It’s Dan Levy’s 40th birthday! The writer/actor/creator is turning 40 and we want nothing more than to celebrate him!
Levy is known for co-creating and starring as David Rose in the popular and award-winning series Schitt’s Creek. He’s also been in movies like Happiest Season and Haunted Mansion, and TV shows like Sex Education, Q-Force, and The Idol. As a creator, he created and hosted the cooking show The Big Brunch, and is working on writing and directing his first feature-length film. He’s given us a wealth of things to enjoy over the years.
Now, on his birthday, we want to look back and celebrate one of our favorite people: Dan Levy! Here are five times we were reminded why we love him so much!
1. When he met Oscar the Grouch
Levy’s Schitt’s Creek character David is known for his iconic “ew” catchphrase from the show, so it only made sense that he’d team up with another iconic complainer — Oscar the Grouch — when he visited Sesame Street. In this adorable clip, Levy and Oscar have an “ew-off” that ends with a cute moment with Oscar’s worm friend Slimey.
2. When he was one of 'People's Sexiest Men Alive
In 2020, Levy was officially named one of the sexiest men alive by People Magazine, and we couldn’t agree more! In the photoshoot, he’s seen doing quarantine hobbies like walking his dog, baking, and taking out the trash.
3. When he shared his coming-out story
Levy was accepting the Davidson Valentini Award at the 2019 GLAAD Gala when he opened up about his journey to coming out. "I think back to the bullying, the name calling, the shoving, the side eyes, a guy in math class calling me a 'faggot,'" Levy said. "I legitimately thought I would have to live with my secret -- my being gay -- for the rest of my life, because I didn't have the security of seeing a lot of people like myself being celebrated in popular culture."
His coming out, he said, was made possible by “a group of strong, funny, very dazzling young women who were the keepers of my secret and the protectors of my soul,” in high school and “a family that supported me fiercely and unconditionally when I needed it the most, when I came out at 18.”
4. When he honored David Wojnarovicz at the Met Gala
When Levy was invited to the 2021 Met Gala, where the theme was "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion," he decided he wanted to honor late artist and activist David Wojnarovicz.
His outfit, which featured two men kissing and a map of the world, was made “with support from the estate of American multimedia artist and LGBTQIA+ activist, David Wojnarovicz (1954-1992), Jonathan and the design team built upon an image of two men kissing from Wojnarovicz's work, Fuck You Faggot Fucker, named after a homophobic cartoon the artist had come across. But rather than feed on the message of hate, we wanted to celebrate queer love and visibility - acknowledging how hard artists like Wojnarovicz had to fight, while also presenting the imagery in a way that offered a hopeful message. Tonight, we're celebrating the resilience, the love, and the joy of the community while honoring a crucial American voice that was taken from us too soon."5. When he reminded us 'It Gets Better' on 'SNL'
In 2021, Levy hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time, and the results were hilarious!
In one especially riotous sketch, Levy, along with queer SNL cast members Bowen Yang, Punkie Johnson, and Kate McKinnon, showed what life is like for people who participated in the 2010’s ‘It Gets Better’ project. The sketch shows that coming out can solve a lot of problems – and open you up to new problems that straight people face, like being bullied by adults, buying your kids a pet iguana, and not having any friends.