Dan Levy (Canadian actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dan Levy CM
Levy in 2019
Born	Daniel Joseph Levy (1983-08-09) August 9, 1983 (age 41) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Actor screenwriter producer director
Years active	2006–present
Parent(s)	Eugene Levy (father)
Relatives	Sarah Levy (sister)

Daniel Joseph Levy (born August 9, 1983) is a Canadian actor, writer, and director. He first became known as a TV host on MTV Canada. He gained worldwide fame for playing David Rose in the TV show Schitt's Creek (2015–2020). He also helped create and write this show with his father, Eugene Levy.

Levy won several Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on the final season of Schitt's Creek. He won for producing, writing, directing, and acting. The show made history by winning many major comedy awards in one year. He also won four Canadian Screen Awards for his work on the show. Since then, Levy has appeared in the movie Happiest Season (2020). He also wrote, directed, and starred in the drama film Good Grief (2023).

Early life and Education

Levy was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His parents are Eugene Levy and Deborah Divine. His family celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah. He went to high school at North Toronto Collegiate Institute. Later, he studied film production at York University and Ryerson University.

Career Highlights

Starting Out (2006–2012)

Levy in 2012

Dan Levy began his career as one of the first hosts on MTV Canada's main show, MTV Live. He became well-known as a co-host of The After Show. This show discussed popular TV series like The Hills. Sometimes, these shows were also shown in the United States.

After The After Show ended, Levy created his own Christmas special for MTV. He also hosted red carpet events for the MTV Movie Awards. He helped cover the 2010 Winter Olympics for CTV. He even carried the Olympic torch for a part of its journey. He left MTV Canada in 2011 after five years.

As an actor, he appeared in four episodes of the Canadian TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation. He played a film producer in the show. He also acted in the 2012 thriller movie Cyberstalker. In 2013, he was in the comedy-drama film Admission, which starred Tina Fey and Paul Rudd.

Schitt's Creek Success (2015–2020)

In 2015, Levy started a production company called Not a Real Company Productions. He started it with his father, Eugene Levy. Their first big project was the TV show Schitt's Creek. Levy starred in the show with his father, his sister Sarah Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Annie Murphy, and Chris Elliott.

For his work on Schitt's Creek, Levy received many awards. He won several Canadian Screen Awards for writing and acting. The show won Best Comedy Series in 2016 and 2019. In 2019, the series was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. In March 2019, Levy announced that the show would end after its sixth season. He said it was special to end the series on their own terms.

In 2017, Levy started hosting The Great Canadian Baking Show with Julia Chan. The show began in November on CBC. A critic once used a word in a review that Levy found hurtful. Levy explained that words can have different meanings and can be offensive, especially when used to describe someone's personality in a way that might be misunderstood. Levy and Chan hosted the show for two seasons. In 2019, Levy announced they would not return for the third season due to other work.

In January 2020, Dan and his father, Eugene Levy, were guest hosts on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. They interviewed other Schitt's Creek cast members like Catherine O'Hara and Annie Murphy.

In July 2020, Schitt's Creek was nominated for 15 Primetime Emmy Awards for its final season. Levy won for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. The show became the first comedy series to win all four main acting awards in one year. Levy also became the first person to win an award in all four major categories in a single year.

New Projects (2020–Present)

In August 2020, Levy began promoting an online course called "Indigenous Canada" from the University of Alberta. He hosted twelve live interviews with the course instructors and guest speakers. These discussions covered topics related to each part of the course. Levy said the weekly discussions were "transformational." He also encouraged people to donate to the University of Alberta's Faculty of Native Studies. He promised to match donations up to $25,000.

In September 2020, Levy appeared in the HBO TV film Coastal Elites. This project was filmed remotely and showed the lives of five people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On February 6, 2021, Levy hosted Saturday Night Live. The musician Phoebe Bridgers was the musical guest.

In September 2021, Levy signed a deal with Netflix. He will write and produce new movies and TV shows for them. His first movie as a director, Good Grief, was released in theaters in December 2023 and on Netflix in January 2024. The film stars Levy, Ruth Negga, Luke Evans, and Himesh Patel. Levy described the movie as "a love story about friendship."

Personal life

Levy spends his time living in both Toronto and Los Angeles. He has also said that London is his "favorite city" after living there in 2005.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music video

Awards and nominations

In 2023, he was named a Member of the Order of Canada.