Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy (born December 17, 1946 in Hamilton, Ontario) is a Jewish-Canadian actor, television director, producer and writer who is best known for his work in Canadian television series and American movies and television series.
He studied film at McMaster University and graduated in 1969. He was vice president of the McMaster Film Board, a student film group where he met moviemaker Ivan Reitman.
An alumnus of both Second City Toronto and the classic sketch comedy series SCTV, Levy often plays unusual supporting characters with nerdy streaks. Perhaps his best known role on SCTV was as the dimwitted Earl Camembert, a news anchor for the SCTV News. Though he has only been the "above the title" star in two films, 1986's Armed and Dangerous and 2005's The Man, he has featured prominately in a great many other films. He's the co-writer and frequent cast member of Christopher Guest's mockumentary features, particularly A Mighty Wind, where his sympathetic performance won kudos. In the 1980s, he appeared in Splash, National Lampoon's Vacation, Club Paradise and other comedies. His career received a tremendous boost in 1999, when he was cast as the clueless but loving dad in the sleeper blockbuster American Pie. He reprised the role for the film's two sequels, and starred in one straight-to-video sequel.
Levy also appeared in the HBO "mockumentary" titled The Canadian Conspiracy about the supposed subversion of the United States by Canadian born media personalities. Levy was the insider who blew the whistle on the conspiracy. Levy was also a contender for the role of Toby Ziegler on The West Wing, which went to Richard Schiff.
As of 2004, Levy was on the Advisory Committee for the Comedy program at Humber College, the only such diploma program in the world.
He has most recently appeared opposite Steve Martin in Cheaper by the Dozen 2.
In March of 2006, it was announced that he would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. In 2002, the entire cast of SCTV was given a group star, and although Levy is not mentioned on the actual star, he was still inducted as a part of the group. This makes him one of only three two-time honourees, alongside fellow SCTV alumni John Candy and Martin Short.
Filmography
- Foxy Lady (1971)
- Cannibal Girls (1973)
- Running (1979)
- Double Negative (1980)
- Nothing Personal (1980)
- Heavy Metal (1981) (voice)
- National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
- Going Berserk (1983)
- Splash (1984)
- Tears Are Not Enough (1985) (documentary)
- Club Paradise (1986)
- Armed and Dangerous (1986)
- Speed Zone! (1989)
- Father of the Bride (1991)
- Once Upon a Crime... (1992) (Cameo) (also director)
- Stay Tuned (1992)
- I Love Trouble (1994)
- Father of the Bride Part II (1995)
- Multiplicity (1996)
- Waiting for Guffman (1996) (also writer)
- Akbar's Adventure Tour (1998) (short subject)
- Almost Heroes (1998)
- Holy Man (1998) (Cameo)
- The Secret Life of Girls (1999)
- Dogmatic (1999)
- American Pie (1999)
- Silver Man (2000)
- Best in Show (2000) (also writer)
- The Ladies Man (2000)
- Down to Earth (2001)
- Josie and the Pussycats (2001) (Cameo)
- American Pie 2 (2001)
- Serendipity (2001)
- Repli-Kate (2002)
- Like Mike (2002)
- Bringing Down the House (2003)
- A Mighty Wind (2003) (also writer)
- Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003)
- American Wedding (2003)
- New York Minute (2004)
- The Man (2005)
- American Pie: Band Camp (2005)
- Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005)
- For Your Consideration (2006) (also writer)
- Curious George (2006) (voice)
- Over the Hedge (2006) (voice) (currently filming)