Eugene Levy's 10 Best Movies & TV Shows Ranked

Eugene Levy has enjoyed a long career as a comedic actor, starring in several classic movies and TV shows. Levy has had a career renaissance over the last decade thanks to the popularity of his sitcom Schitt’s Creek, but he was a comedic star long before playing the part of Johnny Rose. Comedy fans will also recognize him from his role in the American Pie franchise, since he has appeared in all but one of the movies.

Eugene Levy is known for his appearances in Christopher Guest’s movies, like Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show and A Mighty Wind. Although these comedies rely on improvisation, Guest and Levy often write the stories together. These comedies marked his first collaborations with Catherine O’Hara, another important co-star who later played his on-screen wife in Schitt’s Creek. Levy often plays neurotic, square characters with no outlet for their considerable stress.

10

National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

Ed

The movie that started the National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise has also influenced family road trip comedies for decades. Thanks to a memorable performance from Chevy Chase and a steady stream of great jokes, Vacation is a classic. The sequels largely followed the same formula of madcap comedy, but aside from Christmas Vacation, it could be argued that none of them reached the same heights.

Eugene Levy only plays a minor role in Vacation, and it would rank much higher among his best movies if he were more involved. Still, he plays his part well and gets a few laughs as the car salesman despite his limited screentime. Ed is a cheap huckster who tries to swindle Clark into accepting a useless car. Levy’s slimy portrayal of Ed embodies the stereotype of a used car salesman, with plenty of spin to cover up his poor products.

9

Goon (2011)

Dr. Glatt

Goon is the kind of ice hockey movie that can be enjoyed by people with no knowledge about the sport, since it’s more focused on fighting than the number of goals being scored. The story follows a kind but dimwitted bouncer who finds a new career as an enforcer for his local ice hockey team. It’s a fun comedy that explores the peculiar role of an enforcer and its place within the sport.

Levy once again shows that he doesn’t need a lot of time on screen to make his audience laugh.

Seann William Scott is the main draw in Goon, as his dim but ultimately lovable protagonist is someone who’s easy to root for. Eugene Levy only has a relatively minor role as his father, but the contrast between his character as a level-headed doctor and his son’s new job as an enforcer creates some memorable moments. Levy once again shows that he doesn’t need a lot of time on screen to make his audience laugh. His flustered comedic persona works wonders.

8

For Your Consideration (2006)

Morley Orfkin

For Your Consideration is often forgotten amid Christopher Guest’s other comedy movies, but it’s an underrated gem that deserves more attention for its sharp satire of the movie industry. Guest assembles a large ensemble cast stacked with many of his regular performers, like Catherine O’Hara, Fred Willard and Harry Shearer, but there’s also room for some new faces like Ricky Gervais. There are countless other cameos to flesh out Guest’s vision of Hollywood.

For Your Consideration is about a group of actors who find that their performances are getting a lot of Oscar buzz before they have even completed the movie they’re working on. Guest’s satire suggests that Hollywood is a hype machine that has no real interest in quality, especially when it comes to awards. Eugene Levy plays his part as an agent perfectly, desperately trying to make himself look useful, and trying to

7

Greg The Bunny (2002-2004)

Gil Bender

Greg the Bunny was a short-lived sitcom starring Eugene Levy and Seth Green alongside an ensemble of puppets. It’s mostly been forgotten about these days, but its offbeat humor is still worth watching. As a show that deconstructs a medium meant for children’s entertainment, Greg the Bunny also seems surprisingly ahead of the curve. Its rough-around-the-edges, low-budget appearance is also oddly charming.

Levy’s charm works well in Greg the Bunny, as he never treats the situation with anything other than total sincerity.

Eugene Levy plays a perennially stressed-out TV producer working on a show much like Sesame Street, trying to keep his puppet stars in line while dealing with his human network executives. He’s caught between these two worlds, constantly trying to please everyone while everything backfires in his face. Levy’s charm works well in Greg the Bunny, as he never treats the situation with anything other than total sincerity. He acts as if he’s working in a drama alongside human co-stars.

6

A Mighty Wind (2003)

Mitch Cohen

Another Christopher Guest collaboration, A Mighty Wind turns the director’s satirical eye on the music industry. More specifically, it pokes fun at American folk music, and the clash between a traditional art form with a callous, money-obsessed business. Many of Guest’s regulars appear as folk musicians aiming to recapture their glory days with a tribute concert to their recently-deceased former manager.

A Mighty Wind is a mockumentary, something that both Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy have experience with.

A Mighty Wind is a mockumentary, something that both Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy have experience with, and it creates plenty of fun gags that work with the format. As well as co-writing the movie, Levy stars as Mitch, a man emotionally scarred by the break-up he endured with his girlfriend and musical partner decades earlier. This role allows him to strike up his winning chemistry with Catherine O’Hara once again.

5

Splash (1984)

Dr. Walter Kornbluth

Splash is a relic from the era when Tom Hanks was one of the best comedic actors in Hollywood, before he started taking on more and more dramatic roles. He plays a jaded single man who falls in love with a woman, shortly before he discovers that she’s actually a mermaid who sprouts a tail whenever she touches water. While this ludicrous conceit could weigh down the movie, Splash never takes itself too seriously, and it works surprisingly well.

John Candy has a fun supporting role as the hero’s best friend, playing a stock rom-com archetype in a movie that’s so clearly uninterested in the mainstream way of doing things. Eugene Levy also shines in his role as an eccentric scientist trying to convince his colleagues of the existence of mermaids. His inept attempts to uncover the mermaid’s secret in public are a highlight of the movie.

4

American Pie (1999)

Noah Levenstein

Noah Levenstein is one of Eugene Levy’s most famous roles, since he plays Jim’s father in eight movies, including the spinoffs. The American Pie franchise created a revolution in teen comedies during the 2000s. The first movie is arguably the best, however, while some of the sequels are imitations that don’t reach the same level of originality or shocking humor. No American Pie movie has been hugely popular with critics, but the original at least enjoys a stellar reputation among the franchise’s fans.

Noah Levenstein is one of Eugene Levy’s most famous roles, since he plays Jim’s father in eight movies.

Levy is superb as Noah Levenstein. He brings out the confusion and insecurity in the character, as Noah doesn’t quite know how he’s supposed to behave as a parent in most situations, especially the bizarre binds that his son finds himself in. While American Pie is known for its raunchy humor, it also has a surprising amount of heart, pondering the specifics of young adulthood. Levy shows a tender side as well as his many hilarious moments.

3

Waiting For Guffman (1996)

Dr. Allan Pearl

Waiting for Guffman is another Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy mockumentary, this time following a small town’s musical production about their peculiar shared history. Guest plays the eccentric theater director who leads his cast to believe that one of his friends from Broadway may be about to scout them and launch them all to stardom. Like some of Guest’s other comedies, Waiting for Guffman is about performers desperate for fame, whether they have talent or not.

Levy’s comedy is often about quiet tragedies that his characters are completely oblivious to.

Levy plays a drastically uncool dentist with a lazy eye who dreams of discovering the talent deep within himself. Unfortunately, this musical talent eludes him. Levy is surrounded by his and Guest’s regulars, and it’s a joy to see their effortless improvisational comedy. Levy’s comedy is often about quiet tragedies that his characters are completely oblivious to, and Allan Pearl is as oblivious as anyone.

2

Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020)

Johnny Rose

In the last decade or so, Schitt’s Creek has been Eugene Levy’s most famous project by far. He created the show with his son Dan Levy, who also stars as his on-screen son. The sitcom follows a dysfunctional family who are forced to live in a small backwater town after they are swindled out of their enormous wealth. As they gradually learn some humility, Schitt’s Creek reveals that it can make audiences cry as well as laugh.

The best episodes of Schitt’s Creek can blend humor with heart, as the Rose family reconnect after losing everything. Eugene Levy’s character, Johnny Rose, often seems like the only normal member of the family, and this lets Levy play the straight man while Johnny’s pampered children and eccentric wife constantly lose their heads over every minor inconvenience. Johnny is the most relatable character, especially in the earlier seasons, and Levy is hilarious as a conduit for the audience.

1

Best In Show (2000)

Gerry Fleck

Best in Show could represent the pinnacle of Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy’s long-running collaboration, but it’s still an underrated comedy gem. The story follows various dog owners from all over America as they compete in a prestigious competition, and it brings the best out of Guest regulars like Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Lynch and Fred Willard. Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara play another on-screen couple.

Best in Show often ventures into the realm of pure farce, as the neurotic dog owners pin their dreams on their pets. This also hints at the intelligent satire of Best in Show. It can be seen as a cunning allegory about parenthood, since so many of the dog owners are couples who try to live vicariously by watching their pets achieve something. As with many of Guest’s classics, there’s also a lot of wry commentary on the business of entertainment. Best in Show combines all these layers together expertly, creating a hilarious comedy with a lot on its mind.