Zachary Levi Pugh born September 29, 1980 is an American actor, comedian and singer. He received critical acclaim for starring as Chuck Bartowski in the series Chuck, and as the title character in Shazam!, as a part of the DC Extended Universe.
He voiced Flynn Rider in the 2010 animated film Tangled, where he performed “I See the Light” with Mandy Moore; the song won a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media. He reprised the voice role in the 2012 short film Tangled Ever After and in 2017, Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, a Disney Channel television series based on the film. He has appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok as Fandral. Levi starred as Georg Nowack in the 2016 Broadway revival of She Loves Me opposite Laura Benanti, for which he received a Tony Award nomination.
Early life
Zachary Levi Pugh was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the son of Susan Marie (Hoctor) and Darrell Pugh. He has Welsh ancestry. When Levi was a child, his family moved across several states before finally heading back to their home in Ventura, California, where he attended Buena High School for four years. He began acting on stage at the age of six, performing lead roles in regional productions such as Grease, The Outsiders, Oklahoma!, Oliver!, The Wizard of Oz, and Big River at the Ojai Art Center.
Career
Acting
Levi at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con
Levi first appeared in the FX television movie Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie. He played Kipp Steadman on the ABC sitcom Less than Perfect. He also portrayed a potential boyfriend of Charisma Carpenter’s character, Jane, in the then-ABC Family television movie See Jane Date. Levi was slated to be a lead in an ABC pilot called Three for the 2004/2005 television season, but the show was not picked up.
He landed the starring role in Chuck in 2007. Levi and his Chuck co-star Yvonne Strahovski were both nominated for Best Action Actor and Actress Choice TV Series for the Teen Choice Awards 2010 where they both won and presented. In the summer of 2008, Levi was named one of Entertainment Weekly’s Top Thirty People Under Thirty. He later starred in the film Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel in the lead role as Dave’s cousin Toby Seville. He starred in the 2010 Disney-animated feature film Tangled, which is based on the popular fairy tale Rapunzel. He voices Flynn Rider, a bandit who finds refuge in Rapunzel’s tower. He provided narration in the 2011 film Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story, a documentary about the game of Monopoly. Levi hosted the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards.
Levi at the 83rd Academy Awards in February 2011
BuddyTV ranked him #97 on its list of “TV’s Sexiest Men of 2011.” Levi landed the male lead in the 2012 TV pilot Let It Go, which would have aired on Fox, but was not picked up. Levi hosted the web documentaries Tomb Raider The Final Hours, going behind the scenes of the new Tomb Raider game. He was originally to portray Fandral in Thor, but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with Chuck. He did play the role in the sequels, Thor: The Dark World (2013), after original actor Josh Dallas had scheduling conflicts of his own, and briefly in Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Levi made his Broadway debut in a production of the musical comedy First Date in August 2013.
In January 2015, it was announced that Levi would be a lead member of the cast of NBC’s 13-episode miniseries Heroes Reborn as Luke Collins. The show was not picked up for a second season. He also guest-starred as Abraham Lincoln in the Hulu original series Deadbeat.
Levi joined the cast of the Broadway revival of She Loves Me in the lead role of Georg, alongside Laura Benanti as Amalia. It opened at Studio 54 on March 17, 2016 after previews on February 19, 2016 for a limited engagement through June 12. The run was later extended through July 10, when it closed. The production received high critical praise, receiving 5 Stars from The Guardian and was selected as a Critics’ Pick for The New York Times. Levi was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his performance. Critics praised Levi’s performance of Georg, noting that his portrayal is “suave and handsome at times, disarmingly nebbishy at others,” and that he ” sweet modesty and just a pinch of hauteur.” The production had a historic livestreamed performance on June 30, 2016 with Levi and the cast participating in the first livestreamed show in Broadway history.
In 2017, Levi reprised his role as Flynn Rider in a Disney Channel Original Movie titled Tangled: Before Ever After. This movie continued the story as a regular series titled Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, which lasted for 3 seasons, premiering on March 24, 2017 and concluding March 1, 2020. The series is based on the 2010 film Tangled and features the returning voices of Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi.
In 2018, Levi appeared as Dr. Benjamin Ettenberg, a love interest for the main character, Miriam ‘Midge’ Maisel, in the second season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. With the series’ other principal cast members, Levi won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at SAG’s January 2019 awards ceremony.
In 2019, Levi starred as the title character in New Line Cinema and Warner Bros.’ superhero comedy feature film Shazam!, an entry in the DC Extended Universe franchise. In the film, Levi’s Shazam character (also known as Captain Marvel) is the superpowered alter-ego of a teenaged boy, Billy Batson (played by Asher Angel), who retains his childish personality in his adult form similar to the 1988 Fox comedy Big.
Music
In April 2010, Katharine McPhee released a preview of a music video to cinemas for her single “Terrified.” Levi duets with her on the song (which was re-recorded; the original album version features Jason Reeves) and appears in the music video singing with McPhee. On May 3, 2010, the song was previewed on the Entertainment Weekly website and made available for purchase on iTunes. The full video premiered May 7, 2010 on the music video website Vevo. Levi financed Kendall Payne’s album Grown after she was dropped by her label, Capitol Records.
On the soundtrack of the movie Tangled, Levi sings “I See the Light” (with costar Mandy Moore) and “I’ve Got a Dream.” In honor of the Oscar nomination for Best Original Song, Levi and Moore performed “I See the Light” at the 83rd Academy Awards. Levi has also been a guest member of Band from TV, a band made up of actors from various American television shows.
Personal life
Levi about his time on Broadway
Levi is a sports car and motorcycle enthusiast and owns a 2009 Nissan GT-R. He is an avid gamer, having first played Super Mario Bros., and appreciates video games for their ability to provide interactive stories.
In September 2010, Levi started his own company, The Nerd Machine. He participated in the Celebrity All Star Game at NBA All Star Weekend 2011, playing for the team coached by Magic Johnson.
On June 16, 2014, Canadian actress Missy Peregrym announced that she and Levi had married in Maui, Hawaii. They filed for divorce in April 2015, with the separation date listed in court documents as December 3, 2014.
On October 8, 2015, Levi’s mother, Susan Pugh, died from cancer.
On May 21, 2019, Active Minds, a mental health charity, announced that Levi will be an ambassador for the organization.
As of March 2021, he is currently in a relationship with Model, Carrie Tyler.
Religion
Levi was raised a Christian. In a 2002 interview with Relevant Magazine, he said:
My job on my set, I believe, is to first just love people and gain that trust with people where they know that I really do love them and care about their well-being, so that when they are running into problems, they will hopefully, at some point, come to me and ask me, ‘What is your peace all about? What is your comfort all about? Where do you get your love? Where do you get your talents?’ And I can turn to them and say without blinking, ‘Jesus Christ.’
In a 2018 interview with Michael Rosenbaum, Levi said, “I’m very spiritual, but not particularly religious.” While avowing belief in God, he said, ” is, in my opinion, very destructive to what I believe the true heart and spirit then essence of who God is.”
Filmography
Levi at the premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy in July 2014
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Reel Guerrillas | Evon Schwarz | Short film |
| 2006 | Big Momma’s House 2 | Kevin | |
| 2007 | Spiral | Berkeley | Also executive producer |
| Ctrl Z | Ben Pillar | Short film | |
| 2008 | Wieners | Ben | |
| The Tiffany Problem | Zac | Short film | |
| An American Carol | Lab Tech 1 | ||
| Shades of Ray | Ray Rehman | ||
| 2009 | Stuntmen | Troy Ratowski | |
| Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel | Toby Seville | ||
| 2010 | Byron Phillips: Found | Byron Phillips | Short film |
| Tangled | Eugene Fitzherbert / Flynn Rider (voice) | ||
| 2011 | Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story | Narrator | |
| No Rest For the Wicked: Moebius and Basil Adventures | Moebius | Short film | |
| 2012 | Tangled Ever After | Eugene Fitzherbert / Flynn Rider (voice) | |
| Defeat the Label | Himself | ||
| 2013 | Remember Sunday | Gus | |
| Thor: The Dark World | Fandral | ||
| 2016 | Apex: The Story of the Hypercar | Narrator | |
| She Loves Me | Georg Nowack | Filmed production | |
| 2017 | Thor: Ragnarok | Fandral | |
| The Star | Joseph (voice) | ||
| 2018 | Office Uprising | Adam Nusbaum | |
| Blood Fest | Himself | Cameo | |
| 2019 | Shazam! | Billy Batson / Shazam | |
| 2021 | The Mauritanian | Neil Buckland | |
| American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story | Kurt Warner | Filming | |
| TBA | Apollo 10½ | Additional voices | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Untitled Sisqo Project | Michael Golden | Unsold pilot |
| 2002 | Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie | Adam | Television film |
| 2002–06 | Less than Perfect | Kipp Steadman | 81 episodes |
| 2003 | See Jane Date | Grant Asher | Television film |
| 2004 | The Division | Todd | 2 episodes |
| Curb Your Enthusiasm | Bellman | Episode: “Opening Night” | |
| 2005 | Brody & Friends | Zac | Episode: “The Hollywood Lifestyle” |
| 2006 | Worst Week of My Life | Nick | Unsold pilot |
| 2007 | Imperfect Union | Clark | Television film |
| 2007–12 | Chuck | Chuck Bartowski | 91 episodes; also director of 3 episodes |
| 2011 | Team Unicorn | Young Lover | Episode: “Alien Beach Crashers” |
| 2011 Spike Video Game Awards | Host | Also consulting producer | |
| Vietnam in HD | Karl Marlantes (voice) | 6 episodes | |
| 2012 | 4 Points | Himself | Episode: “Zachary Levi” |
| 2012–14, 2019 | Robot Chicken | Various characters / Shazam (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Remember Sunday | Gus | Television film |
| 2014–15 | Hollywood Game Night | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Deadbeat | Abraham Lincoln | Episode: “The Emancipation Apparition” |
| 2015 | Heroes Reborn | Luke Collins | 13 episodes |
| Geeks Who Drink | Host | 12 episodes; also executive producer | |
| Telenovela | James McMahon | 5 episodes | |
| 2016 | The $100,000 Pyramid | Himself | Episode: “Zachary Levi vs. Teri Polo” |
| 2017 | Tangled: Before Ever After | Eugene Fitzherbert / Flynn Rider / Prince Horace (voice) | Television film |
| 2017–20 | Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure | 59 episodes | |
| 2017 | Alias Grace | Jeremiah Pontelli | Miniseries; 5 episodes |
| Psych: The Movie | Thin White Duke | Television film | |
| 2018–19 | The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel | Dr. Benjamin Ettenberg | 8 episodes |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Halo: Reach | Trooper 4 (voice) | |
| Fallout: New Vegas | Arcade Gannon (voice) | ||
| 2013 | Tomb Raider | Himself (voice) | |
| 2018 | Lego DC Super-Villains | Billy Batson / Shazam (voice) | Shazam! DLC Level Pack |
| 2019 | Kingdom Hearts III | Eugene Fitzherbert/Flynn Rider (voice) | |
| 2020 | Grounded | Wendell (voice) |
Internet
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–16 | NerdHQ | Host | San Diego Comic Con Special |
| 2011 | The Guild | Himself | Season 1, episode 5 |
| 2012 | Video Game High School | Ace | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Tiny Commando | Tiny Commando | 7 episodes |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–2014 | First Date | Aaron | Longacre Theatre |
| 2016 | She Loves Me | Georg Nowack | Studio 54 |
| Sunday in the Park with George | Jules | New York City Center Gala Concert |
Discography
- “Terrified” (2010) – Performed by Katharine McPhee featuring Zachary Levi.
- “I See the Light” (2010) – Performed by Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore for the film Tangled.
- First Date (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
- She Loves Me (2016 Broadway Cast Recording)
Live performances
On February 27, 2011, Levi performed “I See the Light” with Mandy Moore at the 83rd Academy Awards. On June 12, 2016, Levi performed the title song from “She Loves Me”, as part of the medley presented on the 70th Tony Awards. He has also performed live in various programs from childhood.
Awards and nominations
Film
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Tangled | Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Song | Nominated |
| World Soundtrack Academy Award for Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Voice | Nominated | ||
| Online Film & Television Association for Best Music, Original Song | Nominated | ||
| 2019 | Shazam! | MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Comedic Performance | Nominated |
| MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Hero | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice Award for Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie Actor | Nominated |
Television
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Chuck | Satellite Award Best Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical | Nominated |
| 2008 | Teen Choice Award for Choice Male Breakout TV Star | Nominated | |
| Online Film & Television Association for Best Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| 2009 | Ewwy Award for Best Leading Actor in a Comedy Series | Won | |
| 2010 | Saturn Award Best Actor on Television | Nominated | |
| Ewwy Award for Best Leading Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor: Action | Won | ||
| Online Film & Television Association for Best Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| 2011 | TV Guide Award for Favorite Couple Who Have (shared with Yvonne Strahovski) | Won | |
| Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor: Action | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor: Action | Nominated | |
| 2016 | Heroes Reborn | People’s Choice Award for Favorite Actor In A New TV Series | Nominated |
| 2018 | Tangled: Before Ever After | Behind the Voice Actors Award for Best Vocal Ensemble in a TV Special/Direct-to-DVD Title or Short | Nominated |
| 2019 | The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Won |
Theatre
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Theatre World Award | First Date | Honouree | |
| 2016 | Tony Award | Best Actor in a Musical | She Loves Me | Nominated |
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Nominated | ||
| Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | Nominated | ||