In season two of his Apple docuseries The Reluctant Traveler, Eugene Levy explores elements of Europe which may be missed for larger, extra well-known cities.
As an alternative of Madrid or Barcelona, he visits Andalusia, Spain. The Schitt’s Creek star forgoes Mykonos or Santorini for all times on the tiny Greek island of Milos. He finds himself in Sylt, Germany, versus main cities like Berlin or Munich.
Forward of every season, the Reluctant Traveler manufacturing group scouts out doable places for the Emmy-winning actor, comic and nervous globe-trotter to go to. Along with Levy, they determine what locations can be essentially the most enjoyable and significant, and go from there. The group typically visits every place a number of occasions to seek out out who Levy might be interacting with, what he’s going to do and the way he’s going to dive into a brand new tradition.
By season two, the admittedly trepidatious traveler felt extra comfy each showing within the collection as himself, and trusting his group to make the calls on all the things from what he was going to eat to who he would spend time with, however he nonetheless made positive to voice his ideas to a point. The American Pie star says he determined to do that present as a result of he wished to be pushed out of his consolation zone and see the world in methods he hadn’t but, being in his seventies.
“I’ve accomplished many of the issues that they’ve wished me to do,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I actually didn’t like being myself in entrance of a digital camera at first, as a result of I’d by no means accomplished it. I by no means thought I used to be attention-grabbing sufficient. That’s why you go into character work. But it surely’s all coming collectively for me, so it’s me on digital camera.”
Beneath, Levy unpacks how this season is completely different from the primary, whether or not his reactions are real or in the event that they embrace somewhat performing, and his favourite recollections from all of his travels.
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How do the 2 seasons of your journey docuseries examine?
Effectively, I feel the present simply retains getting higher. This was an attention-grabbing season. We’re doing Europe. I feel I’m getting somewhat higher — that means extra comfy being on digital camera, as a result of it was an odd feeling final yr for me. I’ve by no means accomplished this kind of factor earlier than. I’m a personality actor, so I placed on some make-up and, anyone however me, I’d be comfy in entrance of a digital camera. In order that was a tricky factor for me after we began the present: how am I going to do on it? And, am I going to be serving to the present or not?
I’m extra comfy this yr. I received comfy final yr, however now it’s nearly grow to be like second nature. I may be myself with out working too onerous at it. I feel we’ve got some nice places, and it’s off-the-beaten-track type of Europe that I feel individuals don’t get an opportunity to see that usually. That’s an enormous plus.
Since that is the second season, how a lot say did you will have in choosing the excursions and the locations you visited?
I get a rundown of doable potential places, and we type of choose those that we expect are going to be essentially the most enjoyable and significant. However the manufacturing group, actually, they’re those which can be chargeable for the present. I simply present up and do it. They’re those doing the scouting, and so they’re those making two or three journeys to each location, determining who I’m speaking to, what we’re going to be seeing, what’s the principle thrust and cultural excessive level. So, I go away that as much as them as a result of they truthfully know what they’re doing, and I’m trusting them extra. And in that, I’m keen to take extra possibilities or go extra off the crushed path for me, as a result of clearly, that makes for a extra attention-grabbing present. There are some issues that I’ll nonetheless say no to as a result of I simply don’t care to do it, however it’s largely of their arms.
How a lot do you determine to push again versus simply kind of associate with it? How do you steadiness that?
I feel, for essentially the most half, when it comes to what we’re seeing and who we’re speaking to, that’s all tremendous, and generally they’ll attempt to push the envelope when it comes to taking me out of a consolation zone. I’ve accomplished many of the issues that they’ve wished me to do. I’ve a worry of heights, so I’ve accomplished a helicopter. I really did it. I did say no to a scorching air balloon that they wished me to do for one of many international locations. I did the King’s Stroll, which was in Spain, and that’s a slim walkway alongside the aspect of a cliff. That was powerful, however I did it. However standing in a basket 1,000 toes above the bottom? No, I can’t do it. So, that was a no. Meals, I attempted to pattern issues I might by no means eat. I imply, I’ll strive it. I attempted haggis — horrible, simply horrible. Octopus, I didn’t prefer it. However I attempt to trip the road and provides them the good thing about the doubt. My tastes are simply easier than that, to be sincere. I’ve by no means had an adventurous palate.
Within the present, to what diploma are you your self versus performing somewhat bit?
It’s one hundred pc real. That’s the factor now after I say I’m type of enjoyable into the present. I actually didn’t like being myself in entrance of a digital camera at first, as a result of I’d by no means accomplished it. I by no means thought I used to be attention-grabbing sufficient. That’s why you go into character work. But it surely’s all coming collectively for me, so it’s me on digital camera. I’m attempting to be myself and the way I talk with individuals. Generally I say I like one thing, like salmon fishing after I was in Scotland, and I mentioned one thing like, “This might be my second sport.” I couched it in that it might be a joke, however I felt like I wished the fellows I used to be with to really feel higher concerning the expertise that they had been placing me by means of, and I didn’t wish to say I don’t actually get pleasure from it. So, I’m attempting to be as sincere as I can in all the things I do.
What have been a few of your favourite recollections from the final two seasons?
Our very first present — the Maldives — that was an expertise, as a result of that was actually lovely, beautiful and the type of setting I really like, which is principally a seashore. That was good. I cherished Utah final season as a result of that turned out to be — like Scotland this yr — one thing that crept up on me in type of an emotional manner, and I wasn’t anticipating it and the expertise itself in working with and hanging with these beautiful individuals from the Navajo Nation, it was a spectacular episode. This yr, Sweden. This was an instance of you placing on this Midsummer competition, pouring rain. These poor individuals who had been placing on this factor and singing and dancing and placing up the maypole, and so they’re of their costumes getting drenched and but couldn’t have had extra of a constructive perspective about the entire thing, and my coronary heart went out to them.
Spain was fairly thrilling as a result of I received to spend a day with a soccer all-star Héctor Bellerín and gave him a incredible celebratory transfer if he ever scored a aim, and he mentioned he by no means scores as a result of he’s a defender. However the recreation occurred the subsequent night time, and we’re protecting it from a bar, and he did rating, and he then does the celebratory strikes that I gave him the day earlier than within the greatest recreation of the yr. And I went loopy. All the crew went loopy once they noticed that. There are some very nice, excessive factors. They’re giving me some beautiful issues to do this I feel the typical Joe simply wouldn’t get an opportunity to do like, you understand, shepherd 600 sheep by means of the costliest actual property in Sylt, Germany. I’m loving it.
The Reluctant Traveler releases new episodes weekly on Tuesdays on Apple TV+.