Amy Schumer. Jack Black. Kate McKinnon. Tiffany Haddish. Dan Levy.
If you read through that list of names and thought to yourself "Who?" by the time you reached the last one, you're probably not alone. The five names listed are all nominees at the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards in the Best Comedic Performance category. And the presence of the first four can't be questioned. Everyone knows them and their work. But Dan Levy? He's the niche darkhorse nominee who came out of nowhere. You may think he doesn't belong there, but you'd be mistaken. And we're here to tell you why.
Levy's nominated in the category, which pits movie and TV performances against one another, for his work on Schitt's Creek, the Canadian TV show he co-created alongside his father, comedy legend Eugene Levy. The series, which follows the Rose family after they lose their fortune and are forced to rebuild their lives with their sole remaining asset, the titular town that they purchased for son David (played by Dan) as a joke birthday gift, has aired in the United States for the past four seasons on Pop and will be back next year for season five. Aside from both Levys, Schitt's Creek also stars the legendary Catherine O'Hara (as Rose matriarch Moira), Annie Murphy (as Rose daughter Alexis), Chris Elliott (as town mayor, Roland Schitt), and Emily Hampshire (as Stevie Budd, the exasperated clerk-turned-owner of the motel the Roses inhabit). And it's absolutely something you need to watch if you haven't yet.
Over the past four seasons, the Levys have taken their little show from its one-note joke (rich people struggle to be poor) and developed it into something with a beating heart, something that can just as easily make you cry while you laugh hysterically. And Dan, a former MTV Canada presenter and Degrassi guest star, has proven that he's a true comedy powerhouse as pansexual David, especially in the fourth season, as he fell in love (and struggled to accept the happiness that came along with it) with Noah Reid's Patrick. Honestly, their storyline was well worth the price of admission alone. (Although, it's hardly the only reason to tune in. You did clock that this thing also stars the one and only Catherine O'Hara, right?)
While we're not sure how Levy found himself nominated against the likes of Jack Black and Amy Schumer, we're damn sure glad he was. And you'd be wise to check out the show before he possibly pulls of a major upset. The first three seasons are available to stream on Netflix now!
Find out if Dan pulls out a win when the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards air Monday, June 18 at 9 p.m. on the cable network!