If you are a fan of comedy shows, you might have wondered if Jane Levy, the star of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, is related to Eugene Levy and Dan Levy, the father-son duo behind Schitt’s Creek. After all, they share the same last name and a similar sense of humor. However, the truth is that Jane Levy is not related to Eugene Levy or Dan Levy at all. In fact, they don’t even pronounce their last names the same way. Here is everything you need to know about the Hollywood Levys and their family connections.
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Jane Levy: The Breakout Star of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Jane Colburn Levy was born on December 29, 1989, in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Mary Tilbury, an artist and florist, and Lester Levy, a mediator. Her father is Jewish, and her mother is of English, Scottish, and Irish descent
Jane attended Sir Francis Drake High School in San Anselmo, California, where she was on the hip hop dancing team and captain of the soccer team. She also appeared in community theater productions of Annie and The Wizard of Oz. She later transferred from Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, to the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City, where she graduated from the Conservatory
Jane moved to Los Angeles after two years in New York City. She landed her first TV role as Mandy Milkovich on the Showtime comedy-drama Shameless in 2011. She left Shameless after the first season to play the lead role of Tessa Altman on the ABC sitcom Suburgatory from 2011 to 2014
Jane also transitioned to film, collaborating with director Fede Álvarez on the horror films Evil Dead (2013) and Don’t Breathe (2016). She also starred in other movies such as Fun Size (2012), Nobody Walks (2012), About Alex (2014), Bang Bang Baby (2014), Frank and Cindy (2015), Monster Trucks (2016), I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017), The Pretenders (2018), and Happiest Season (2020)
Jane returned to television with series regular roles on the Hulu comedy-drama There’s… Johnny! (2017) and the horror fantasy Castle Rock (2018). She also headlined the Netflix thriller miniseries What/If (2019).
However, Jane found major success as the title character of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, an NBC musical comedy-drama about a woman who hears people’s inner thoughts as musical numbers. The show premiered in 2020 and received critical acclaim and a loyal fan base. Jane received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her performance
Eugene Levy and Dan Levy: The Creators and Stars of Schitt’s Creek
Eugene Levy was born on December 17, 1946, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He is the son of Rebecca Kudlatz and Joseph Levy. His mother was born in Glasgow, Scotland, to Polish Jewish parents, while his father was Sephardi Jewish, with ancestors from Spain and Bulgaria. He has a brother, Fred, and a sister, Barbara
Eugene attended Westdale Secondary School in Hamilton, where he was student council president. He then attended McMaster University in Hamilton, where he met filmmaker Ivan Reitman. He was vice-president of the McMaster Film Board, a student film group
Eugene started his career writing and acting in the Canadian television sketch series SCTV from 1976 to 1984. He won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for his work on SCTV. He also appeared in films such as National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), Splash (1984), Multiplicity (1996), Father of the Bride Part II (1995), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), For Your Consideration (2006), Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005), Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), Finding Dory (2016), and American Reunion (2012). He is best known for playing Noah Levenstein in the American Pie franchise
Eugene married Deborah Divine in 1977. They have two children: Dan Levy and Sarah Levy. Both of them followed their father’s footsteps into show business
Dan Levy was born on August 9, 1983, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute and later studied film production at York University and Ryerson University
Dan started his career as a co-host of MTV Canada’s flagship show MTV Live from 2006 to 2011. He also hosted several other shows on MTV Canada, such as The After Show, The Hills: The After Show, and The City: Live After Show. He also acted in films such as Admission (2013), Cyberstalker (2012), and Stage Fright (2014)
Dan co-created, co-produced, and co-starred in the CBC comedy series Schitt’s Creek with his father Eugene Levy. The show premiered in 2015 and ran for six seasons until 2020. The show follows the wealthy Rose family, who lose their fortune and are forced to move to a small town they once bought as a joke. Dan plays David Rose, the son of Eugene’s character Johnny Rose. His sister Sarah Levy also appears on the show as Twyla Sands, a waitress at the town’s café
Schitt’s Creek became a huge hit, especially after it was picked up by Netflix in 2017. The show received widespread acclaim and numerous awards, including nine Primetime Emmy Awards for its final season, making it the first comedy series to sweep all major categories in a single year. Dan won four Emmys for his work on Schitt’s Creek, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy
The Hollywood Levys: Not Related But Still Admirable
Despite sharing the same last name and working in the same industry, Jane Levy is not related to Eugene Levy or Dan Levy. They don’t even pronounce their last names the same way: Jane says LEE-vee, while Eugene and Dan say LEV-ee. Jane has clarified this several times on social media and interviews, stating that she is not related to the Schitt’s Creek stars
However, Jane has also expressed her admiration for Eugene and Dan Levy, saying that they are both “wildly talented” and that she is a “huge fan” of both of them. She also joked that she had a moment of confusion when she was nominated for a Golden Globe alongside Dan Levy, wondering if it was actually him or his father who was nominated
Eugene and Dan Levy have not publicly commented on Jane Levy or her work, but they have shown their support for other actors with the same last name. For instance, they congratulated actor William Levy for his performance on Dancing with the Stars in 2012, tweeting “You’re doing the Levys proud.”
The Hollywood Levys may not be related by blood, but they are certainly connected by their talent, humor, and success. They have all proven themselves as versatile and creative performers who can make audiences laugh, cry, and sing along with their characters. Whether it’s Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist or Schitt’s Creek, you can’t go wrong with watching a show starring a Levy.
