Steven Levitan on the 48 Hours Between His Own Wedding and His ‘Reboot’ Premiere: “Holy Cow”

Talk about a big week. Two days before premiering his new Hulu sitcom Reboot on the Fox lot Sept. 19, Modern Family creator Steven Levitan tied the knot with fiancée Kristina in a backyard ceremony at the home of his agent, UTA vice chairman Jay Sures.

“Holy cow,” the 60-year-old exclaimed to THR of the hectic 48 hours. “As if I didn’t have enough pressure in my life. But I think it was a good thing because it allowed me to split my focus these last couple of weeks.”

He did the same during brief prescreening comments while standing at the podium inside the Darryl F. Zanuck Theater. Levitan divided his time by shouting out Reboot collaborators and introducing his bride.

“It occurred to me while I was out on the red carpet with all the [cameras] flashing that it’s kind of natural to me after all these years in the business. But my wife, Kristina, is very shy and doesn’t like a lot of attention on her. She’s right there. Let’s give her a big [round of applause.]”

The audience — filled with Reboot stars like Keegan-Michael Key (who performed at the nuptials), Johnny Knoxville, Rachel Bloom and Judy Greer — was happy to oblige.

The couple got engaged in July 2021 during an African safari trip, and Levitan explained to THR on the red carpet how the pandemic influenced their relationship and Reboot. “We had started dating just before the pandemic, and being hunkered down together all that time, it was like dating for three years in one. We got to know each other really well, and I started to imagine what this would have been without her. And the answer is that it would’ve been a lot worse. At the same time, she got to listen to me on Zoom complaining and nearly pulling my hair out trying to figure out this pilot.”

By all accounts, he figured it out, as the series is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a wealth of positive reviews, including from THR’s Angie Han, who credited the show’s “clever writing, a crackerjack cast and a cheerful willingness to go for the broad humor of, say, an avalanche of popcorn (albeit with a knowing wink).”

This story first appeared in the Sept. 28 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.