1946-born Eugene Levy is best known for his role in the Emmy-award-winning Canadian comedy series "Schitt’s Creek" - and as 'Jim's Dad' from the vastly successful American comedy movie franchise "American Pie". Recently, he also joined the cast of the popular series "Only Murders in the Building" for its upcoming, fourth season.
Oftentimes portraying flustered and unconventional figures, Levy has won multiple accolades throughout his career - including four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, among others. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2011 - and was made Companion of the Order of Canada in 2022.
Born in Canada's Hamilton, Levy knew that his family hailed from Scotland - and that his mother Rebecca Kudlatz, although born in Glasgow, was of Polish Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. He knew nothing beyond that though - and had never been to his mother's hometown himself, until the second season of "The Reluctant Traveler" show he stars in gave him a perfect opportunity to visit Glasgow.
While in Scotland, the Canadian actor was guided around the Gorbals area of Glasgow, where his grandmother and grandfather lived after arriving from Poland. A meeting with a local genealogy expert was arranged for Levy as well - thanks to which he saw his grandparents' photos for the first time ever, as well as a physical copy of the census detailing his family history.
The documents contained information that Eugene Levy's ancestors on his mother's side arrived in Scotland in the early 1900s from the Polish town of Nasielsk, which lies 30 km from Poland's capital city of Warsaw.
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Source: The Reluctant Traveler