The actor sports activities lengthy locks and a leather-based jacket within the spot reverse Brie Larson, Danai Gurira, Dave Bautista and longtime good buddy and fellow 'Schitt's Creek' vet Catherine O’Hara.
Eugene Levy’s latest function is much away from his beloved run on Schitt’s Creek. As a matter of reality, Levy might spin laps round Johnny Rose, actually, courtesy of Nissan.
The automaker and Cruella filmmaker Craig Gillespie forged Levy as a high-octane, pedal-to-the-medal motion star in a brand new advert marketing campaign debuting throughout Sunday’s Tremendous Bowl. The 60-second spot, titled Thrill Driver, options the 2023 Nissan Z and the all-electric 2023 Nissan Ariya and a supporting forged of all-stars, together with Nissan model ambassador Brie Larson, Danai Gurira, Dave Bautista and Levy’s longtime good buddy, frequent co-star and fellow Schitt’s Creek vet, Catherine O’Hara.
The spot opens with Levy strolling throughout a studio lot on what appears to be a daily day till he occurs upon Larson and the Z. Intrigued by the automotive, Levy takes it for a spin — driving modestly at first till he embraces the total “Thrill Driver” persona. The enjoyment trip transforms into an motion film, with Gurira and Bautista enjoying Levy’s co-stars, and he additionally will get a makeover full with sun shades; lengthy, flowing hair; knuckle tattoos; 5 o’clock shadow and a black leather-based jacket. In true motion hero mode, he delivers the one-liner, “Cock-a-doodle-do,” earlier than performing a harmful automotive stunt. Earlier than it ends, Levy is snapped again to actuality and finds himself alongside Gurira, Bautista, O’Hara and Larson in a packed movie show watching the movie’s premiere.
“It’s not usually one thing like this will get introduced to you,” Levy instructed The Hollywood Reporter of the chance. “[The] premise alone was unbelievably thrilling.”
The industrial is Levy’s first Tremendous Bowl advert, and it comes a yr after son, Dan Levy, starred reverse a gaggle of M&Ms in a giant sport spot of his personal and on the heels of a Capital One industrial he did with daughter, Sarah Levy. Prematurely of the Nissan advert debut, The Hollywood Reporter caught up with Levy about what he seems to be for in advertisements (with or with out his children), his transformation into motion hero and the rumors a few doable Schitt’s Creek movie.
We’ve by no means seen you want this. What was your first thought when the idea was introduced to you?
It’s not usually one thing like this will get introduced to you, the place you will have a physique of labor that you simply’re identified for, however they’re truly making an attempt to make you into one thing you by no means thought you'll be, which is an motion hero. That premise alone was unbelievably thrilling. Plenty of credit score goes to our hairstylist, Ana Sorys, who labored on Schitt’s Creek for a lot of years with us. It was her imaginative and prescient for this look, and it was a sophisticated concept that needed to be executed superbly or I don’t suppose it could’ve labored. It was executed superbly on all fronts.
What was the expertise of filming a high-profile spot like this?
[Director Craig Gillespie], who has finished motion so properly in different spots, had such a cool demeanor on set that he stored every thing low-key and enjoyable. I by no means felt any strain in any respect about, “Oh my God, am I gonna be capable of pull this off?” as a result of he stored every thing so mild and nice and enjoyable. It was really a enjoyable day and a half for me. Usually whenever you’re sitting in a automotive for a day and a half, it’s normally sort of a claustrophobic expertise, however actually, there have been plenty of laughs. I credit score Craig for setting that tone.
The spot is titled Thrill Driver — what sort of driver are you?
I'd say I’m an important driver. My spouse may disagree with that. I assume possibly I are inclined to go a bit quick, however I’ll maintain up my driving report to anyone’s.
That is Nissan’s first Tremendous Bowl industrial since 2015, and your first look in a Bowl spot. Do you will have a favourite Tremendous Bowl industrial?
I cherished the spots with Betty White [for Snickers]. That was a tremendous, humorous spot and sort of the very best one within the bunch. My son, Dan, had an M&M industrial final yr that I assumed was fairly good. That was actually one thing, I cherished that one. These had been my two faves to date.
We’ve seen you pop up in just a few advertisements through the years, even just lately together with your daughter. How do you determine what to say sure to?
I really like the Capital One spot as a result of I really like these advertisements, you understand? I labored with [Samuel L. Jackson] a few years in the past. Nice man. Simply to have the ability to say, “What’s in your pockets?” has at all times been a type of issues. The concept of doing it with my daughter was actually interesting as a result of we stated proper up entrance, this needs to be a scene. It will possibly’t be a industrial the place we’re sort of pushing a message down folks’s throats. It’s gotta be a nice scene, very reflective of Schitt’s Creek. They stated, “That’s high quality, that’s what we’re searching for, too.” The concept of having the ability to do this little scene with Sarah was thrilling. You wish to make sure that there’s simply the fitting tone of humor. You wish to make it possible for it displays who you're and displays your sensibility. Actually, this Nissan spot did that for me. It was simply designed that manner. I didn’t actually have to do this a lot. That’s what sort of [made it] particular.
You’re debuting in a Tremendous Bowl advert one yr after your son had his M&Ms spot featured through the Tremendous Bowl. Will the Levys be collectively to look at the large sport on Feb. 13?
It’s fairly doable if I can get him extra excited about soccer, however I might be watching it. I might be residence and possibly watching with my household, my daughter, Sarah, and her husband, Graham. We’ll see whether or not Dan truly could make it, however I wouldn’t wager cash on it.
Who're you rooting for — Rams or the Bengals?
I’ll be rooting for the Rams as a result of I believe it’s thrilling L.A. is within the Tremendous Bowl. The Bengals are sort of a younger group, and [it’s] sort of enjoyable to be within the Tremendous Bowl for them.
There was discuss of a Schitt’s Creek film — are there any updates on getting the gang again collectively? Or for extra Schitt’s Creek reside fan experiences?
There’s at all times been discuss that there might be a get-together in some unspecified time in the future with the forged, whether or not it’s a film or a kind of particular or one thing. That's at all times gonna be stored alive. However there’s nothing definitive within the foreseeable future, within the close to future, let’s put it that manner.