Eugene and Dan Levy did not expect the Emmy win for “Schitt's Creek”

Father-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy know a lot about Emmy fame.

They may only be serving as hosts this year, but the sixth and final season of their Canadian sitcom “Schitt's Creek” swept the entire comedy category in 2020, earning them both statues for their acting and recognition for their behind-the-scenes efforts. That was the first time that's ever happened, though shows like “The Bear” and “Only Murders in the Building” could repeat that success this year. In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, the Levys reflected on that joyous anomaly, recalling how unexpected this triumph was for them, despite the growing success of their show.

“We had our breakthrough moment at that point and that was the big thing for us, just having the nominations and the fact that we were all nominated for the first time as actors,” Dan said. “Before we walked into the tent, we had a little moment of just being wonderful and not expecting anything. Then the night took off. I don't think any of us really saw that coming.”

To add to the serendipity of the occasion, their win also came at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, so instead of accepting their award in front of thousands of their peers in a major theater in Los Angeles, they held their own small ceremony in Canada, with just the cast and crew.

“It's kind of etched in our memories,” Eugene said. “It was a pretty extraordinary evening, the kind of evening you don't get to experience too often in your life. It was a fun night considering COVID had taken over the world. It was weird and wonderful.”

Dan expanded on that sentiment, adding, “It was a night that literally no one had ever experienced before. It was incredible. I remember walking to the tent that we had set up to house us all, walking with Annie and kind of looking over at her and having a memory of our first day on set. I told her that I was imagining our first day and how strange and wonderful our journey was.”

For Eugene, the only positive thing about the night was that his longtime friend and colleague Catherine O'Hara won for her portrayal of matriarch Moira Rose. Every subsequent win was just icing on the cake.

“Honestly, I thought if Catherine O'Hara didn't win, something was wrong,” Eugene told the LA Times. “For me, that was the only sure win. And then the second win, and then I won, and then Daniel won.”

For Dan, the most important moment was when his TV sister Annie Murphy won. He said the hardest part of the casting was finding someone to play Alexis Rose, but Murphy turned out to be the perfect fit.

“I think I was even more freaked out than she was,” Dan said of Murphy's win. “Especially because of the conversation we had had earlier that day and the fact that I had found this actress in a haystack of auditions and immediately recognized her potential and then saw her recognized and rewarded at the highest level of television – for me, that was certainly one of the most exciting moments of the night.”

As for hosting the awards show, the Levys were “naturally a little nervous” at first, but since they had previous experience opening the SAG Awards, they were willing to take the risk as lead hosts. Unlike many comedians who have held the role, the Levys plan to take it easy and focus on celebrating television in all its forms.

“It boils down to wanting it to feel celebratory, not too hard, but still a little bit sharp,” Dan said. “People are pretty excited, from what I've heard, that we're not hard comedians, that there's a certain warmth in the room. Ultimately, we're trying to combine all of those things without being boring.”

Eugene added: “And [it’s] I also pay tribute to television, to the nominees of course, but also to the medium that gave us both our start. I always find it funny when jokes are made at the expense of the nominees – they've put in a lot of effort and it really is their night and you have to have enough respect for the awards ceremony itself. Otherwise, why are we here? You want it to be funny, but maybe it's a kinder, gentler approach.”