate in heterosexual males back in his heyday, is finding it tough to adjust to life in the present. Hurley’s Kensington, standoffish at first, begins to warm to Powers as time goes on.
Their hunt for Dr. Evil brings them to Las Vegas where Powers and Kensington must pose as a married couple to get the information needed to stop Dr. Evil from detonating a nuclear warhead that will cause volcanic eruptions around the globe.
The laughs come at a rapid pace, with Powers and Evil usually the butt of all the fun. In Vegas, Powers and Kensington come in contact with Number 2 and his Italian secretary, Alotta Fagina (Fabiana Udenio). After discovering Dr. Evil’s plan, the pair then find their way into his secret lair, where they encounter more crazy characters such as Dr. Evil’s son, Scott (Seth Green), Dr. Evil’s right-hand gal Frau Farbissina (Mindy Sterling), and Dr. Evil’s henchman, Random Task.
By this time, Elizabeth Hurley’s Kensington has fallen for Powers’ randy charm. We all know how it ends, but all the fun is getting there. Elizabeth Hurley plays a wonderful straight to Myers’ Austin Powers and is able to have fun with her role too.
Elizabeth Hurley would return to her role as Vanessa Kensington in the sequel Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Her stay would be brief as it’s revealed that Kensington was actually a fembot (female robots from the first Auston Powers film) all along and that Dr. Evil was controlling her.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was a big hit for Myers and Hurley. The spy parody gave way to two sequels, the aforementioned The Spy Who Shagged Me and the third film, Austin Powers in Goldmember. The franchise, to date, has brought in over $676 million at the box office stands to gain more as a fourth Austin Powers movie is said to be in the works.
Elizabeth Hurley had been around Hollywood for a number of years before she grabbed her Austin Powers role. Not only a famous model, but Hurley also began her film and TV career years before her modeling career took off. In fact, Hurley wouldn’t get her first modeling gig until she was the ripe old age of 29.
Before Austin Powers, Hurley was seen in such movies as Kill Cruise, The Long Winter, Passenger 57, Beyond Bedlam, and Dangerous Ground. Nothing earth-shattering but it did open the door for Austin Powers.
She then took the success she found in Austin Powers and turned it into another well-known role as The Devil in the remake of the 1967 film Bedazzled, playing opposite Brendan Fraser. The film was a modest hit and definitely one of the more underrated comedies.
Elizabeth Hurley has been a social media sensation for the past few years. Constantly treating her fans to Instagram images that leave little to the imagination, Hurley has once again brought her famous provocative modeling assets to the forefront.
In 2005, Hurley leaned on her fabulous looks and business savvy to launch her Elizabeth Hurley Beach swimwear line. Since that time, Hurley has modeled her swimwear, each and every summer. Hurley slowly built her empire, while raising her son Damian in the process.
Her personal life has been the subject of tabloid fodder. Elizabeth Hurley was first famously the long-time girlfriend of Hugh Grant, then just as famously stood by his side when he was caught with his pants down while soliciting the services of prostitute Divine Brown on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.
After their split, Hurley had her only child, Damian, in 2002 with American businessman Steve Bing.
Elizabeth Hurley has continued to make a name for herself, not only on social media but television as well. She was recently seen in the hit series The Royals and also played Morgan le Fay in Marvel’s Runaways.
Next up for Elizabeth Hurley are a couple of movies – Father Christmas is Back and The Piper. While she continues to remain a presence on the big and small screen, Hurley’s main focus has been populating her Instagram page with titillating images.
If you want to see funny, though, go check out Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery on Netflix. The laughs are well-earned.