You’ve seen the eyebrows. You’ve heard the deadpan delivery. Whether he’s playing the world’s most awkward dad in American Pie or the surprisingly sentimental Johnny Rose in Schitt’s Creek, Eugene Levy has a vibe. It’s a specific kind of "dad energy" that feels familiar, warm, and—to many viewers—distinctly Jewish. But in the world of celebrity trivia, people often get the details twisted.
So, is Eugene Levy Jewish? The short answer is yes. Very. But the long answer is a lot more interesting than just a checkbox on a Wikipedia page. It’s a story about Scottish-Jewish roots, Sephardic ancestry, and a real-life interfaith marriage that actually inspired one of the most beloved sitcoms of the 21st century.
The Roots: A Tale of Two Jewish Worlds
Honestly, most people assume Eugene Levy is just your standard Ashkenazi Jew from Canada. That’s only half the story.
Eugene was born in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1946. His mother, Rebecca "Betty" Kudlatz, was indeed Ashkenazi. She was born in the Gorbals—a notorious, gritty immigrant neighborhood in Glasgow, Scotland—to parents who had fled Poland. If you’ve watched the second season of The Reluctant Traveler on Apple TV+, you saw Eugene actually visit Glasgow. He stood in the rain, looking at old census records, discovering that his ancestors were basically "economic refugees" who stopped in Scotland because they couldn’t afford the full boat fare to North America.
Then there’s his father, Joseph Levy. Joseph was a foreman at an automobile plant, but his heritage goes back even further. He was Sephardic Jewish, with family roots tracing back to Bulgaria and Spain.
This mix is actually kind of rare in the "Hollywood Jewish" trope. You have the Polish/Russian influence meeting the Ladino/Mediterranean history. It’s a full spectrum of the Jewish diaspora packed into one Canadian comedian.
Growing Up in Hamilton
Hamilton wasn’t always a picnic. Eugene has been open about the fact that being Jewish in a mid-century industrial city came with its share of friction. When he ran for student council president at Westdale Secondary School, people defaced his campaign posters with antisemitic slurs.
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He didn't take them down. He left them up.
That kind of quiet defiance says a lot about him. He didn’t scream about it; he just let the work speak for itself. He won the election, by the way.
The Big "Interfaith" Misconception
Here is where the internet usually gets confused. People see Schitt’s Creek—where Johnny Rose is Jewish and Moira Rose is decidedly... not—and they assume the show is just a funny script.
In reality, the show is a mirror.
Eugene Levy has been married to Deborah Divine since 1977. Deborah is Protestant. They’ve spent nearly 50 years navigating what they call a "combined world." While Eugene is 100% Jewish by birth and heritage, his kids, Dan and Sarah Levy, grew up in an interfaith home.
Dan Levy (who co-created Schitt’s Creek with his dad) famously describes himself as a "delightful half-half situation."
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The "Halfie" Holiday Struggle
A few years back, Eugene sent out a tweet that basically broke the Jewish internet:
"One half of me is celebrating Hanukkah, the other half is decorating a tree. My body is confused. #halfie"
People took this to mean he was half-Jewish. He’s not. He was talking about his household. In the Levy house, they do the Menorah and the tree. They do the brisket and the... whatever Protestants eat for Christmas. (Ham? Probably not ham if Eugene is at the table, but you get the point.)
This real-life dynamic is why Schitt’s Creek felt so authentic. When Johnny Rose tries to throw a "Chanukah-slash-Christmas" party (a "Merry Fitzmas" or "Hanumas"), it isn't just a gag. It’s a lived experience. It’s the tension of wanting to honor your heritage while also wanting your spouse to feel at home.
Why It Matters for His Career
For decades, Eugene Levy played characters where his Jewishness was "coded" but rarely stated. Think about Noah Levenstein in American Pie. The name is Jewish. The eyebrows are Jewish. The "talks" are very Jewish. But the movie never makes it a plot point.
Then came Schitt’s Creek.
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Johnny Rose is arguably the first time Eugene played a character where being Jewish was a casual, undeniable fact of life that didn't involve a punchline about a Bar Mitzvah. It just was.
- The Bagel Incident: Remember when Bob (the garage owner) can't bring himself to say the word "Jewish"? He’s awkward and weird about it, and Johnny just sighs and says, "You can say it, Bob."
- The Meaning of the Name: At the 2024 Emmys, Eugene and Dan gave a mini-history lesson. They pointed out that "Levy" (or Levi) signifies a descendant of the Levites. It’s one of the most "classic" Jewish names you can have. They even corrected the pronunciation: it’s LEH-vee, not LEE-vee.
What Most People Get Wrong
If you're looking for a "religious" guy, you might be looking at the wrong Levy. Eugene has described himself as more of a "Jew of no religion"—a term researchers use for people who are ethnically and culturally Jewish but don't necessarily spend every Saturday in a synagogue.
He’s a "culture Jew." He’s a "bagel platter Jew." (His daughter Sarah once noted at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony that he makes the best bagel platters in the business.)
The "American" Myth
One more thing to clear up: He isn't American.
The Guardian once had to issue a hilariously long correction because they called him American. He is fiercely Canadian. Being a Canadian Jew is its own specific subculture—often feeling a bit more connected to the "old country" (whether that’s Scotland or Poland) than the melting-pot vibe of New York or LA.
Actionable Takeaways: How to Explore More
If you’re a fan of Eugene and want to see how his Jewish identity actually shows up in his work, don't just stick to the movies.
- Watch "The Reluctant Traveler" (Season 2, Episode 1): You’ll see Eugene go to Glasgow. He wears a "kosher tartan" (a Scottish kilt made without mixing wool and linen, which follows Jewish law) and visits the graves of his grandparents. It’s the most vulnerable he’s ever been on screen.
- Re-watch the "Merry Christmas, Johnny Rose" special: Now that you know his wife is Protestant and he’s Jewish, watch that episode again. You’ll see the real Eugene Levy in the way Johnny desperately tries to get his family to care about the Menorah.
- Check out Dan Levy’s interviews on "Half-Identity": If you’re interested in the interfaith side of things, Dan has spoken extensively about how his dad’s Jewishness shaped his worldview without being oppressive.
Eugene Levy is a reminder that identity isn't always about what you do in a place of worship. Sometimes it's about the way you raise your kids, the way you handle a "talk" with your teenage son, and yes—the way you curate a really, really good smoked salmon spread.