An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.
Eugene Levy confronts his fears in 'The Reluctant Traveler'
Award-winning actor, writer, and producer Eugene Levy has appeared in scores of film and TV projects to date,but what scares him the most is being himself in front of the camera.
"It's frightening -- I've done character work my entire life and the further the characters are from me, the more comfortable I am," says Levy who stars in the new Apple TV Plus travel series "The Reluctant Traveler," in which viewers follow him as he voyages across the world as a self-professed hater of travel.
"'Schitt's Creek' was about as close as I've come to a character. and that was frightening to launch into.
"I'm not a front-and-centre person, I don't enjoy being in front of a crowd, so I said 'yikes, this is going to be kind of scary."'
The eight-part series, which debuted Friday, sees the Emmy Award-winning comedian travelling to eight locations including Tokyo, Finland, Costa Rica and Utah.
At each destination, Levy is situated in unique, extravagant hotels as the 76-year-old actor narrates his own discomfort with customs unfamiliar to him, such as noodle slurping or sumo wrestling.
Levy says that when Apple TV Plus executives first pitched the show, he listed numerous reasons why he wasn't the right guy for a travel show, to the tune of laughter in the meeting.
"With somebody like myself who's really that reluctant to travel, it gives the show a personality that sets it apart," says Levy whose reasons for disliking travel spanned from long wait times at airports to the headaches of packing luggage.
"I mean, if it was up to me, I would have spent much more time in the hotel."
He says his ideas for a travel show would have been far more muted and unappealing as a series before his experience on "The Reluctant Traveler."
"I would have cut everything down by nine-tenths where you're just kind of sitting at a cafe and watching it all stroll on by," says Levy.
"I'm usually very comfortable when I'm on the beaten path, and I stay on the beaten path because I'm more comfortable with familiarity."
Each episode opens with Levy expressing these fears, whether it be the hygienic state of his socks when abiding by the shoeless customs of Tokyo, or the sounds of animal chatter keeping him awake in South Africa's savannahs.
Levy said that despite his anxieties, which is still very much a thing for the 76-year-old actor, he enjoyed the personalities he met along his travels.
"The people I was working with, talked with, and learned from was an eye-opener for me because, through them, I truly learned to enjoy it," says Levy, who fondly remembers his time in Utah with members of the Navajo Nation where he spent a night gazing at the stars with a young man and his family.
"That was the real gift of this show because they did provide some of the great memories. For me it was truly inspirational."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air Canada union head says she'll resign if pilots reject deal
The head of the Air Canada pilots union says she'll step down if members opt not to approve a tentative deal with the airline, raising the stakes as aviators mull whether to accept hefty salary gains or drive an even harder bargain.
Toronto police say they are searching for a suspect who allegedly shot and killed his brother in an argument at a Scarborough housing complex late Saturday night.
John Mulaney and Olivia Munn have second child, a daughter named Mei
Comedian John Mulaney and actor Olivia Munn now have a second child, a daughter named Mei June Mulaney.
Kate, the Princess of Wales, makes first public appearance after cancer treatment
Kate, the Princess of Wales, made her first public appearance Sunday since she announced she had completed chemotherapy and would return to some public duties.
2 suspended from U.S. college swim team after report of slur scratched onto student's body
At least two students at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania have been suspended from the swim team after a report that a racial slur was scratched onto a student's body, officials said.
How does your health measure up? Criticism of long-time tool used to track progress
Body mass index, a long-time tool used to measure a person's health, may soon be out the door as some health professionals push for a system they say is more accurate.
North Carolina's Robinson, omitted from Trump rally, avoids comment on report about online posts
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson avoided directly weighing in during a gubernatorial campaign event Saturday on a CNN report outlining evidence that he made disturbing posts on a pornography website's message board more than a decade ago.
Netanyahu considering plan to force all Palestinian civilians out of northern Gaza to besiege Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a plan to force all Palestinian civilians out of northern Gaza, including Gaza City, in order to lay siege to Hamas and force the release of hostages.
Local Spotlight
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.
It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.