Chatting With Dan Levy – No Big Deal!!

He’s one of Canada’s top celebrities, and yet he’s still so grounded. How does he do it?

Courtesy of Amanda Blakley

His presence on screen is witty, endearing, and simply adorable. With 11,000 fans on Facebook, 22,000 followers on Twitter, and long line-ups of screaming fans outside MTV, clearly we’re not the only ones who think so. But Dan Levy is still the friendly neighbour we remember working at our local video store – and he graciously sat down with us to answer a few questions we’ve had about his life since it got turned upside down.

Pony: You seem so relaxed on camera, do you actually feel that way?

Dan: I am the most anxious and nervous person alive. Four years into my job and I still get butterflies before we go live to air.

Pony: What’s a typical day at the office like for you?

Dan: We have such a small team, we all end up doing multiple jobs in a day. On top of hosting the show, Jessi and I are Creative Producers. We write, produce, edit. We’ve got a great team and because we’re all such perfectionists it’s nice to have your hand in a little of everything.

Pony: What do you do to wind down after a stressful day?

Dan: I’ve recently been going to the gym. I get home around 11:30pm and it’s been helping me wind down. Doesn’t seem like it would but it does.

Pony: Haha Not really. Do you choose all your own clothes for the show? Where are your glasses from?

Dan: I choose all the clothes I wear. We don’t have a stylist so you’ve got to rely on your own instincts. So far I think we’re doing ok. The glasses are Retrosuperfuture from Spectacle on Queen St. W.

Pony: How do you feel about publications like TV Guide, and After Beat naming you one of TV’s sexiest personalities? (Especially after you took your shirt off?)

Dan: I don’t see it. But I’ll take it. Ha!

Courtesy of After Beat

Pony: And how has fame influenced your personal life? How do you stay grounded?

Dan: I don’t consider myself to be famous. Ask any of my friends, my personal life is just as boring as it was four years ago when I was working at the video store. As for staying grounded, you see people whose heads float off their shoulders after getting on tv. At the end of the day, what I do is fun but it’s not saving lives, you know?

Pony: Would you ever relocate to Hollywood? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Dan: I can barely plan what I’m doing tomorrow. Haven’t really thought about it. I’d love to live in New York at some point.

Pony: You and Jessi appear to be best friends. Do you hang out much outside work?

Dan: Yes. We befriended each other at the MTV auditions and have been pals ever since. If we didn’t get along I don’t think we’d be where we are today. She’s a dear, dear friend. We’ve been through a lot together.

Pony: What’s the worst thing that’s happened to you in an interview?

Dan: At the end of the day, just because you’re famous doesn’t give you a right to feel superior. Being an interviewer you get to see that side of celebrities. When they show you that side, it’s always a little disappointing.

Pony: I guess seeing that side might also help you stay grounded. What’s your favourite movie, book, and food?

Dan: Movie and book are too hard to choose. I could eat pizza every day for the rest of my life.

Pony: Speaking of eating, if you were at a dinner party, who’s the one person in the world you’d like to meet there?

Dan: Mario Batali. Hoping I’d meet him in the kitchen as he’s preparing my meal.

Pony: Lastly, if you could be Mayor of Toronto, what would you change to make it better?

Dan: I’d think long and hard about how to incorporate more green into the city. To be honest, I feel like T.O. has seen better days. We need to clean her up and start thinking a little bit more about what looks good and what looks cheap and sh*tty.

Courtesy of Alicia Taggio

XoXo
– The Cowgirls