Watch CBS News

Funnyman Eugene Levy

The year 2003 has started off strong for actor Eugene Levy. He has already costared in the year's most successful new film "Bringing Down The House" with Queen Latifah and Steve Martin.

He told The Early Show that next Wednesday he will reunite with the casts of the mockumentaries "Waiting For Guffman" and "Best In Show" in the new movie "A Mighty Wind," which takes a backstage look at a concert reuniting three 1960s folk groups.

In "Bringing Down The House," he plays a lawyer friend to Steve Martin's character. And Levy's character has an attraction for Queen Latifah's Charlene Morton that he can't keep to himself.

In the movie Charlene Morton, who was incarcerated, meets tax attorney Peter (Steve Martin) in a law chat room. They later arrange a blind date. But she isn't the lawyer he thought she was. Actually, she is a fugitive from jail who demands his help to clear her name of a false robbery conviction. They soon change each other's lives.

Levy steals some scenes from Queen Latifah and Martin in the comedy.

"He loves a thick chocolate goddess," said Queen Latifah in a March Early Show interview. "That's his thing. I got [Levy] saying all these words through this whole film that are so funny. I mean I'm giving him every slang word in the book to say. And he delivers them perfectly."

In "A Might Wind," he plays one half of a folk duo called Mitch & Mickey, who were the epitome of young love until their partnership was torn apart by heartbreak. Their group is joined by the Folksmen and the New Main Street Singers to perform for one night only in New York City's Town Hall. The three groups reunite and gather together to celebrate the music that almost made them famous.

Some Facts About Eugene Levy

  • Eugene Levy was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, December 17, 1946
  • He attended McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and was a member of McMaster's ensemble theater where he met future "SCTV" colleagues Dave Thomas and Martin Short, as well as Ivan Reitman and Doug Henning.
  • 1971: Levy made his feature acting debut, starred (opposite Andrea Martin) in Reitman's "Cannibal Girls," a horror-comedy (released 1973); appeared in the Toronto production of "Godspell" along with Martin Short, Dave Thomas, Andrea Martin, Gilda Radner and Paul Shaffer
  • 1973-1975: Joined the Toronto company of Second City troupe; moved to Pasadena, Calif. with John Candy and Joe Flaherty to form a company but the venture failed so he returned to Toronto to work in theater
  • 1977-1981: Served as a performer and writer on "Second City TV", a syndicated sketch comedy series
  • 1979: Levy mady his dramatic acting debut in "Running"
  • 1981-1983: Wrote and performed for "SCTV Network 90/SCTV Network" on NBC. Recieved two Emmy Awards for writing.
  • 1983-1984: Wrote and performed on "SCTV" on Cinemax
  • 1983: Co-starred In "National Lampoon's Vacation"
  • 1985: Levy made his television producing debut, served as executive producer on the HBO special "The Last Polka," a mock documentary on a fictional polka group
  • 1987: Levy made his television-movie debut, "Bride of Boogedy"
  • 1988: Levy made his television directing debut in a special entitled "Autobiographies: The Enigma of Bobby Bittman"; he also produced, directed and acted in "Second City's 15th Anniversary Special"
  • 1989: Directed the HBO comedy special "I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood"
  • 1990-1994: Debut as a television series creator, "Maniac Mansion", a fantasy sitcom for Family Channel loosely based on a Lucasfilm computer game
  • 1992: Levy made his television -movie directing debut, "Partners 'n Love" for the Family Channel; he also made his feature directing debut in "Once Upon a Crime"
  • 1994: Levy directed the premiere episode of "The Martin Short Show"
  • 1997: Levy co-wrote "Waiting for Guffman" with Christopher Guest
  • 1997-1998: Appeared on the ABC sitcom "Hiller & Diller"
  • 1999: Played Jason Bigg's father in the hit "American Pie." Reprised the role in "American Pie 2" and "American Wedding"
  • 2000: With Christopher Guest, co-wrote the satirical comedy "Best in Show"
  • 2002: Co-starred in the Fox midseason replacement series "Greg the Bunny"
  • 2003: Co-starred in the comedy "Bringing Down The House", which has taken in $115 million at the box office, so far. It is the biggest hit that has opened this year

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.