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All Of It with Alison Stewart
Eugene Levy is a 'Reluctant Traveler'
00:21:31
Actor Eugene Levy has been pushing himself out of his comfort zone for his documentary travel series, "The Reluctant Traveler."
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- [00:09]
A
You are listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Actor Eugene Levy is an accomplished comedian, a snappy dresser, and a reluctant traveler. So when the suits at Apple TV plus called and suggested he be the host of a travel show, he said, no, thank you. Three seasons later, Eugene has been getting out of his comfort zone as the host of the Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy. This season sees Eugene tackle his travet bucket list. He celebrates the Day of the Dead in Mexico, rides a rickshaw in India, attends a crawfish boil in Louisiana. The Reluctant Traveler premieres on Apple TV plus tomorrow. And host Eugene Levy joins me in studio. It is very nice to meet you.
- [00:51]
B
Nice to see you, Alison.
- [00:53]
A
What role did travel play in your life growing up?
- [00:57]
B
Not much, because we didn't really do any traveling when I was growing up. We went to the same kind of vacation spot. I'm from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. And we would go to a place called Crystal beach, which was on Lake Erie. It was about maybe an hour and a half drive. And that's what we did for two weeks.
- [01:24]
A
And that was it.
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B
And that was it. Not that it was a terrible vacation. It was a terrific vacation because they had a, you know, they had the beach, they had a great amusement park. And as a kid, that's what a holiday was. And that's the only traveling I did.
- [01:41]
A
So when you first traveled as an adult, what made you a reluctant traveler?
- [01:50]
B
Generally speaking, everything about it, I mean, it was, well, it was the travel. It was the, you know, pre 9 11. Of course, traveling was a little different, right? You get your ticket, you go to the gate, and then you get on the plane. Now you've got the whole security issue, which is a bit of a pain. And then you get over there and depending on where you are, you've got a jet lag thing you got to kind of get rid of. If it doesn't hit you there, it hits you when you get back. It's just, and I found that the sightseeing aspect of going on vacation was almost borderline irritating because there were too many things planned in a day to do. And depending on the weather, I mean, if it was unusually, it was in the summer and hot weather, you get tired, you get irritable, and you just wonder why you left home. So, I mean, that was, that was kind of, that's where I was. And I had, you know, a lot of friends and people who did a lot of traveling and talked about their travels. And, you know, I would, you know, it was tough to listen to because I didn't really care that much. And I. I was just kind of proud of the fact that, you know what? I'd rather not travel. Thank you. Without having had any of the experience of doing it.
- [03:13]
A
And on the emotional level, you spend your career being someone else, being in someone else's life, being a different person. So when you were yourself, you just want to be home.
- [03:25]
B
Yeah, I mean, it was just a. You know, it wasn't so much. Yeah, it was kind of wanting to be home, no question, because you didn't have to go through the ordeal of packing and doing and going and seeing. There were places that I actually loved traveling to, and usually it was Europe or cities in Europe. You know, I'm more a city person than a. Than a country person. If you go to a city, well, you know, you can always, you know, hit a smart cafe. You can, you know, there are things to see, and generally you try and stay in a decent hotel. But, you know, I just didn't have the wherewithal to want to. Want to even experience what was on the other side, what was, you know, what the. What Africa was about, what jungles are about, what desert is about. You know, I just. It wasn't in me.
- [04:29]
A
What changed your mind?
- [04:33]
B
Well, the show. I mean, it was, you know, it was tough for me, which is why I said no to the show. And it wasn't about. The show wasn't called the Reluctant Traveler. When I said no, it was a different show. It was a show about hotels, exotic hotels around the world, and they wanted me to host it. And, you know, when you first hear it, you go, wow, boy, a lot of people would love to do this, but why me? Why, you know, I mean, maybe they don't know I don't love traveling. And I, you know, I'm not a curious person. I've got a low threshold for adventure. I think they've got the wrong person. So, you know, I said no. And the conversation was, you know, I was trying to inject a little humor into the conversation, which was working because, you know, they were getting. They were laughing on the other end. Right at the end of that conversation. That's when they said, you know what? No, no, no, no. This is not what the show should be. This is what the show should be. This conversation. Somebody who doesn't love to travel, doing a travel show with him. That's what it is. They re pitched it, and I got it. And the reason I got it was because I could be myself as a host without having to act without having to pretend. I'm loving the adventure of where I am and I'm loving what I'm eating. And you know what I'm saying? If I could be myself, I thought, okay, well, then there's an honesty here that I totally get. And that's what happened.
- [06:14]
A
So for season three, you created your own personal bucket list. What went into the process of deciding what locations that should be on your bucket list?
- [06:25]
B
Well, the bucket list was more to try and make it a really interesting bucket list. It wasn't so much a bucket list of locations per se, it was a bucket list of experiences. Right? Like being in Mexico for Day of the Dead, being in. Being in Ireland to celebrate St Patrick's Day, trying to, you know, figure out what the K wave is, you know, in South Korea. So they were. It was the experience of being in a country for a specific episodic event. You know what I mean? That made it kind of special. And, you know, I think we actually came up with a really great season's worth of, you know, bucket list experiences that I think any seasoned traveler would want to go on.
- [07:26]
A
Well, let's get our audience in on this. Listeners, we want to hear from you. What's on your bucket list? Give us a call at 212-433-969-2212, wnyc. Have you been to one of your bucket list places? Please share it with us. 212-433-W. My guest is Eugene Levy. We're talking about season three of his Apple TV series, the Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy. It premieres tomorrow. It's kind of interesting. In this season, you talk about age and mortality a little bit.
- [08:03]
B
Well, you know, I'm not really getting any younger. You know, I'm at a stage in my life where this show kind of made sense to me. In other words, you know, why don't you get out and try it? Why don't you, you know, at least you can say you did it. Traveling is something that, you know, I always. I never thought I needed to do it. You know, if you want to go to. Why go to Africa when you can go to a zoo and see everything? You know, I. It wasn't. It just. It wasn't. It wasn't kind of in. It just wasn't in me at this age. I'm saying now, and what the show has brought out in me is just doing it.
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A
Do it.
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B
Yeah, do it and then decide. And then make a decision whether you liked it or whether you didn't. Like it, Everything's working.
- [09:02]
A
You walked in here on your own two legs.
- [09:04]
B
Well, at least you can say you did it and then you have an opinion, you know, But I was making opinions about travel, having not traveled nor wanting to travel. So at this. And honestly, it wasn't doing much for me as a person to be that kind of a stubborn couch potato type person, you know, it's definitely made me a kind of a more enlightened person. I'm feeling better about that.
- [09:34]
A
Interesting. That's really interesting. Tell me about that.
- [09:38]
B
Well, I mean, just think about it. I'm going through the experiences now, and there are places I can say, you know what? I'd rather not go back, to be honest. Interesting, but not worth a second trip. And there are places I would love to go back to two and three times. But even being able to say that without getting off the couch and traveling, what made no sense to me. It did at the time. Now it doesn't.
- [10:10]
A
When you're looking for a place to visit or a place to experience your bucket list, what are the things you want to know before you visit the place, and what do you want to learn when you're there?
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B
Well, what do I want to know about visiting a place? You know, there were places in the first. I know in the first season that were suggested. And honestly, in the first season, I didn't. I was looking at a list of destinations that I thought would be actually appealing to me and fun to me, not necessarily what would make a really interesting episode. But when they suggested, you know, do you want to go on down the Amazon, you know, in Brazil? I said, no, definitely not. Why would I want to do that?
- [11:03]
A
No, I want to hear the pitch meetings themselves. Those sound like a TV show.
- [11:08]
B
Well, here's what happened at that pitch meeting. I said, okay, now we're on this lovely, apparently lovely hotel boat that is going down the Amazon, and what happens if it springs a leak? Like, how fast is it going to take to get a helicopter in? How fast? Because here's what I don't want to do. I. I don't want to find myself splashing around in the Amazon fighting for my life. That's the thing. So, you know, where are we in the jungle at that point? And how fast can we get help now? Since the first season, I now can go to places knowing, okay, this would not be first on my list. But, you know, the experience of making your own mind up in terms of whether you like it or how much you appreciate it, that's what I'm learning most on the show.
- [12:10]
A
Let's take some of our callers. Let's talk to Micah, who's calling in from Brooklyn. Hi, Micah. Thanks for making the time to call all of it.
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C
Hi there. Thanks for having me on.
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A
Where are you going to be?
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C
I. I want to go to Scotland, also Ireland. But the UK has all sorts of amazing folk music. I'm a musician. I play like, classical flute, but also I started playing Irish flute recently and other Celtic genres. And I'm also a textile artist. I'm a weaver. So it would be the perfect one, two hit trip to get the textiles and the music.
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B
Yeah.
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A
You went to Ireland this season?
- [12:49]
B
I went to Ireland this season. I went to Scotland last season. Two amazing spots. Yeah, definitely. You have to go. Scotland was an amazing destination. Really had a great time there. Beautiful, beautiful country. And so was Ireland, you know, and, yeah, the music is quite exciting over there. You know, Irish. You know, the Irish music is, you know, what do they call it? A toe tapper. It's really. It's really great. I think you would really appreciate it.
- [13:32]
A
What are some. Some fun facts you've picked up on the way that you can sort of drop at a cocktail party?
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B
Wow.
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A
Well, in Finland, they are in van. Oh, Vienna.
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B
Yes, Vienna. Yes. They have Vienna throws. Here's a fact. They throw 200 formal balls in the span of two months a year.
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A
Wow.
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B
200.
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A
That many fancy people.
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B
Yes. Yeah. And you want to know something? I actually. I actually loved it. No, I love that kind of formality. And, you know, they kind of. They kind of stick to tradition. And there was something about it in this day and age that I found kind of refreshing.
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A
Let's talk to Philomena, who is calling us from Westchester. Hi, Philomena, thank you so much for calling all of it. You're on the air.
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C
Hi. Good afternoon. About eight years ago, my husband and I decided that our bucket list was going to be seeing all 50 states. And we had been to many and realized we probably had about 20 left to do, and we started focusing on that. And next month we will go to our final three states. So looking forward to that accomplishment or experience.
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A
What are the final three states?
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B
What are they?
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C
Well, I don't want to be critical that I didn't save the best for last, but Oklahoma, Mississippi and Kentucky.
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A
All right, have a fabulous trip. You actually went to Utah, right?
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B
Well, we've been to. Yeah, we did a show in Utah and we did a show in Louisiana this season where, you know, we got to RV our way. You know.
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A
Did you drive. Did you drive it?
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B
Oh, I drove it, yes. Not well, but I did drive it. And we, you know, made our way down to New Orleans crazy, I gotta say. Yes, I. The friendliest people in the world, I found down there incredibly charming and gracious and, you know, the kind of Everglades thing, you know, would I want to see it again? Maybe not, but. But the people absolutely would want to go back and spend time.
- [16:09]
A
My guest is actor Eugene Levy. We're talking about season three of his Apple TV series, the Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy. The season premieres tomorrow. This text says, I went to Alaska. It was absolutely breathtaking, and I hope to have an opportunity to go back and explore more of this beautiful land. Does the beauty. Does it strike something in you when you go to a place and it's just beautiful?
- [16:37]
B
Yes, it does. That's what I find in Italy. When I go to Italy. And I love. Italy's one of my favorite spots as well, because it kind of hits all the main categories for me. Love the people, and their priorities are family, friends, food and work, in that order. And I get that. And the countryside is just. I mean, literally everywhere you look is a postcard. So, yeah, it definitely strikes me in a kind of an exciting way.
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A
How important is eating to you?
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B
Well, it helps you stay alive, that I know, but I'm a very kind of picky eater. I'm not a kind of Michelin guy. You know, don't we, you know, rarely go to a Michelin restaurant because I find the portions small and a lot of squiggly sauces on, you know, things. You just want more food on the plate, basically. But I, you know, I'm. I'm kind of. I have a basic palate for, you know, for food. You know, you could say kind of a meat and potatoes kind of kind of guy. You know, I like my food cooked. Don't give me food that isn't cooked. You know, I'm not a sushi eater. I, you know, so it's. When you talk about food, it's kind of an uninteresting way to go talking to me.
- [18:17]
A
What was something that they asked you to eat in this season?
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B
Well, in Mexico, they did. There was a dish that was basically grasshoppers. So I. And it's hard to say no because you don't want to insult anybody, right? But I did say no because I don't eat insects. You know, that's just, you know, just my thing where you roll. Just my thing. Tried a, you know, raw oyster in, in France last year. And it was in my mouth and out in about a half a second. You tried reindeer in Finland. That was a, almost an unpleasant experience. Had a, it wasn't cooked very much, number one. And number two had a texture to it that was borderline nauseating.
- [19:27]
A
I understand that you traveled to Vancouver.
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B
Well, that was, that's interesting. Well, you know, like the caller who just said they're working their way across, you know, the United States. I, Vancouver I had been to before, but it was nice being in my own backyard up in Canada. Right. Because I'm Canadian and you know, it was nice to kind of be home. Vancouver was a fun episode, had a lot of laughs. Did that episode with Michael Buble, who I had met for the first time on the show, had been a fan of his for many, many years and he lives in Vancouver and kind of showed me the side of Vancouver that I, you know, hadn't seen before. We had a lot of laughs and that was, that was great fun. I think there are still maybe two provinces in Canada that I still have not been to. Oh, yeah, true. So I think Saskatchewan.
- [20:30]
A
Okay.
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B
Never been there.
- [20:31]
A
How about Banff?
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B
I've been to Banff. Beautiful, beautiful. Beauty. You want to talk about beauty? Lake Louise, it's one of the most beautiful spots in the world. You know, emerald. An emerald lake, you know. Right. Set against the backdrop of the most majestic Rocky Mountains. Yeah.
- [20:50]
A
You have to watch the new series the Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy. It's season three is going to be on Apple TV tomorrow. Eugene, thank you for coming in and sharing the show with us.
- [21:03]
B
I'm so glad I'm able to kind of do this. I think, I think honestly, if, even if you don't like traveling, I think you're going to love the show. I, I'm, I'm hoping it appeals to people who don't like to travel and people who do love to travel, you know. But this season I think is going to be a really exciting one to see.
- [21:29]
D
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