Father-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy know a thing or two about Emmys glory.
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This year, they may only be serving as hosts, but in 2020, the sixth and final season of their Canadian sitcom “Schitt’s Creek” swept the entire Comedy category, winning them both statues for their acting work, as well as recognition for their involvement behind the scenes. It was the first time this had ever happened, though shows like “The Bear” and “Only Murders in the Building” look to repeat that success this year. Reflecting on this joyous anomaly during a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times , the Levys recalled how unexpected this triumph was for them even in spite of their show’s growing success.
“We had broken through at that point, and that was the big deal for us, simply having the nominations, and the fact that we were all nominated as actors for the first time,” Dan said. “We had a little moment before walking into the tent of just how wonderful it all was, expecting nothing. Then the night unfolded the way that it did. I don’t think any of us genuinely saw that coming.”
To add to the randomness of the occasion, their win also took place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, so instead of accepting in front of thousands of their peers at a large theater in Los Angeles, they held a small ceremony of their own in Canada with just the cast and crew.
“It’s kind of burned into our memory,” said Eugene. “That was a pretty exceptionally outstanding night, the kind of night you don’t have too many times in your life. It was a fun night, considering COVID had taken over the world. It was odd and wonderful.”
Expanding on this sentiment, Dan added, “It’s a night that literally nobody had had before. It was incredible. I remember walking to the tent we had rigged to house us all, walking with Annie and sort of glancing over at her and having a flash to our first day on set. I told her that I was picturing our first day and how strange and wonderful our path was.”
For Eugene, the only positive he had going into the night was longtime friend and collaborator Catherine O’Hara winning for her performance as matriarch Moira Rose. Every win to follow was just icing on the cake.
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“To be honest, I thought Catherine O’Hara, if she doesn’t win, then there’s something wrong,” Eugene said to the LA Times. “To me that was the only sure win. And then the second win, and then I won, and then Daniel won.”
For Dan, the moment that meant the most to him was seeing his TV sister, Annie Murphy, win. Finding someone to play Alexis Rose was the hardest part of the casting process he said, but Murphy proved to be the perfect fit.
“I think I lost my mind more than she did,” Dan said of seeing Murphy win. “Mainly because of the conversation we had had earlier that day and the process of finding this actress in a haystack of auditions and instantly knowing her potential and then seeing her recognized and rewarded at the highest level of television — it was one of the most exciting moments for me certainly of that night.”
As far as taking control of the awards night as hosts, the Levys were “obviously kind of nervous” at first, but having had experience opening the SAG awards, they were willing to take a chance as the main emcees. Unlike many comics who’ve held this role, the Levys plan on playing a little softer and focusing on celebrating television in all its forms.
“It really comes down to wanting it to feel celebratory, not wanting it to be too hard but still wanting a bit of an edge,” said Dan. “People, from what I’ve been told, are kind of excited that we’re not hard-edged comics, that there will be a kind of warmth to the room. It’s trying to marry all of those things without being boring, ultimately.”
Eugene added, “And [it’s] also just paying tribute to television, certainly the nominees, but to the medium that gave us both our starts. It’s always hit me in a funny way when jokes are done at the expense of people who are nominated — they’ve put in the work, and it’s their night, really, and you have to have enough respect for the awards show itself. Otherwise, why are we here? You want it to be funny, but it’s maybe a kinder, gentler approach.”
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