Happy birthday, Eugene Levy! Today the legendary Canadian comedian, actor, writer and producer turns 74.
While Levy is currently best known for the smash hit, award-winning series Schitt's Creek (created with son and co-star Dan Levy and featuring daughter Sarah Levy), he's been cracking up audiences for decades.
Levy first became a household name in the '70s and '80s with the sketch-comedy series SCTV (alongside his Schitt's Creek co-star Catherine O'Hara), shortly followed up by his role as the sleazy car salesman in the iconic comedy classics National Lampoon's Vacation with Chevy Chase and Splash with Tom Hanks and Darryl Hannah.
The '90s included roles in the Father of the Bride and American Pie films.
The late '90s and the aughts brought us Levy's writing collaboration with Christopher Guest—and some of his most hilarious characters in their mockumentaries, including Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show.
Recent years brought us voice work from Eugene Levy in heart-warmers like Finding Dory. And of course, the phenomenal Schitt's Creek.
See more of his most beloved roles in our roundup below. Thank you for the years of laughter, Mr. Levy! We'd love more, please.
The sketch comedy series launched the careers of Second City comedians Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, John Candy, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis, Joe Flaherty, Harold Ramis, Martin Short and Dave Thomas. Levy's hilarious characters included the utterly befuddled Sid Dithers, Alex Trebek spoof Alex Trebel, nervous dance show host Mel Slirrup, clueless news anchor Earl Camembert and obnoxious funnyman Bobby Bittman.
In this iconic comedy classic, Levy plays the car salesman who swindles Chevy Chase's Clark Griswald into buying the infamous Wagon Queen Family Truckster station wagon.
Levy plays scientist Dr. Walter Kornbluth in the '80s rom-com starring Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks. Dr. Kornbluth tries to expose Hannah's Madison as a mermaid.
Levy appears in two separate roles in the Father of the Bride films. In the first movie, he plays a super cheesy wedding singer auditioning for parents-of-the-bride Steve Martin and Diane Keaton.
In the FOTB sequel, Levy plays Mr. Habib, who is very interested in buying George Banks' (Steve Martin) house.
In addition to co-writing this brilliant small-town theater mockumentary with Christopher Guest, Levy sang and danced his way into our hearts as dentist and aspiring thespian Dr. Allan Pearl.
In this Lewis & Clark spoof starring Chris Farley and Matthew Perry, Levy plays crazy Frenchman Guy Fontenot, who is very possessive of his Native-American woman, Shaquinna (Lisa Barbuscia).
Levy played an understanding dad to Jason Biggs' sex-obsessed son in both American Pie films as well as American Wedding and American Reunion.
In another writing collaboration with Christopher Guest (this time spoofing the Westminster Kennel Club dog show), Levy steals the Show as Gerry Fleck, a terrier dad with literally two left feet and a wife (Catherine O'Hara) with too many exes to count.
Bow Wow (then known as Lil Bow Wow) stars as orphan who gets mad basketball skills after finding a pair of shoes he believes belonged to Michael Jordan. Levy plays general manager of the fictional Los Angeles Knights and decides to recruit Bow Wow's Calvin onto the team.
Steve Martin's Peter is shocked when he finds out his pen pal Charlene (Queen Latifah) is an ex-con who wants his help clearing her name. The one person who's more than happy to get on board is Peter's lustful best friend Howie (Levy), who falls in love with Charlene at first sight.
Levy co-wrote this mockumentary comedy film—about a folk music reunion concert—with Christopher Guest. He also reteams with Catherine O'Hara to portray a former couple that released seven albums until their dramatic breakup—and his emotional breakdown. Their beautiful duet "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" is def worth a listen.
In this Dumb & Dumber prequel, Harry and Lloyd meet in a fake special-needs class Levy's Principal Collins creates to bilk money from parents (to fund his Hawaiian condo, natch).
In this Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen comedy, Levy plays overzealous truant officer Max Lomax, who is hell-bent on tracking down school-skipping teenager Roxy (Mary-Kate).
Levy plays another dentist in this buddy cop comedy. This time, his character Andy Fiddler is mistaken for ATF Agent Derrick Vann (Samuel L. Jackson), who is trying to clear his name after an inside job. Needles to say, hilarity ensues.
Levy reteams with Steve Martin in this family film, playing Jimmy Murtaugh, the rival dad of eight kids to Martin's dad of 12. Carmen Electra plays Mrs. Murtaugh.
Levy voices Lou, the sunny porcupine patriarch, in this animated favorite. And he reteams with Catherine O'Hara, who voices Lou's wife, Penny.
In this family fave, Levy voices Clovis, an inventor who helps George (Frank Welker) and Ted, aka The Man With the Yellow Hat, (Will Ferrell) save the beloved Bloomsberry Museum.
In this award-season spoof (also co-written by Levy and Christopher Guest), Levy plays agent to Harry Shearer's demanding actor.
Levy voices not one, but a group of Albert Einstein bobbleheads in this sequel.
In this animated feature based on the best-selling manga series, Levy voices Orrin, Astro Boy's (Freddie Highmore) timid robot household servant.
Levy stars as an workaholic executive who is framed in a Ponzi scheme and is relocated with his family to Madea's (Tyler Perry) home as part of the federal witness protection program.
In this heartwarming follow-up to Finding Nemo, Levi voices Dory's (Ellen DeGeneres) father, Charlie.
In the award-winning hit comedy series Levy co-created with son Dan Levy, Eugene brings the laughter and the sentimental tears as Johnny Rose, as man who's trying to rebuild and reinvent his life after losing his fortune. And yes, he once again reteams with the one and only Catherine O'Hara.