Shawn Levy

Shawn Adam Levy (born July 23, 1968) is an accomplished Canadian filmmaker and actor, widely recognized for his work that spans diverse genres. Levy is the mastermind behind 21 Laps Entertainment, and his films as a director have amounted to an impressive $3.5 billion worldwide. He established his reputation as a proficient director in the 2000s with notable comedy movies like Big Fat Liar, Just Married, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther, and the Night at the Museum film series. In the ensuing decade, Levy directed Date Night, Real Steel, and The Internship, developed various comedy TV pilots besides executive producing Last Man Standing. His remarkable producer credits include the 2016 sci-fi film Arrival, resulting in an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

From 2016 onwards, Levy has been an executive producer on the popular Netflix original series Stranger Things, having directed two episodes per season. He also helmed the Netflix limited series All the Light We Cannot See and directed Free Guy, The Adam Project, and Deadpool & Wolverine, with star Ryan Reynolds. In his early life, Levy trained at the revered Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in New York before completing an acting program at Yale University. He later shifted his interest to film directing and pursued his MFA degree at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Levy was born to a Jewish family in Montreal, Quebec, and lived there with two siblings, Jodi and Debby.