Eugene Levy Still Haunted by His Most Embarrassing Movie Moment
The beloved actor reveals how one infamous scene from a 1999 comedy continues to follow him everywhere, despite his Emmy-winning success with Schitt's Creek.
Looking back at comedy films from the 1990s reveals how drastically humor has evolved. Movies like There's Something About Mary, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and Swingers now feel outdated due to their treatment of social issues that wouldn't fly today. Among these films, American Pie stands out as particularly problematic when viewed through a modern lens.
Released at the end of the '90s, this coming-of-age comedy captured the imagination of teenage audiences with its raunchy premise. Four high school friends made a pact to lose their virginity, leading to a series of increasingly outrageous situations. At the time, moviegoers were mostly focused on the film's shock value and crude humor rather than questioning its underlying messages.
Cultural Impact That Won't Go Away
The movie left an undeniable mark on popular culture. It introduced the term "MILF" into everyday vocabulary, created countless memes about webcam mishaps, and featured one particularly memorable scene involving the main character Jim and a freshly baked apple pie. That infamous moment was made even more uncomfortable by the presence of Eugene Levy, who played Jim's well-meaning but awkward father and walked in at exactly the wrong time.
More than two decades later, Levy continues to be reminded of that cringeworthy scene wherever he goes. Despite his incredible success with shows like Schitt's Creek, which earned him Emmy recognition and international acclaim, fans still associate him with that one moment from American Pie.
When Fame Becomes a Burden
The Canadian-American actor has grown tired of the constant reminders. "Now it's Schitt's Creek. All over the world. People came up and talked about the show in pretty much any location we visited. The American Pie thing got a bit tedious. People would bring me apple pie every time I went into a restaurant or to a wedding. Which is kind of funny, but it did happen a lot," Levy explained.
Meanwhile, Jason Biggs, who actually performed the pie scene, has taken a different approach. He's embraced the absurdity by partnering with American brands to promote apple pies, though he acknowledges the problematic nature of the film's content.
Reflecting on Changed Standards
Biggs has been vocal about how comedy standards have evolved since 1999. "That particular scene and the content of that scene could not be done now, and it shouldn't be done now. It reflects the progress that we've made as a society in the last 25 years that we now think, 'That's inappropriate.' It is, and it should be, but the movie stands as its own little time capsule – it's a reflection of the times that we lived in, as most things are," he stated.
As the holiday season approaches and apple pies become more common on dinner tables across America, it's worth remembering how one comedy scene from 1999 continues to shape how we view both the actors involved and the evolution of what society considers acceptable entertainment.