Shawn Levy (born July 23, 1968) is a Canadian producer, director and actor.
He is an executive producer and director of Stranger Things and appeared in a cameo role in Season 1. He is the founder and principal of production company 21 Laps Entertainment.
Biography[]
Early Life and Career[]
Levy was born to a Jewish family in Montreal, Quebec. As a teenager, he attended St. George's High School and Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in New York. Levy graduated from Yale University in 1989 majoring in Performing Arts. He received a MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 1994.
Levy has a production deal with 20th Century Fox. He produced the 2012 Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill comedy The Watch, which was directed by Akiva Schaffer. His television company 21 Laps produces the ABC/Fox comedy series Last Man Standing and the science fiction Netflix series Stranger Things.
Levy's acting debut was in Zombie Nightmare (1986), a low-budget horror film in which he portrayed the character Jim Bratten, the leader of a group of teenagers. The film is best known for being featured in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. He appeared in the 1988 Liberace: Behind the Music, as a post-Scott Thorson acquaintance of Liberace. His television acting resume consists of a guest spot on 21 Jump Street, a recurring role on Beverly Hills, 90210, and a role on 30 Rock as TV producer Scottie Shofar.
In December 2017, Netflix announced a 4-year contract with Levy. Due to the successful seasons of Stranger Things, he will create TV projects exclusively for the streaming entertainment company.
Levy was initially announced as the director of the film version of Minecraft, but has since left the project. He is the latest director attached to the film adaptation of the Uncharted video game series, following David O. Russell and Neil Burger. Joe Carnahan worked with Levy to produce the script for the film, but Levy left the project on December 19, 2018. Levy will also direct a film based on long-running children's series Sesame Street, which will be the show's third motion picture following Sesame Street Presents: Follow that Bird and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, and its first in nearly two decades.
In March 2018, it was announced that Levy will produce the film adaptation of the slasher novel There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins under his 21 Laps Entertainment label, alongside James Wan's Atomic Monster studio for Netflix.
Filmography[]
Film[]
Year | Title | Director | Producer |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | Address Unknown | Yes | No |
Just in Time | Yes | No | |
2002 | Big Fat Liar | Yes | No |
2003 | Just Married | Yes | No |
Cheaper by the Dozen | Yes | No | |
2006 | The Pink Panther | Yes | No |
Night at the Museum | Yes | Yes | |
2009 | Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian | Yes | Yes |
2010 | Date Night | Yes | Yes |
2011 | Real Steel | Yes | Yes |
2013 | The Internship | Yes | Yes |
2014 | This Is Where I Leave You | Yes | Yes |
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb | Yes | Yes | |
2021 | Free Guy | Yes | Yes |
2022 | The Adams Project | Yes | Yes |
TBA | Deadpool 3 | Yes | No |
Starman | Yes | Yes | |
The Fall | Yes | Yes | |
Crater | Yes | Yes
|
Producer Only[]
Year | Title | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus | John Shepphird | |
2005 | Cheaper by the Dozen 2 | Adam Shankman | |
2008 | What Happens in Vegas | Tom Vaughan | |
The Rocker | Peter Cattaneo | ||
2009 | The Pink Panther 2 | Harald Zwart | Executive producer |
2012 | The Watch | Akiva Schaffer | |
2013 | The Spectacular Now | James Ponsoldt | |
2014 | Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day |
Miguel Arteta | |
2016 | Arrival | Denis Villeneuve | Nominated- Academy Award for Best Picture Nominated- AACTA International Award for Best Film |
Why Him? | John Hamburg | ||
2017 | Fist Fight | Richie Keen | |
Table 19 | Jeffrey Blitz | ||
2018 | The Darkest Minds | Jennifer Yuh Nelson | |
Kin | Jonathan Baker Josh Baker |
||
TBA | The Violent Heart | Kerem Sanga | Filming |
Untitled third Sesame Street film | Jonathan Krisel | ||
There's Someone Inside Your House | Patrick Brice | Pre-production |
Acting Roles (Film)[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1986 | Zombie Nightmare | Jim Bratten | |
1987 | Wild Thing | Paul | |
1988 | Liberace: Behind the Music | Glenn | |
The Kiss | Terry O'Connell | ||
1991 | Our Shining Moment | J.J. | |
1993 | Made in America | Dwayne | |
1997 | Address Unknown | Cameo | |
Just in Time | Photographer | ||
2002 | Big Fat Liar | Wolf Party Guest | |
2003 | Cheaper by the Dozen | Press/Room Reporter | |
2005 | Cheaper by the Dozen 2 | Hospital Intern | |
2009 | Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian | Guy in Commercial | |
2013 | The Internship | Guy in Nap Pod |
Television[]
Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1996–1998 | The Secret World of Alex Mack | Yes | No | 6 episodes |
1997–1998 | The Journey of Allen Strange | Yes | No | 3 episodes |
1998–1999 | Lassie | Yes | No | 4 episodes |
1998 | First Wave | Yes | No | Episode "Marker 262" |
1998–1999 | Animorphs | Yes | No | 5 episodes |
1998–2003 | The Famous Jett Jackson | Yes | No | 47 episodes |
1999 | So Weird | Yes | No | |
2000 | In a Heartbeat | Yes | No | 2 episodes |
2001 | Jett Jackson: The Movie | Yes | Yes | TV movie |
2002 | Do Over | Yes | No | Episode "The Block Party" |
Birds of Prey | Yes | No | Episode "Nature of the Beast" | |
2006 | Pepper Dennis | Yes | Yes | Episode "Pilot" |
2011–2016 | Last Man Standing | No | Yes | 79 episodes |
2014 | Cristela | No | Yes | Episode "Pilot" |
2016 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Yes | No | Episode "Kimmy Drives a Car!" |
2016–present | Stranger Things | Yes | Yes | Directed episodes "Holly, Jolly", "The Body" (while also doing a cameo), "The Pollywog", "Will the Wise", "The Case of the Missing Lifeguard", "The Sauna Test", "The Monster and the Superhero", and "Dear Billy" |
2017 | Imaginary Mary | Yes | No | Episodes "Pilot" and "The Mom Seal" |
Acting Roles (televison)[]
Year | Title | Role | Episode(s) |
---|---|---|---|
1989 | China Beach | Lieutenant | "Dear China Beach" |
1989–1990 | Tour of Duty | SP4 Budd Sills | 2 episodes |
1990 | 21 Jump Street | Lance | "Awomp-Bomp-Aloobomb, Aloop Bamboom" |
Lifestories | Luke Conforti | "Art Conforti" | |
1993 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Howard Banchek | 2 episodes |
Step by Step | Daniel | "Way Off-Broadway" | |
2000 | The Famous Jett Jackson | Producer | 3 episodes |
2009 | 30 Rock | Scottie Shofar | "The Problem Solvers" |
2016 | Stranger Things | Morgue Worker | "Chapter Four: The Body" |
Stranger Things[]
Levy got involved with Stranger Things when Dan Cohen, Vice President of 21 Laps, handed him the pilot script. He fell in love with the project and invited the Duffers to his office.[1]
Levy took a hands-on producing role on the show. When the Duffers were set to film and direct the third episode, the scripts for the second half of the season were not finished. Levy offered to direct episodes three and four so they could focus on the writing.[2]
Credits[]
Director[]
Season 1[]
Season 2[]
Season 3[]
Season 4[]
Season 5[]
- TBA
External links[]
- Shawn Levy on Twitter
Trivia[]
- Because of his role in the successful seasons of Stranger Things, Netflix issued a 4-year contract with Levy so that he would create TV projects exclusively for the streaming entertainment company.
- He made a cameo appearance in "The Body", portraying a morgue worker.
References[]
- ↑ "‘Stranger Things’: Shawn Levy on Directing Winona Ryder, Netflix’s Viral Model" Variety. July 22, 2016.
- ↑ "How the man behind Netflix hit 'Stranger Things' is taking over Hollywood" Business Insider. September 7, 2016.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "‘Stranger Things’ Season 2: Shawn Levy Confirms He’s Directing Again; Teases Season 3" Collider. November 8, 2016.