Zachary Levi gained widespread recognition for his role as Chuck Bartowski in the television series Chuck, which premiered in 2007. The show revolves around a computer expert who becomes a secret agent after unwittingly downloading classified information into his brain. This role catapulted him into the limelight, leading to various opportunities in both television and film.
From there, the actor’s career took off. Levi voiced Flynn Rider in Disney’s animated blockbuster Tangled in 2010, and then became a superhero when he starred as the titular character in DC’s 2019 film Shazam!.
In recent months, Levi has stirred controversy with his vocal support for Donald Trump, especially after the actor participated in a Trump rally. He expressed that his conservative upbringing influenced his decision, suggesting that taking this stance might equate to “career suicide” in a predominantly liberal Hollywood. T
his has raised eyebrows among industry peers and fans alike. Whoopi Goldberg, one of the cohosts of the hit show The View, challenged Levi’s depiction of the political landscape, arguing that it is more nuanced than he claimed. She emphasized that many successful actors maintain conservative beliefs without facing significant repercussions.
Related: Fans Demand Cancellation of Flynn Rider from ‘Tangled’ for “Anti-Vaccine Stance”
Levi’s political commentary took a troubling turn when he implied that his late friend, Broadway star Gavin Creel, died due to the COVID-19 vaccine. During an Instagram Live session, he stated, “You better believe that, with everything in me, I believe that if these COVID vaccinations were not forced on the American public… Gavin Creel would be alive right now.”
It is important to note that the Broadway actor did NOT die from the COVID-19 vaccine. He died earlier this month from a rare and aggressive form of bone and tissue cancer called sarcoma. Levi claimed that the cancer “came out of nowhere,” and Creel would not have gotten sick if not for the vaccine.
“I know that this is going to offend some people and make some people mad, and I wish it didn’t. So, a few weeks ago, my friend Gavin Creel died. He was 48 years old, and he was one of the healthiest people I knew.”
“You better believe that, with everything in me, I believe that if these COVID vaccinations were not forced on the American public, that the theaters weren’t being pushed and leveraged —”
“They knew the cost benefit of these shots, and it was garbage. Guys, it was garbage. They knew that there would be plenty of side effects, including turbo cancers. They knew. And I, without a shadow of a doubt, I believe that Gavin Creel would be alive right now — right f—king now — he would still be alive if that stuff didn’t get put into his body.”
View this post on Instagram
Related: Fans Nominate Who Should Play Flynn Rider in Disney’s Live-Action ‘Tangled’
The backlash against Levi has been swift and vocal. Broadway colleagues, including Norbert Leo Butz, who played Fiyero in Wicked, expressed disappointment over his comments, labeling them as disrespectful and harmful. Butz highlighted that politicizing Creel’s death to advance an agenda was utterly heart-wrenching.
So incredibly disappointed you would politicize Gavin’s death. Really tried to give you the benefit here. Made it halfway through, which was hard as hell. But Was utterly heartbroken, as he would have been, that you felt the need to use his life and legacy to promote this awful platform. 💔
Photographer Evan Zimmerman, who captured images of Levi during his time in the play She Loves Me with Gavin Creel, expressed his disgust over Levi’s comments and called him out for being a terrible person and co-star. Zimmerman recalled that while photographing the play and its actors, he noticed Levi constantly chain-smoking outside.
He mentioned feeling sympathy for Levi’s “poor” co-stars, who had to contend not only with him but also with his unpleasant odor.
Levi also acknowledged that he might be mistaken in his beliefs but stated he wouldn’t be shamed into changing them.
What do you think of Zachary Levi’s incendiary false claims? Should social media sites take down posts that promote false information? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
