Eugene Levy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eugene Levy CC
Levy in 2011
Born	(1946-12-17) December 17, 1946 (age 78) Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Alma mater	McMaster University
Occupation	Actor comedian
Years active	1969–present
Spouse(s)	Deborah Divine ​ (m. 1977)​
Children	Dan Levy Sarah Levy

Eugene Levy (born December 17, 1946) is a Canadian actor and comedian. He is famous for playing funny and sometimes awkward characters. Eugene Levy has won many awards during his career, including four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award. He was also given a special honor called the Order of Canada in 2011, and then a higher level of that honor in 2022.

Levy started his career by writing and acting in the Canadian TV show SCTV (1976–1984). For this show, he won two Emmy Awards for his writing. He also appeared in popular movies like National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) and Splash (1984). He became well-known for working with director Christopher Guest, co-writing and acting in funny movies like Best in Show (2000) and A Mighty Wind (2003).

From 2015 to 2020, he starred as Johnny Rose in the TV comedy Schitt's Creek. He also helped create this show with his son and co-star, Dan Levy. In 2020, he won an Emmy Award for his role in Schitt's Creek. In 2023, he started hosting a travel show called The Reluctant Traveler.

Early Life and Education

Eugene Levy was born into a Jewish family in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. His mother was a homemaker, and his father worked as a foreman at a car factory. He has a brother, Fred, and a sister, Barbara. His mother was born in Scotland, and his father's family came from Spain and Bulgaria.

Levy went to Westdale Secondary School, where he was the student council president. Later, he attended McMaster University. At McMaster, he was involved in a student film group and met filmmaker Ivan Reitman.

Eugene Levy's Career Highlights

Levy at the American Reunion film premiere in 2012

In the early 1970s, Levy performed in the musical Godspell in Toronto. This show helped start the careers of many actors, including Levy, Martin Short, and Gilda Radner.

Working on SCTV

Eugene Levy was a key part of the sketch comedy show SCTV. He often played unique and sometimes nerdy characters. One of his most famous roles on SCTV was Earl Camembert, a slightly confused news anchor. Levy also did impressions of many famous people, like Alex Trebek and Sean Connery. He created many original characters too, such as the funny comic Bobby Bittman and the cheerful accordion player Stan Schmenge.

Film Roles and Collaborations

While Levy has starred in a few films like Armed and Dangerous (1986), he is mostly known for his important roles in many other movies. He often worked with director Christopher Guest on "mockumentary" films. These are movies that look like documentaries but are actually funny, made-up stories. In these films, Levy often helped write the scripts.

Some of his well-known mockumentary films with Christopher Guest include Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006). In A Mighty Wind, his role as Mitch Cohen won him several awards.

Levy also appeared in many other comedies from the 1980s to the 2010s. These include National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), Splash (1984), Father of the Bride (1991), and Multiplicity (1996). He also lent his voice to animated movies like Over the Hedge (2006) and Finding Dory (2016).

Schitt's Creek and Recent Work

Eugene Levy co-created the popular TV show Schitt's Creek with his son, Dan Levy. The show aired from 2015 to 2020. Eugene Levy starred as Johnny Rose, the head of the Rose family. His daughter, Sarah Levy, also appeared in the show as Twyla Sands.

In 2023, Levy began hosting and producing an Apple TV+ travel series called The Reluctant Traveler. In 2024, he received a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Personal Life

Eugene Levy married Deborah Divine in 1977. Deborah has worked in TV production. They have two children, Dan and Sarah, who are both actors. Both Dan and Sarah also starred alongside their father in Schitt's Creek.

Levy supports autism awareness and treatment. He was also a close friend of actor John Candy, who was also on SCTV. Levy is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.

Selected Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Other Appearances

Awards and Honors

Eugene Levy has received many awards for his work. In 2003, he won a Grammy Award for Best Song for the movie A Mighty Wind, along with Christopher Guest and Michael McKean.

In 2008, he received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award. This is Canada's highest honor for people in the performing arts. In 2011, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada for his acting, writing, and charity work. In 2022, he was promoted to a higher rank in the Order of Canada.

Levy also has a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. He is one of only a few people to be honored twice, once with the cast of SCTV and once on his own. He has won many Canadian Comedy Awards for his writing and acting.

In 2012, he received an honorary degree from Dalhousie University. He also received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2016, he won the "Best Performance by an Actor" award at the Canadian Screen Awards for his role in Schitt's Creek.

See also

In Spanish: Eugene Levy para niños