Good Grief: Dan Levy on love, loss and A Little Bit Alexis
Dan Levy speaks with GAY TIMES about his emotionally-charged Netflix film Good Grief, why failure is a “wonderful thing” and the Schitt’s Creek storyline he wants to revisit.
Vroom vroom, bitches (that was a spoiler). WORDS BY SAM DAMSHENAS HEADER BY YOSEF PHELAN With Dan Levy’s lauded new Netflix dramedy Good Grief, viewers are guaranteed to weep, cackle and – in my case – seethe (watch it immediately, and ye shall understand). “People have been saying they were emotionally affected by it and I’m like, ‘Thank you.’ There’s no word to describe that,” he tells GAY TIMES. “I don’t wish that on someone, but I am glad that the desired effect took effect.” Co-starring Ruth Negga, Himesh Patel and Luke Evans, the emotionally-charged film stars Levy as Mark, a man who embarks on a weekend getaway to Paris with his two best friends after the sudden death of his husband (Evans).
As well as starring in the lead role, Levy wrote, directed and produced Good Grief – marking the first time he’s utilised all of these skills for one project since his seminal comedy series Schitt’s Creek, which memorably saw him make Emmy history as the first person to win in all four major categories in a single year. “By the end of the night, I believe I said on camera that people are going to hate me for this.
And I hate that I said that,” Levy reminisces, admitting that he was unable to absorb his record-breaking victory at the time as a result of our “critical and cruel culture” that has a tendency to “turn” on people after a bout of success. “I should’ve been more proud in that moment,” he says, “yet I was so aware of what people were thinking.” However, Levy hasn’t felt the inevitable pressure to replicate this success with his post-Schitt’s career: “It’s a point of pride in knowing that I made something that changed people’s lives.” In the three years since the series finale, Levy spread festive queer in Happiest Season, guest-starred in HBO’s controversial musical drama The Idol and played