Eugene Levy and Deborah Divine attend Levy’s Hollywood Walk of Fame Star ceremony, celebrating the accomplished actor and host of Apple TV+’s “The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy.” (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Apple TV+)
By BERNICE FOX
The second season of The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy ends with Friday’s episode. And Levy – the most recent honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades — says the show has impacted him for the better.
“I’m loving the show for what it’s actually doing for me. I mean, I think, generally speaking, the travel aspect of this is making me a kind of a more enlightened person and possibly a more interesting person.”
Who would know better than Levy’s wife of nearly 47 years, Deborah Devine?
“I’ve been shocking my wife, Deb. She would say I’ve never seen you do so much talking in my life. I’m usually not a chit-chatty person generally with people. I don’t start up conversations. So, what I have to do on the show is interact with people, and I’m finding I’m getting more comfortable kind of doing that.”
This second season of The Reluctant Traveler on Apple TV+, has taken Levy kayaking in Sweden, beekeeping in France, herding sheep in Germany, harvesting grapes in Italy and milking goats in Greece. It also had him exploring his family heritage in Scotland.
Friday’s season finale has Levy walking along the Caminito del Rey in Spain, a path attached to sheer cliffs 300 feet above a gorge.
But for Levy, the series is all about the people he’s met.
“I really love my interaction with the people. That, again — and I said this last year, which is the one thing that stood out for me, it’s the people I’m interacting with that are really making these trips memorable for me, you know.
“I mean, again, I appreciate a building that was, you know, been standing since the 14th century but a building is a building and, I mean, that’s kind of like you’ve kind of seen it. But it’s the people. It’s kind of learning about the country, learning about the culture through the people that I’m actually meeting, and I’m finding I’m having a great deal of fun doing that.”
Apple TV+ has not yet renewed The Reluctant Traveler for a third season. But Levy is willing because he says there’s still a bit of reluctance in him when it comes to travel.
“I’m not there yet. It’s just that it’s that general kind of sense of curiosity and adventure that hasn’t quite kicked in, although, I’m kind of loving the experience of doing what I’m doing through the show. I truly am.”
For now, Levy has other projects. After recently being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he’ll be guest-starring in a recurring role on Only Murders in the Building with his pal and fellow Palisadian, Martin Short.
And Levy is featured opposite Diane Keaton in Summer Camp. The comedy will be in theaters May 31.
Eugene Levy in a scene from the “Reluctant Traveler.”
Photo: Apple TV +
We’ve looked watching ‘the Reluctant Traveler’. It’s funny poignant, and full of interesting information. Makes me want to start traveling again.
Please do another season