Mike Myers was crying after watching Saving Private Ryan when DreamWorks pitched him Shrek. His first reaction to the title? "That's the worst f—ing title ever." Twenty-five years and billions of dollars later, it's safe to say Hollywood proved him wrong.

The story comes from a recent Variety interview where Myers reflected on the franchise that defined his post-Austin Powers career. According to Myers, he was emotionally wrecked from Steven Spielberg's war epic when executives ambushed him with a pitch for an animated ogre movie. The tonal whiplash must have been spectacular.

"Shrek" is, admittedly, not a great word. It sounds like a sneeze or possibly something you'd scrape off your shoe. The fact that it's Yiddish for "monster" doesn't help - most English speakers hear nonsense syllables, not folklore. Myers wasn't wrong to question it. He was just early.

What's fascinating is how Shrek became a cultural phenomenon despite its terrible title. The film worked because Myers brought genuine heart to an ogre who just wanted to be left alone. The fairy tale deconstruction was clever, the animation was groundbreaking for 2001, and Eddie Murphy as Donkey provided comic relief that somehow never got annoying. That's a miracle in itself.

The franchise went on to gross nearly $4 billion across four films, spin-offs, and enough merchandise to fill Lord Farquaad's castle. Myers turned down Saving Private Ryan to do Shrek - wait, no, that's not right. He saw Saving Private Ryan, then got pitched Shrek. The point is: timing in Hollywood is everything, and sometimes the worst ideas have the best outcomes.