Eugene Levy has been a Schmenge brother, a heartbroken folk singer, and is perhaps known best by the Class of 2012 as Jim鈥檚 Dad from the American Pie series.
You might have expected the Canadian film icon to treat an honorary degree from AV俱乐部 as simply another role, like adding 鈥渄istinguished scholar鈥� to his IMDB listing. Instead, he talked candidly to graduates and their families about how an acknowledged 鈥渦niversity dropout and major academic disaster鈥� found his passion and followed his heart to success.
He didn鈥檛 leave his affection for character acting entirely at home: the first portion of his speech was in the guise of slightly-discontented father figure, working his way through a list of stereotypical complaints about 鈥渒ids鈥� these days鈥攕aggy pants, tattoos and texting鈥攖hat seemed to get more laughs from the parents in the crowd than the graduates.
鈥淎m I sounding like Jim鈥檚 Dad?鈥� he asked with his renowned deadpan delivery. 鈥淲ell I鈥檓 just having fun, but I guess I do sound like I鈥檓 an old fart up here. Probably because I鈥檓 65 years old 鈥� I am an old fart!鈥�
Discovering his passion for acting
Soon, though, he segued into a reflection on his own experience as a student at McMaster University in Hamilton in the 1960s. It was there that he discovered his love of film and theatre, with just one wrinkle: these were extracurriculars at McMaster at the time, not formal academic subjects.
鈥淗ad there been [classes], I most certainly would have taken them, and my academic record might have turned out to be one that my mother and father would not have been embarrassed to talk about in public,鈥� he said.
But he couldn鈥檛 help but find the film and theatre clubs 鈥� whose members included such future comedy heavyweights as Ivan Reitman, Dave Thomas and Martin Short 鈥� far more exciting than his sociology classes. Knowing full well that following his calling meant disappointing his parents, he left school and began working as an actor, embracing the bad apartments and short-term challenges needed to get to the breaks that made his name in Canadian comedy.
Speaking with Dal News after his address, Mr. Levy shared how proud he was that his daughter, Sarah, didn鈥檛 have to go that route. At AV俱乐部, she was able to pursue her passion for acting academically, in a way that he couldn鈥檛 at the time. She graduated with her theatre degree in 2008.
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing. I was thrilled to death that my daughter, who was interested in acting, could go and major in a theatre program鈥� I simply didn鈥檛 have that opportunity where I was, and didn鈥檛 know how to get it. That鈥檚 why I gravitated to the film club and the drama club.鈥�
Inspiring company
Those clubs wouldn鈥檛 be the last experience Mr. Levy would have amongst inspiring company. As his career progressed, he would join such legendary comedy ensembles as Second City Toronto, the sketch-comedy show SCTV, and the cast of incredible performers that make up the Christopher Guest films including Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman and A Mighty Wind.
鈥淚 think you know pretty quickly,鈥� said Mr. Levy, when asked about how he knows when he鈥檚 surrounded by the right people. He stopped for a moment to reflect on the Toronto production of the play Godspell, his first big break alongside such future stars as Mr. Short, Victor Garber, Gilda Radner and Andrea Martin.
鈥淭hese were people who were exceptionally bright and exceptionally talented, and you just loved hanging out with them. I think you gravitate towards people you can learn something from.鈥�
Now, 40 years into his career, Mr. Levy, a Member of the Order of Canada, has become a cross-generational star. It鈥檚 likely that the different age groups watching his speech in the AV俱乐部 Arts Centre (or ) all have different touchpoints with his work.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 something that comes with age,鈥� he laughed, adding that he鈥檒l still get recognized from performances that are now 30 or 40 years old. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great when you can cultivate a new audience. That certainly happened with American Pie, and it happened with Bringing Down the House [his 2004 comedy with Steve Martin and Queen Latifah] with the African American audience鈥� after that, I was getting stopped everywhere.鈥�
Advice to the class of 2012
He was certainly getting stopped after his convocation address: he spent several minutes amongst the crowd, posing for photos with young graduates. In his speech, he poked some fun at the Class of 2012鈥檚 immediate next steps: 鈥淵ou鈥檙e about to enter the bleak, bleak world of tension, stress and anxiety 鈥� and yes, I鈥檓 talking about moving back in with mom and dad.鈥�
But amongst the wisecracks, he made sure that Dal鈥檚 newest graduates reflected on where their futures can end up if they pursue their passions.
鈥淵ou graduates are at the starting line of what will be a most exhilarating journey,鈥� he said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 forget to take some time to enjoy it, and don鈥檛 take the back seat with someone else at the wheel. Follow your heart.鈥�