His character in American Pie may be one of Eugene Levy's most iconic roles, but it was one that he came very close to missing out on entirely. Originally released in movie theaters in 1999, American Pie follows a group of high school boys who form a pact to lose their virginity before graduation. The title of the film comes from its most memorable scene involving Jim (Biggs) using an apple pie to simulate intimacy with a woman. He's interrupted in the act by his father (Levy) in a hilariously awkward moment, and at this point, it's impossible to imagine other actors in those roles.
In a new interview for The Graham Norton Show, Levy reflected on joining American Pie in the late 1990s. He remembered how it was clear very early on in the script that it was a particularly raunchy comedy, and that had him feeling apprehensive about joining the cast. Worse yet, the role he was wanted for had also been written a lot differently, and it wasn't until Levy asked for changes to be made to Jim's dad that he finally accepted the part.
"I said no initially," he said. "I didn't wanna do it. I didn't even like the part the way it was written, Jim's dad, because it was kind of written as a 'nudge, nudge, wink, wink' kind of thing. With the dad trying to be friends, kind of a hip friend with his son. And I said, 'I don't wanna play that. I think a dad should be the kind of dad that nobody wants to hang around with, when they're a kid. Just a square dad trying to do the right thing."
Levy continued, "So, they allowed me to improvise, do all the scenes, take them out and improvise before I committed to do it. And then I liked the way the improvisations were going, it was kind of turning out the way I wanted it to, so I said, 'Okay.' That was it."
The American Pie Franchise Continues
Levy would ultimately become so synonymous with American Pie that he would even get involved in the lesser-known spinoffs that don't involve Jason Biggs and the other starring cast members of the main series of films. After debuting as Jim's father, Noah Levenstein, in the 1999 original, Levy would reprise the role for American Pie 2 in 2001 and American Wedding in 2003 to round out the original trilogy. He then went on to appear in four separate "American Pie Presents" spinoffs: 2005's Band Camp, 2006's The Naked Mile, 2007's Beta House, and 2009's The Book of Love. In 2012, Levy would rejoin Biggs and the other originals for American Reunion.
We could end up seeing Levy return to that role once again. There have been rumblings for years of an American Pie 5 happening, with Tara Reid claiming in 2021 that a script is even ready to go. By this point, it seems pretty certain that if the movie happens, Levy would be the first one to sign on.