This Day in Movie History: February 14

22 years ago on This Valentine’s Day in Movie History – February 14 – Wayne’s World debuted in theaters and provided Mike Myers with his first comedy smash. Based on the wildly popular SNL sketches featuring Wayne and Garth (Dana Carvey), Wayne’s World would earn $18 million in its first weekend on its way to a $121 million domestic haul. A less successful sequel would come the following year and Myers, of course, would get another huge franchise years later with the Austin Powers flicks and then the Shrek pictures.

As for birthdays, Simon Pegg is 44 today. A favorite of director JJ Abrams, Pegg has appearared in the last two Mission: Impossible features and in the current Star Trek franchise. And there’s also his acclaimed comedic collaborations with director Edgar Wright – Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and last year’s The World’s End.

Freddie Highmore is 22 today. You may know him best for his appearances as a child actor working with Johnny Depp in both Finding Neverland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He’s currently playing Norman Bates in A&E’s “Bates Motel” series.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between them:

Simon Pegg was in Mission: Impossible III with Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman was in A Late Quartet with Dustin Hoffman

Dustin Hoffman was in Finding Neverland with Freddie Highmore

And that’s today – February 14 – in Movie History. And Happy Valentine’s Day!