Celebrity speaker Eugene Levy has been in the entertainment business long enough to know what it takes to drive the long road to success every celebrity must inevitably take. Eugene is most famous for his role in the American Pie franchise as the only original cast member to appear in all 8 films. Recently he has traded in his American Pie role as Noah Levenstein for the small screen. He is currently starring in the television series Schitt’s Creek, a Canadian television sitcom, alongside Catherine O’Hara. He is also the voice of Dory’s father in the Finding Nemo sequel, Finding Dory.
Eugene got his start in comedy with Second City and their late night comedy series, Second City Television. From there, he took his talents to the big screen and played supporting roles in movies such as National Lampoon’s Vacation, Armed and Dangerous, Father of the Bride. His career would be in for a big change in 1999 when the first installment in the American Pie movie series debuted. The movie was a box office hit and would seal his fate as America’s favorite cool Dad. Eugene starred as the father of main character Jim Levenstein played by Jason Biggs. The success of the first movie would bring about 3 film sequels and 4 straight to DVD movies.
Perhaps his biggest career achievement outside of the American Pie series was his work for the musical comedy A Mighty Wind. He was awarded a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical or Comedy as well as the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the movie. He was also awarded a Grammy in 2003 for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media for the title song in A Mighty Wind. Also in 2008, the Governor General of Canada presented Eugene with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA), a lifetime achievement award considered Canada’s “most prestigious artistic honor”. In 2011, Eugene was made a Member of the Order of Canada “for his contributions as a comic actor and writer, and for his dedication to charitable causes”.