‘There are workplaces where nobody thinks about the employee and that’s insane’
Before the first episode was filmed, Levy sat down with every cast member to gauge their reactions to the script, asking if any words felt out of character or if they had anything to add. That collaboration was immediately embedded into the foundation of the show, fueling a culture built on teamwork.
“It was pre-programming, making people aware their thoughts were important,” Levy said. “I still ran the show and was thinking big picture, but I warmed the space. The work is a group effort and at the end of this experience when we won those Emmys, it was a group win. Everybody from our grips to the casting to people who normally wouldn’t feel a stake in that situation, emailed saying, ‘we did it.’ It was a fairytale ending to this experience, but it wasn’t all mine.”
Levy credits his father and Catherine O’Hara, who play his formerly wealthy parents Johnny and Moira Rose, for another lesson he learned early on. As the stars of the show, he says, they set the tone for the atmosphere on set and during the creative process.
“They were so collaborative, respectful and appreciative that nobody underneath them could exercise their egos,” Levy said. “If the top sets the example, the ripple effect goes deep. When someone does be difficult in a way that’s unwarranted, it stands out because it’s not the norm.”
