Shawn Levy

Shawn Adam Levy is a Canadian and American filmmaker and actor born on July 23, 1968. He is the founder of the production company 21 Laps Entertainment. As a film director, his works have grossed a collective $3.5 billion worldwide, and as a producer, he has earned nominations for an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and three Primetime Emmy Awards.

Levy was born into a Jewish family in Montreal, Quebec, where he grew up alongside two siblings. He attended St. George's High School in Montreal and trained at the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in New York. He later studied in the performing arts program at Yale University, graduating in 1989. After developing an interest in directing while at Yale, he moved to Los Angeles and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 1994.

Levy began his professional career in the mid-1980s while pursuing his degrees. He made his acting debut in the 1987 film Zombie Nightmare and later appeared in Liberace: Behind the Music, 21 Jump Street, and Beverly Hills, 90210. In the late 1990s, he transitioned into directing television teen dramas such as The Secret World of Alex Mack, Animorphs, and The Famous Jett Jackson. Levy made his feature film directorial debut in 1997 with Address Unknown and Just in Time, followed by his first theatrical release, Big Fat Liar, in 2002.

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Levy directed and produced numerous feature films, including Just Married, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther, and the Night at the Museum franchise. Through 21 Laps Entertainment, he established a production deal with 20th Century Fox that lasted until 2020. During this era, he directed Date Night, Real Steel, and The Internship, while executive producing television series such as Last Man Standing. He also expanded into non-comedy projects, producing films like The Spectacular Now, This Is Where I Leave You, and the 2016 sci-fi film Arrival, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

Levy later entered an exclusive contract with Netflix. He served as an executive producer for the entire run of the series Stranger Things, directing multiple episodes across its seasons. His work with Netflix also includes directing the limited series All the Light We Cannot See, as well as executive producing projects like Shadow and Bone and There's Someone Inside Your House.

Levy has collaborated with actor Ryan Reynolds on Free Guy, The Adam Project, and Deadpool & Wolverine, with the latter becoming his highest-grossing film. His upcoming directorial projects include Star Wars: Starfighter and a Ghost Rider film for Marvel Studios. In 2023, he received the inaugural Norman Jewison Award at the TIFF Tribute Awards. Levy has been married to his wife Serena since 1995, and they have four daughters. He became a U.S. citizen in 2008 and resides in Manhattan and New Paltz, New York.