Dan Levy opens Saturday Night Live with Schitt's Creek shout-outs, surprise appearance from dad
Toronto-raised actor and director hosting sketch comedy show for 1st time
Dan Levy's opening monologue on Saturday Night Live was filled with references to Schitt's Creek, COVID-19 safety precautions — and a surprise cameo from his father.
"Somewhere, my 13-year-old self has fainted in like a really needy, melodramatic way," Levy said before discussing the positives and negatives that came with the surge in popularity of Schitt's Creek.
"The good: I have been getting stopped on the street by all different kinds of people, which is new and fun and different," Levy said. "The not so good: those people are mainly screaming 'Ew!' at me, which was a line I wrote for the show that will now haunt me for the rest of my life.
"But in all seriousness, for all the good and the not so good, I have somehow found myself here on this iconic stage standing in front of all of you. And trust me when I say this, it has only been good here at SNL."
Dan Levy's Monologue! ⭐ <a href="https://t.co/oUFIljXTQ4">pic.twitter.com/oUFIljXTQ4</a>
—@nbcsnl
Levy, the Emmy Award-winning actor and director who co-created Schitt's Creek with his father, Eugene Levy, began Saturday's show with a tour of the famed New York City studio before stumbling upon his father in a see-through box.
"You flew all this way just to watch the show from a weird box?" Levy asked his father, who replied: "I didn't know about the box at the time."
Eugene! ❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/Realeugenelevy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Realeugenelevy</a> <a href="https://t.co/k3XPkBwYw6">pic.twitter.com/k3XPkBwYw6</a>
—@nbcsnl
Levy's first sketch featured him as a Universal Studios Orlando tour guide who reveals some unconventional insights about famous movies.
Folks, welcome to the Universal Studios Orlando Tram Tour. <a href="https://t.co/n6KFUMor3a">pic.twitter.com/n6KFUMor3a</a>
—@nbcsnl
He then appeared as a guest at a Super Bowl party with partygoers who misunderstand pandemic protocols — and subsequently eat chili bare-handed.
Doesn’t get much safer than this. <a href="https://t.co/MHwpwFVnKR">pic.twitter.com/MHwpwFVnKR</a>
—@nbcsnl
Levy also featured in a sensual twist on a commercial for real estate website Zillow and as an obtuse ally discussing his activism on BET before introducing musical guest Phoebe Bridgers.
yeah sex is great but have you ever gone on zillow <a href="https://t.co/vOrqTxkYct">pic.twitter.com/vOrqTxkYct</a>
—@nbcsnl
Levy and longtime cast member Cecily Strong also portrayed bartenders with Broadway aspirations who coax patrons at a sports bar into a Super Bowl-themed musical number.
Levy also appeared alongside Kate McKinnon as wedding guests who initially object to their friend's choice of groom before changing their minds. Levy's turn as host concluded with a sketch that featured a satirical look at the It Gets Better Project.
Schitt's Creek, which aired on CBC and Pop TV, ended its sixth and final season last April. The Ontario-shot swept the comedy category at the Emmy Awards last fall and is nominated for five Golden Globes, including best TV musical or comedy series.
Ahead of Levy's Saturday Night Live appearance, his mother, Deborah Divine, took to Twitter to celebrate her son's accomplishment.
Moms. ♥️ <a href="https://t.co/QC5n2ChfpY">https://t.co/QC5n2ChfpY</a>
—@danjlevy
The Toronto-raised Levy will also feature in an M&M's commercial that will air during the Super Bowl on Sunday.
With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press