In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, theSchitt’s Creekalum recalls how his trip to Kruger National Park in South Africa, specifically during the safari ride, “was definitely the most impactful,” even though he wasn’t initially eager to go.
“It never really tickled me because I know what all the animals look like. It’s not going to be that exciting for me to see them up close,” he tells PEOPLE. “But I found out the danger that many of these animals are in every single day from poachers and hunters. It actually really got to me.”
Levy adds that he was always aware of the poaching crisis in South Africa, but it didn’t fully sink in until he saw the animals for himself.
“I got to go to a rhino conservation park where they take in orphaned and injured rhinos from poaching,” he remembers. “I got to feed them, and I found out just how close to extinction these things are from people trying to make money off their horns. It’s really terrible.”
In addition to his eye-opening time with the animals, Levy’s unique lodging experience was another reason why the trip “one of his favorites.”
“The hotel was actually a train stationed permanently on top of a bridge over a river,” the actor explains. “So when I looked out every day, I could look down over the river in the marsh and I would see these animals. And I actually loved it, it was like my own backyard in a way.”
Another enjoyable part of filming the show was having his daughter andSchitt’s Creekco-starSarah Levy, along with his wife Deborah Divine, accompany him on some of his travels. Eugene also shares son and actorDan Levywith Divine.
Dan Levy/instagram
“A couple of locations my wife Deb came, and my daughter Sarah came, and it was always great having them there,” he tells PEOPLE, adding that they both tagged along while he was exploring Venice, Italy.
He continues: “Sarah came with me to the Maldives. So when you’re working, that’s a wonderful thing. I’d look over and see her lying in a hammock reading a book. And it’s always nice, kind of warms the heart.”
While Eugene visits eight countries in the new docuseries, the trailer of the show (above) reveals that traveling was never one of the star’s favorite activities as he calls himself a fan of “the great indoors.”
“I don’t have a great sense of adventure, so it’s not the most comfortable thing. If I know where I’m going, it’s great. If I don’t really know where I’m going, I get a little frazzled,” he says.
In one episode, Eugene has to face his fear of “creepy crawlies” and head into the depths of the rainforest in Costa Rica. He tells PEOPLE he would “never have done something like that before the show came along.”
He adds: “I still don’t think I’m an adventurous person, but I’m doing the best I can. I think this show is good for me, because I’m growing in certain areas.”
source: people.com
