Born to creative parents on December 29, 1989, with her mother Mary Tilbury being an artist and her father Lester Levy being a musician, Jane Levy was never a stranger to artistic expression. However, her focus quickly centered on acting.
Jane Levy plays Zoey Clarke, and Skylar Astin portrays her boyfriend, Max Richman, in the popular American musical comedy-drama television series Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (Credit: Nicky Nelson / WENN)
While growing up, she appeared in several community theatre productions of class plays like Annie. After graduating high school, she briefly moved to New York to attend the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and become a formally trained actress.
A few weeks after completing acting school, Jane Levy moved back to her hometown of Los Angeles and was almost immediately cast in Shameless.
Jane Levy shows off her elegant size 7 (US) feet in chic open-toe pink sandals (Credit: Nicky Nelson / WENN)
While she didn’t stay for the entire show, Shameless will always be remembered as Jane Levy’s first official role as a professionally trained actress.
Jane Levy’s Role in Shameless: A Breakout Performance
Shameless is an American television show modeled after the British show of the same name. Emmy Rossum became famous for portraying Fiona Gallagher in the television series.
It’s a comedy-drama hybrid that follows the lives of the Gallagher family in Southside Chicago. The show depicts their dysfunctional family dynamic and the various mishaps. While the Gallagher family is dysfunctional, the Milkovich clan, another family living in the neighborhood, is downright dark.
Jane Levy as Mandy Milkovich in Shameless, portraying a tough yet vulnerable character in her early episodes (Credit: CBS)
Jane Levy was originally cast to play the tough-yet-endearing Mandy Milkovich, the only female member of her family. While she only appeared in six episodes of Shameless’ first season, her character packed quite the punch.
Jane Levy was 21 when the first episode of Shameless aired on January 9, 2011. She turned 22 on December 29, 2011. Mandy Milkovich is not someone to mess with- nor are her numerous brothers, most notably Mickey Milkovich (played by Noel Fisher).
During season one, Mandy and Mickey begin by threatening to beat up (if not kill) a young Ian Gallagher, one of the middle children in the Gallagher family.
Fans loved Jane Levy’s portrayal of Mandy Milkovich in the American comedy-drama television series Shameless (Credit: CBS)
However, by the end of the season, Mandy and Ian reconcile their differences to form a genuine friendship, while Ian and Mickey embark on a secret relationship.
The Real Reason Jane Levy Left Shameless
Though not the friendliest, Mandy Milkovich is a generally well-meaning character who is extremely loyal to her loved ones. It takes a special actress to showcase the duality of Mandy’s tough exterior and soft heart.
While Jane Levy certainly had the chops to bring such a character to life, she also had her own life to worry about. So, when she was offered a much more central role as the main protagonist, Tessa Altman, on ABC’s Suburgatory, she decided to leave behind her role as Mandy Milkovich.
Jane Levy keeps it simple and stylish in a sleeveless white blouse, black skinny jeans, and classic black pumps at a Disney Television Group event on August 7, 2011, in Beverly Hills, California (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)
There was no bad blood in Jane Levy’s departure from Shameless. She logically chose to take on a larger role in a different project.
Luckily for Shameless, however, Emma Greenwell successfully took over the role of Mandy Milkovich and played the character to perfection until season six, at which point the character’s storyline faded out.
How Jane Levy’s Career Took Off After Shameless
While Suburgatory only ran for a relatively short three seasons compared to Shameless’ eleven, Levy’s decision to take on a major role was still good.
Her work on Suburgatory served as a launching pad for several subsequent roles, all featuring her as one of the main characters.
Notably, Levy played the leading role of Mia in the 2013 film Evil Dead and Rocky in the 2016 film Don’t Breathe.
Suburgatory stars Chris Parnell, Jeremy Sisto, Jane Levy, Carly Chaikin, and Allie Grant attended Cheryl Hines‘ Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in Hollywood on January 29, 2014 (Credit: Nikki Nelson / WENN)
Jane Levy returned to television as the lead in Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, which debuted on NBC in 2020. The show ran for two seasons and included a holiday special before being canceled in 2021. Despite its short run, it became a fan favorite.
In January 2014, Jane Levy made her stage debut in POTUS at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. She starred alongside Alexandra Billings and Lauren Blumenfield in this ensemble comedy.
Inside Jane Levy’s Personal Life: Marriage, Divorce, and New Beginnings
Beyond her successful acting career, Jane Levy’s personal life has also had quite an interesting journey.
One of Jane Levy’s strengths is her ability to change her looks in a chameleon-like fashion, which lends itself to a variety of roles- from Mandy Milkovich’s dark auburn hair to Tessa Altman’s light ginger locks, one might never guess that Jane Levy is a natural blonde.
Though naturally blonde, Jane Levy bears a striking resemblance to Emma Stone with her red hair (Credit: WENN / Avalon / Patricia Schlein)
She stands at a petite 5’2, which lends itself to the younger female characters she has played to date. Although she has been in the public eye since she was young, Jane Levy has done a good job keeping her private life under wraps.
So, in 2013, fans were surprised to hear that she was filing for divorce, as they hadn’t even been aware that she was married in the first place.
Jane Levy and Portuguese actor Jaime Freitas were married for just two short years, from 2011 to 2013, when they filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
Jane Levy keeps it casual and chic in a textured sleeveless top, black high-waisted pants, and a stylish gingham tote (Credit: MEGA / WENN)
Interestingly, the pair reportedly split around seven months after getting married, although they didn’t officially divorce for quite some time.
However, even after her short-lived marriage, Jane Levy has once again found love—and this time, she is much more open about it.
While the exact timeline isn’t clear, Jane Levy has been dating Thomas McDonnell for approximately ten years- meaning they got together around 2011-2012.
Jane Levy in a sexy black jumpsuit at the 6th Annual InStyle Awards on November 15, 2021, in Los Angeles, California (Credit: MEGA / WENN)
While Jane was still technically married, she did not get together with Thomas until after she and Jaime split.
“I got married when I was so young, and it lasted six months. I have been with my current boyfriend for nine years. So, my current relationship feels a lot more like a marriage than with the man I married when I was 20,” she told the Inquirer in April 2020.
Is Jane Levy Related to Eugene Levy? Clearing Up the Confusion
Another interesting component of Jane Levy’s public persona is her name itself- which will sound very familiar to fans of the popular TV show Schitt’s Creek.
Eugene and Dan Levy are a famous father-son duo who created, produced, and starred in the CBC comedy show.
Jane Levy is not related to Schitt’s Creek and father and son duo Dan and Eugene Levy (Credit: PNP / WENN / Adriana M. Barraza)
However, while the Levy last name seems to be a golden ticket to Hollywood success, Jane Levy is not related to Dan and Eugene- their shared name is just a happy coincidence.
“In case anyone cares I pronounce my last name leeeeeeevy. Not like Eugene,” she wrote in a tweet. “And unfortunately I’m not related to Eugene,” she added.
Jane Levy confirmed on Twitter that she’s not related to Dan and Eugene Levy (Credit: Twitter)
“They’re both wildly talented, I’m a huge fan of both of them. Unfortunately, we’re not related,” Jane responded when asked about Dan and Eugene Levy in a January 2021 Today interview.
Final Thoughts: Jane Levy’s Journey from Shameless to Success
Jane Levy’s departure from Shameless was entirely professional and set her up for further personal and career success.
Jane Levy in a purple sequined dress at the premiere of Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas held at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on November 30, 2021, in Los Angeles (Credit: Avalon / WENN)
Likewise, Shameless went on to become one of the most well-known shows of all time and ran for eleven seasons. It turned out to be a happy ending all around!