Some of you know Eugene Levy from his Second City days back in the late 70s. More will know him from the films "Best in Show" and "A Mighty Wind", both of which he wrote and acted in. Even more fans will recall his roles in the "American Pie" series of movies and "Bringing Down the House." After his co starring appearance with Samuel L. Jackson in "The Man," for many he’ll now be a household name.

George Singleton: Are you doing a big tour across the country to promote this film?

Eugene Levy: No, it’s a small one. We’re doing Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit.

GS: Was any part of the movie filmed in Detroit, which is often portrayed in less than a positive light? Other than the scumbags and hard nose cops portrayed in the film, there was a nice sub plot regarding Jackson and his family. Chicago has seen its movie industry revived to something other than just distant landscape shots and I was wondering if Detroit was also sharing in that good fortune.

EL: It was principally filmed in Toronto and parts in Los Angeles. They got nothing on this one. It’s true that they (Detroit) have a tough city rap.

GS: That’s unfortunate, as films like "8 Mile," Narc (Ray Liotta), and "Four Brothers" reinforce that belief. It would be nice if they were creating some jobs from their notoriety. Still, this picture was far from bleak.

In the past your roles have primarily been supporting. How does it feel to be "The Man?"

EL: It’s scary but fun. This is not something I am consciously looking for…starring roles. I’m a character guy. I’ll always be that. Those are not necessarily the lead roles in a movie. I’ve been real comfortable doing what I’m doing [in about 70 movies over the past 30 years]. Recently the parts have been more substantial, even though they are support roles.

"Bringing Down the House" was a great role for me. I had to think about "The Man," as it was a big role and it was important that the character had an arc to it.

GS: In looking back at your body of work, which film stands out as your favorite?

EL: "American Wedding" opened me up to an entirely new audience. It was a fun and important role because a lot of young people saw me as the ideal father who stood by their kids no matter what. "Bringing Down the House" exposed me to a large African American audience, who appreciated both the character I played as well as the humor.

To be an effective comedian that does not wear out his welcome after three decades of exposure requires a lot of talent. Much of what makes a comedian funny is to be able to write their own material and to make the delivery of the written script seem spontaneous. Levy was very complimentary to Vince Vaughn ("The Wedding Crashers") for having this skill. It was clear that Levy was pleased with his ability to connect with different audiences over time, that had not previously paid close attention to him. This says that he is continuing to grow and that as he matures, getting older does not mean running out of the spark of life that makes one tick. It’s great to see someone who is comfortable with himself when others around them literally have more fame and fortune.