When Eugene Levy accepted his 2020 Emmy for his role in the hit comedy series Schitt's Creek, the first person on his list of thank yous was his "darling wife," Deborah Divine.
"[I want to thank her] for all the love, support, and sage counsel over the years," Eugene gushed at the time, while holding his gold statuette for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. "I wouldn't be up here without you, Deb. I love you."
As he now preps to host the 2024 Emmy Awards with his son Dan Levy, it's hard not to wonder about his own marriage to Deborah. Despite being together for almost five decades, not much is actually known about Eugene and Deborah's relationship. Even though the Levys are both in show biz, Deborah prefers to stay out of the spotlight for the most part outside of her famous family.
That said, we do know that Eugene and Deborah started dating back in 1973, around the same time Eugene was starting out in the Second City Toronto cast. At the time, Eugene had acted in two films, Foxy Lady and Cannibal Girls, and briefly had a fling with Schitt's Creek costar Catherine O'Hara.
But once Eugene met Deborah, sparks flew and the rest is history. In 1977, the two reportedly tied the knot in front of 300 guests. Six years later, in 1983, they welcomed Dan, followed by their daughter, Sarah Levy, in 1986.
As the years went on, the two embarked on their own successful careers. Eugene continued with his acting and comedy career, with roles in Father of the Bride II, American Pie, and Bringing Down the House. Meanwhile, Deborah became a producer for various TV series, including Another World and Higgins Boys and Gruber. She also became a writer for Maniac Mansion, a 1990s Canadian-American sitcom Eugene created.
While it may have been easier for the couple to stay in L.A. for their careers, in 2019 GQ reported they decided to move to Toronto to raise their kids, giving Sarah and Dan "normal childhoods." As Eugene relayed to People the same year, he and Deborah were strict parents who wanted to make sure Dan and Sarah learned the value of discipline and weren't pulled into a show-business environment.
"The thing was for us, if you crossed the line, there was going to be some sort of punishment," Eugene said about his kids. "It's the way I was brought up, and it's the way I brought up my kids.”
By the looks of things, their parenting method worked. "Honestly we've never had a problem with our kids," he told the magazine. "It was fun as they got older, because then they'd start making us laugh. There were more times that Daniel had us laughing than I ever had anybody laughing."
While they may have run a tight ship, Eugene and Deborah also provided unending support for their kids. When Dan was struggling to come out as gay, he recalled that it was his mom who comforted him and made things much easier.
"We were having lunch and she just asked and I said 'yes,'" Dan recalled on the podcast WTF with Marc Maron in May 2020. "She was really great about it and she asked if I wanted her to tell my dad and I said 'yes.' So she did and then my dad very emotionally told me that he loved me and that it didn't change anything. It's very lucky. I'm very lucky to have that kind of support around me."
And in a surprise twist of events? Eugene, Dan and Sarah all starred together on Schitt's Creek, the nine-time Emmy-winning show Dan and Eugene created together that ran from January 2015 to April 2020. Ask Eugene what it was like working with Sarah and Dan on the show, and he'll tell you that it was an absolute dream come true.
"I never get over the fact that I'm actually on set with my kids," Eugene confessed to People at the time.
And the feeling is mutual.
"My dad has managed to have a consistent, successful career that I think is based not just in talent but in humility and professionalism," Dan told TV Insider. "And in this industry that says a lot about a person and their work. To have him as an example, in terms of how to navigate this business, has been invaluable."
And if seeing how Dan loves his parents wasn't enough, it's clear Eugene and Deborah's love continues to shine so many years later. When Eugene received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2024, he made sure to share how much he adores his wife and contributes his success to her to this day.
"You can't have your name put on a star on Hollywood Boulevard without someone having your back, and Deb's had mine for 47 years," the actor said during his acceptance speech. "There would be no star today without you."
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
