Zachary Levi Talks ‘American Underdog,’ ‘Shazam 2’ & More [The Fourth Wall]

If there are two things American moviegoers love most, the first is football, and the second is a good underdog story. This Christmas, the two are being combined for a touchdown reception on the big screen in the appropriately titled “American Underdog,” starring “Shazam!” star himself, Zachary Levi, as Kurt Warner, the talented and dedicated quarterback who fought his way into the NFL in the ‘90s. Warner’s efforts paid off with a twelve-season career that included winning Super Bowl XXXIV, and being named MVP of both that game and the season as a whole.

“Our journeys are multi-layered and dynamic, and one of the coolest things about Kurt’s story is how he’s been out in the wilderness,” said Levi, as he sat down to talk about the film and its parallels to his own rise as an actor. Born in Louisiana and having made his stage debut at the age of six, Levi first made a name for himself on the stage of the Ojai Art Center, with starring roles in productions of “Grease,” “Oklahoma!,” and “The Wizard of Oz,” to name but a sampling of his early work.

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Levi became so accustomed to the sensibilities of the stage, that when he finally broke through to the screen in the mid-2000s, he had to make broad adjustments to his craft. “In theater, everything is way bigger, you’re projecting and your diction needs to be clearer so people can understand what you’re saying,” said Levi, whose breakthrough role came in 2007, when he was cast as the titular character in “Chuck,” going on to lead the spy-comedy series for five seasons. “Transitioning into film and television, you gotta learn how to chill that out. If you’re giving a musical theater animated face, that doesn’t work on camera. You have to learn how not to force it.”

Between his time on stage and his rise on screen, however, Levi was no stranger to the financial realities of being a performer. “I bussed tables for years, I worked at a car wash for a year and a half,” said Levi. “These are not things that I love to do, but also these are not things that I didn’t give all of myself to. When I was bussing tables, I was the best busser you ever saw. If you’re showing up and punching the clock, but you don’t want to be there and you’ve got a negative attitude, those things don’t help you get closer to the thing you’re dreaming of.”

In many ways, Levi’s work ethic and determination to always make ends meet mirrors Warner’s rise to the NFL against various pitfalls, such as when he didn’t make the 1994 Green Bay Packers’ team but continued to push for his dream, joining the Arena Football League and working at a supermarket in order to provide for himself. “My arena football league was my years of doing theater,” said Levi. “Sometimes I was doing shows where the cast outnumbered the people in the audience. You’ve got a lot to work through and grow through, and a lot of lessons to learn as a man and as an actor. Having done all that stuff, it prepares you for when you get that opportunity. I was discovered doing a play one night, [which led] me to one of the top agencies in Hollywood. That all happened within, like, 6 months, because I was working on my craft in community theater, with no money, and no accolades, because I loved doing it. It was something I knew I needed to do in order to become the actor that I wanted to be.”

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Levi’s star launched permanently out of orbit, however, when he joined the DCEU as Shazam, a role he got through a chain of events that began when he auditioned to play Star-Lord in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” “I screen-tested for James [Gunn.] He asked ask me to come in and read for Star-Lord; I did, then all of a sudden I was camera testing. I wanted that role so bad, [but] Chris [Pratt] was their favorite. It didn’t go my way, but I think I’d left a good enough impression with James that, when I was auditioning for ‘Shazam,’ I was [still] in good standing with James. I try to be in good standing with as many people as I can, and try to be a decent person. Between that, and how well James thought I did at the Star-Lord test, I’m sure it was part of that conversation, and I am indebted to James that he would believe in me enough to remember that and pass that on.”

Of course, I couldn’t let Levi go before asking about the sequel, “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” which is currently slated for release in June of 2023, and what we can expect from it. “I just want to make sure that, with a lot of sequels, sometimes people follow that sophomore curse of, ‘it’s gotta be five times bigger and five times better,’” said Levi. “Whether it’s a movie, or album, or video game, and you’re a person who loved the first one, just give us a new story and do the best you can. I feel like we did that with the sequel, and I think people are really going to dig it.”

During our conversation with Levi, we also discuss the importance of kindness and humility in Hollywood, what impression the actor hopes he has left on people with his brand, and more!

American Underdog” is now playing in theaters. You can hear the full discussion below: