Who is Deborah Divine?
Deborah Divine was born in the 1940s, in Canada, and is a screenwriter as well as a producer, but perhaps best known for being the wife of actor Eugene Levy, who is known for his work in the “American Pie” film series, playing the role of Noah Levenstein. In recent years, he starred in the comedy show “Schitt’s Creek” alongside their son Dan Levy. Deborah is also the mother of actress Sarah Levy.
The Net Worth of Deborah Divine
As of early-2020, Deborah Divine’s net worth is estimated to be over $1 million, earned through success in behind the scenes roles in films. She probably benefits from the success of her husband too, as he’s had more consistent work and has a net worth estimated to be over $20 million.
Deborah’s mainly worked during the 1990s, later focusing on raising a family.
Life and Career
Deborah is the daughter of singer Patricia Divine, who is known for her career in The Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada. Her mother dreamed of finding success in mainstream music but was never able to do so. Despite that, she passed on her interests to her daughter, who also wanted to become a singer. She enjoyed learning more about blues and jazz music, inspired by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald.
One of her other big interests was movies, and she loved frequenting movie houses and theatres.
This eventually inspired her to write stories and think about films, which would later become her career. Her first major project was the 1990 Canadian series “Maniac Mansion”, a joint project alongside her husband. The film is based on the popular video game of the same name released three years prior, though the show had very little in common to the actual game. Following her work there, she began doing production work – some of her projects during this period included the show “The Higgins Boys and Gruber”, and “Another World”.
Husband – Eugene Levy
Eugene is of Jewish descent, and grew up in Hamilton, Ontario Canada.
At a young age he developed an interest in acting, and became a part of a student film group while he was a student at McMaster University located nearby. In the 1970s, he ventured towards an acting career, participating in several theatrical productions, and becoming a part of the Royal Alexandra Theatre which was responsible for elevating the careers of many aspiring Canadian actors.
He also regularly appeared in the comedy sketch television show “Second City Television” produced by the improvisational comedy group, The Second City, based in Toronto, though the group also had a strong presence in the US.
During this time, he impersonated many popular celebrities, and particularly known for his portrayal of the dimwit news anchor Earl Camembert. Eventually, he gained more roles in films, though he was mainly a supporting character; films he became the star of include “The Man” and “Armed and Dangerous”.
The Success of Eugene Levy
Eugene elevated his career and became a household name when he was cast as a supporting character in the “American Pie” film franchise. He rose to fame playing the father of Jim Levenstein, played by actor Jason Biggs. Following the first film, the sex comedy became a worldwide hit and attracted a huge following, mainly from younger age demographics.
The main cast members continued their run with four more films, and Eugene then remained with the franchise for a spin-off series, featuring other cast members, with him being retained as the only connection between the original films and the lesser successful latter films.
In 2015, he put himself back in the spotlight when he became one of the starring characters in the series “Schitt’s Creek”. The show follows the story of a formerly wealthy family who is forced to live in a small town they once purchased after they lost their wealth, and depicts their various struggles as they deal with a new life without any money.
The concept of the show was created following an idea of how reality television families are somewhat stigmatised in the US; he’s been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for this work.
Son – Dan Levy
Like his father, Dan wanted to pursue a career in film, and enrolled at the North Toronto Collegiate Institute before continuing his studies at York University to take up film production. At the start of his career, he became a host as a part of the team MTV Canada, appearing as one of the original seven hired for their flagship show “MTV Live”. He rose to prominence as the host of “The Hills: The After Show”, which discussed the events of the latest episode of the reality series “The Hills”.
He continued his hosting work for most of his early life, and also did a bit of acting. Following a few Canadian projects, he appeared in several Hollywood films, with one of his biggest projects being “Admissions”, in which he worked alongside Paul Rudd and Tina Fey. Following its success, he formed a production company with his father, which would be responsible for the creation of ‘Schitt’s Creek”. Their pitch to find a Canadian network to pick them up was successful, and the show went on a great five-year run, recently ending in 2020.
Personal Life
Deborah married Eugene in 1977 after being in a relationship for a few years. They met while working on the same project, and have been together since. They have two children who both pursued acting. They have homes in Canada, Los Angeles, and St. Augustine, Florida. During their free time, the couple supports several charities, including those that support treatment for autism and autism awareness. She is a Christian and her husband is Jewish, but the couple has learned to share their beliefs, and celebrates both Christmas and Hannukah together. Their son Dan identifies as Jewish, and even had a bar mitzvah.