Dan Levy Got Candid About Experiencing Homophobia & People Mocking His Masculinity
"And that person said 'Wow, it’s almost like you’re a real man.'"
Dan Levy crouching. Right: Dan Levy in a blurry selfie.
While most of us know Dan Levy for bringing the laughs on Schitt's Creek as the iconic David Rose, the Canadian actor got serious about some of the struggles he faced earlier in his career.
On Thursday, February 9, Levy was the guest for the inaugural episode of Jessi Cruickshank's podcast Phone a Friend.
Cruickshank recounted how when she and Levy worked at MTV, people assumed they were a couple due to Levy not being out as yet, which he said was due to fear.
“Will it change my career? Will the opportunities be limited? Will that limit my life as an actor?" he said of not going public with his sexual orientation. "At the time there wasn’t a ton of out actors that were thriving and drowning in work."
He also noted that at that time, blogs were actively trying to out people without their consent.
"We didn’t have the sensitivity that we do now around people’s coming out and the fact that it’s an incredibly personal experience," Levy explained.
"When you do feel like there’s this ‘hunt’ to out gay people of note in culture it almost makes you want to hide even more because you don’t want to draw any attention to yourself," he continued.
Cruickshank also noted that they worked in a very "heteronormative environment" and asked what that was like for Levy, who recounted an experience he had.
"I remember walking into work one day and someone asked me what I did on the weekend," he said. "I said I installed a dimmer switch in my apartment. And that person said 'Wow, it’s almost like you’re a real man.'"
While he knew that kind of response wasn't ok, he said there was nowhere to report such a thing, "because it was a different time."
Thankfully it was a different time, and Levy and characters like David Rose can now get their due recognition.
If you or someone you know is struggling with harassment or discrimination related to gender identity or sexual orientation, please reach out to a trusted peer, parent or health care professional or refer to these resources available across Canada. If you need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital. Support is available.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.