Levi first appeared in theShowtime/Goosehead.com series,Whatever, as a teenage boy, Ben.[citation needed] He was credited as Zachary Pugh.[citation needed] The series was produced by Ashley Powers and released in 2000.[13][14][15][16] Levi was next seen in theFX television filmBig Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie. He played Kipp Steadman on theABC sitcomLess than Perfect. He also portrayed a potential boyfriend ofCharisma Carpenter's character, Jane, in the then-ABC Family television filmSee Jane Date. Levi was slated to be a lead in an ABC pilot calledThree for the 2004/2005 television season, but the show was not picked up.[17]
He landed thestarring role inChuck in 2007. Levi and hisChuck co-starYvonne Strahovski were both nominated for Best Action Actor and Actress Choice TV Series for theTeen Choice Awards 2010 where they both won and presented.[18] In the summer of 2008, he was named one ofEntertainment Weekly'sTop Thirty People Under Thirty.[19] He later starred in the filmAlvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel in the lead role as Dave's cousin Toby Seville.[20] He starred in the 2010Disney-animated feature filmTangled, which is based on the popular fairy taleRapunzel. He voices Flynn Rider, a bandit who finds refuge in Rapunzel's tower. He provided narration in the 2011 filmUnder the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story, a documentary about the game ofMonopoly.[21] Levi hosted the 2011Spike Video Game Awards.[22]
BuddyTV ranked Levi as #97 on its list of "TV's Sexiest Men of 2011".[23] He landed the male lead in the 2012 TV pilotLet It Go, which would have aired onFox, but was not picked up.[24] He hosted the web documentariesTomb Raider The Final Hours, going behind the scenes of the newTomb Raider game. He was originally to portray Fandral inThor, but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts withChuck.[25] He did play the role in the sequels,Thor: The Dark World (2013), after original actorJosh Dallas had scheduling conflicts of his own, and briefly inThor: Ragnarok (2017). Levi made his Broadway debut in a production of the musical comedyFirst Date in August 2013.[26]
In January 2015, it was announced that Levi would be a lead member of the cast ofNBC's 13-episode miniseriesHeroes Reborn as Luke Collins.[27] The show was not picked up for a second season.[28] He also guest-starred asAbraham Lincoln in theHulu original seriesDeadbeat.[29]
Levi joined the cast of theBroadway revival ofShe Loves Me in the lead role of Georg, alongsideLaura Benanti as Amalia. It opened atStudio 54 on March 17, 2016, after previews on February 19, 2016, for a limited engagement through June 12.[30][31] The run was later extended through July 10, when it closed.[32][33] The production received high critical praise, receiving 5 Stars fromThe Guardian and was selected as a Critics' Pick forThe New York Times.[34][35] Levi was nominated for aTony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his performance.[36] Critics praised Levi's performance of Georg, noting that his portrayal is "suave and handsome at times, disarmingly nebbishy at others," and that he "[exudes] sweet modesty and just a pinch of hauteur."[37][38] The production had a historiclivestreamed performance on June 30, 2016, with Levi and the cast participating in the first livestreamed show in Broadway history.[39]
In 2019, Levi starred as the main character inNew Line Cinema andWarner Bros.' superhero comedy feature filmShazam!, an entry in theDC Extended Universe franchise. In the film, Levi'sShazam character (also known asCaptain Marvel) is the superpowered alter-ego of a teenaged boy, Billy Batson (played byAsher Angel), who retains his childish personality in his adult form similar to the 1988 20th Century Fox comedyBig.[citation needed]
In April 2010,Katharine McPhee released a preview of a music video to cinemas for her single "Terrified". Levi and McPhee have a duet on the song (which was re-recorded; the original album version featuresJason Reeves) and appears in the music video singing with McPhee. On May 3, 2010, the song was previewed on theEntertainment Weekly website and made available for purchase oniTunes.[51] The full video premiered May 7, 2010, on the music video websiteVevo.[52] Levi financedKendall Payne's albumGrown after she was dropped by her label,Capitol Records.[53]
On the soundtrack of the filmTangled, Levi sings "I See the Light" (with costar Mandy Moore) and "I've Got a Dream". For the film receiving aOscar for Best Original Song nomination, Levi and Moore performed "I See the Light" at the83rd Academy Awards.[54] Levi has also been a guest member ofBand from TV, a band made up of actors from various American television shows.[55] On December 21, 2023, Levi performedJolly Holiday from the 1964 filmMary Poppins on the primetimeCBS specialDick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic.[56]
Levi launched a production company called Wyldwood Productions in 2020.[57] Director Zach Ramelan directed two narrative short films for the studio in 2020:Freelancer in February[58] andThe Statement starring Levi in May.[59] In 2023, the studio co-produced the sixty-second episode ofThe FilmUp Podcast which is about Levi's life, career, and future plans.[60] Wyldwood released its first theatrical feature film,Sarah's Oil, in partnership withMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 2025.[61]
Levi at San Diego Comic-Con referencing his time onBroadway, July 2014
Levi is a sports car and motorcycle enthusiast, and owns a 2009Nissan GT-R.[62][63] He is an avid gamer, having first playedSuper Mario Bros., and appreciates video games for their ability to provide interactive stories.[22] He lives nearAustin, Texas.[64] In September 2010, Levi started his own company, The Nerd Machine.[65] He participated in the Celebrity All Star Game atNBA All Star Weekend 2011, playing for the team coached byMagic Johnson.[66]
On June 16, 2014, Canadian actressMissy Peregrym announced that she and Levi had married inMaui, Hawaii.[67] They filed for divorce in April 2015,[68] with the separation date listed in court documents as December 3, 2014.[69] In December 2024, Levi announced that his girlfriend Maggie Keating was expecting their child.[70] Their son was born in April 2025.[71]
Levi has been open about his struggles withmental health andsuicidal thoughts, both on social media and in his 2022 memoirRadical Love.[72]
Throughout his career, Levi has been mistaken asJewish.[74] Early in his career, a Hollywood agent persuaded him to change his name saying, "A guy named Zach Pugh would not be going far in Hollywood," which led him to drop his last name.[75] In a 2013 interview withNew York Post, Levi said he has noJewish ancestry.[citation needed] In 2016, he revealed that he had been turned down for a number of roles because casting directors mistakenly thought he was "too Jewish" for the part.[75][76]
In 2018, he said, "I'm very spiritual, but not particularly religious."[77] While avowing belief in God, he said, "[Religion] is, in my opinion, very destructive to what I believe the true heart and spirit and essence of who God is."[78] In a 2021 interview withThe Christian Post, he said working on the filmAmerican Underdog bolstered his Christian faith, and in getting to work on this project, "it feels likeGod's fingerprints were all over it."[79]
Levi identifies as alibertarian.[80][81] During the2016 presidential election, he encouraged his fans to vote for neitherDonald Trump norHillary Clinton.[82] In the2024 election, Levi endorsedRobert F. Kennedy Jr.[83] After Kennedy withdrew his candidacy, Levi endorsed Trump at a "Reclaim America Tour" stop inDearborn, Michigan.[84] In a 2024 episode ofThe Rubin Report, Levi expressed fear he might face rejection fromHollywood as a result of his endorsement but concluded, "What is it to gain the whole world and lose your soul in the process?".[85] In May 2025, Levi followed up on his fear and stated there have been actors that have directly told him or his management team that they will no longer work with him due to his public support for Trump.[86][87]
In a 2022 episode of the podcastThe Joe Rogan Experience, Levi describedCanadian psychologistJordan Peterson as "one of the deepest thinkers I've ever heard break down human behavior" who "has a lot of integrity".[88][89] In January 2023, he agreed with an online post that said, "Do you agree or not, thatPfizer is a real danger to the world?", leading to allegations of echoinganti-vaccine sentiment.[90][91] He also implied that his formerShe Loves Me co-starGavin Creel's death from cancer was caused by the COVID-19 vaccine, which led to heavy criticism of Levi by their former cast-mateLaura Benanti.[92]
In 2008, Levi attended the 7th Annual Comedy for a Cure benefit and donated personal belongings to an auction for Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance.[93] In 2010, he spoke at anAnti-Defamation League awards ceremony to denounceLGBT bullying.[94] He joinedStand Up to Cancer charity drives in 2008, 2010 and 2019.[95][96] Beginning in 2008, he has continued to raised money forOperation Smile to help children withcleft lip and cleft palate receive surgery they need.[97]
On February 27, 2011, Levi performed "I See the Light" withMandy Moore at the83rd Academy Awards.[54] On June 12, 2016, he performed the title song fromShe Loves Me, as part of a medley presented on the70th Tony Awards.[109] He has also appeared live performing in various programs since he was a child.[110]
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