Dan Levy (Canadian actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dan Levy CM
Levy in 2012
Born	Daniel Joseph Levy (1983-08-09) August 9, 1983 (age 42) 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 television host on MTV Canada. He is now famous worldwide for starring as David Rose in the sitcom Schitt's Creek (2015–2020). He also co-created the show with his father, the famous actor Eugene Levy.

For the final season of Schitt's Creek, Levy won four major Primetime Emmy Awards. He won for producing, writing, directing, and acting. The show made history by winning Emmy Awards in all four main comedy acting categories in the same year. Levy's work on the show has also won him many other awards.

Early Life and Education

Dan Levy was born in Toronto, Canada. His parents are Eugene Levy and Deborah Divine. His father is Jewish and his mother is Protestant, so his family celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah.

Levy went to high school at North Toronto Collegiate Institute. After high school, he studied film production at York University and Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University).

Career Journey

Starting on Television

Levy's career began in 2006 when he became a host on the Canadian TV channel MTV Canada. He co-hosted a popular show called The After Show, where he talked about TV series like The Hills.

He also hosted special events like the MTV Movie Awards Red Carpet. In 2010, he was part of the team covering the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He even got to carry the Olympic torch. After five years, he left MTV Canada in 2011 to focus on acting and other projects.

As an actor, he appeared in four episodes of the Canadian TV show Degrassi: The Next Generation. He also acted in movies like the 2012 thriller Cyberstalker and the 2013 comedy Admission.

The Success of Schitt's Creek

In 2015, Levy and his father Eugene started their own company, Not a Real Company Productions. Their first project was the TV show Schitt's Creek. Levy starred in the show with his father, his sister Sarah Levy, and other actors like Catherine O'Hara and Annie Murphy.

The show is about a very wealthy family who suddenly loses all their money. They are forced to move to a small town they once bought as a joke. Levy played the character David Rose. He has said it was important to him to show characters who are accepted for who they are.

Schitt's Creek became a huge hit. It won many awards, including several Canadian Screen Awards. In 2019, Levy announced that the show would end with its sixth season. He said he was happy to end the show on their own terms.

The final season of Schitt's Creek was nominated for 15 Primetime Emmy Awards in 2020. It won nine of them, including the award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Levy himself won four awards that night. He became the first person to win an Emmy in the acting, writing, directing, and producing categories in a single year.

Life After Schitt's Creek

After Schitt's Creek ended, Levy continued to work on new projects. In 2020, he starred in the HBO movie Coastal Elites. The movie was about how different people dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic.

On February 6, 2021, Levy hosted the popular American comedy show Saturday Night Live.

In 2021, Levy signed a deal with Netflix to create new movies and TV shows. His first movie for Netflix was Good Grief, which came out in late 2023. He not only starred in the movie but also wrote and directed it. Levy described the film as "a love story about friendship."

Levy is also a strong supporter of learning and social causes. In 2020, he promoted an online course from the University of Alberta called "Indigenous Canada." He hosted live discussions about the course and encouraged people to donate to the university's Faculty of Native Studies.

Personal Life

Levy lives in both Toronto and Los Angeles. He has said that London is his favorite city.

In a 2020 interview, Levy shared that he is gay and has been open about it with his friends and family since he was 18. He is a supporter of the LGBTQ community and works to promote equality and acceptance for all people.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music video

Awards and Honors

In 2023, Levy was named a Member of the Order of Canada. This is one of the highest honors a person can receive in Canada for their contributions to the country.