Joseph Gordon-Levitt

It takes a lot to say “God hates Homos,” and be sympathetic. I know what you’re thinking, not exactly the first words that come to mind when you think, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but because of his amazing range and strength in taking on characters of all kinds, he has muttered those words. As Elder Riley in the independent film Latter Days, Joe plays a small part. However his jaw-dropping line is basically, the whole point of the film and it’s delivered with an innocence that transforms it’s awfulness into a tone that makes you wonder if maybe, he isn’t right. He’s just that good.

28-year-old Joe, is probably most known for the very recent bright light of success for his Golden Globe and Independent Spirit nominated role as Tom Hansen in 500 Days of Summer, with the beautifully understated Zoey Deschanel (with whom he also shared the screen in indie-film, Manic). Tom is the epitome of the oh so adorable, ‘hopeless romantic’, with an endearing use of language that he applies to the description of love and all things romantically related. His performance leaves you wanting to be his girlfriend and mend his tragically broken heart.

Joe’s breadth of acting began in 1988 as a child. He’s had stints on various television shows, including: “Rosanne”, “Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman”, “Quantum Leap” and more. He finally hit the ‘big time’ with his lovable role as Cameron, in the cult-hit film 10 Things I Hate About You. Although Heath Ledger may have been the biggest star to come out of that film, Joe’s freshness landed him the role as Tommy Solomon on the long running television series “3rd Rock from the Sun” aside comedic great, John Lithgow. Joe brought viewers continued laughter as an alien assimilating on Earth in the form of an angsty human teenager, while dealing with heart break and high school. The show won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe during it’s run from 1996 to 2001.

In addition to his minor role in Latter Days Joe has starred in numerous independent films, most of which were in parts of socially marginal, angry, hurt individuals. Among them, Mysterious Skin, he takes on a serious and difficult role in the film adaptation of a controversial novel, in which he plays a sexually compulsive, homosexual teen, who has turned to a life of prostitution and whose “clients” are mostly middle aged men, by choice. The reason for this dangerous and seedy lifestyle? Sexual abuse by his baseball coach as a young boy. His depiction of the broken and confused teen is at times difficult to watch, however; both enthralling and emotional. Manic, with it’s documentary feel, plunges Joe’s character, into a juvenile mental ward after he has an explosive outburst involving a baseball bat, that is a violent and utterly disturbing. Joe’s performance is riveting as he attempts to deal with and perhaps channel his feelings of anger, violence and rage.

Lucky for us, Joe is appearing in the upcoming sci-fi action thriller-ish film, Inception, written and directed by now legendary Christopher Nolan, in theatre’s 7-16-10. He plays Arthur, whose part of a team put together by criminal(?) C.E.O. Cobb, played by Leonardo Decaprio. The team has the technology to divulge the “scene of the crime”, from the “architecture of the mind.” Yeah, I’m still trying to figure out what that means. Where’s all those WonderCon panel attendees when you need ‘em? But, more to the point, there’s something sexy about a man with a gun and Arthur just happens to be a gun-toter. Now, maybe they could just remove his shirt while he’s shooting at a bad guy? Eh, a girl can dream.

What grabs me most about Joe, well aside from those deep as puddles brown eyes, toned body, small spattering of freckles, honest smile… ::sigh:: … Where I was I going with that? Oh right, what grabs me most about Joe, known as RegularJOE to cyberspace, is his conviction to creativity and his full-hearted devotion, both on and off screen. In an interview in 2007, he stated, “the point of acting [is] to affect people.” His film and television history demonstrates his deep commitment to this belief, and his ability to make the viewer relate to him, in any of his forms; sex-crazed abuse victim, lovely and adorable romantic, alien in human adolescent form, you catch my drift.

He also stated, “I just want to work on things that I think are good.” He’s taken this belief to higher grounds; you could say it’s been Levit-tated (ha!). Early this year, Joe started, what may become a revolution in media, with his web-site, www.hitRECord.org, which has evolved into a “full-fledged professional collaborative production company,” where he is attempting to create a new medium for all types of talent (art, dance, music, acting, etc.) RegularJOE will actually pay you (yes you, you creative soul) for any contribution you make on the site that becomes part of a “money making production.” If you take a gander at his site, among many “records” you’ll see a short film, entitled, Morgan and Destiny’s Eleventeenth Date: The Zeppelin Zoo, directed by and starring Joe, along side two-time co-star and fellow hotness, Channing Tatum (together in 2009’s, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra and 2008’s, Stop-Loss). This lil’ nugget is sure to make you smile; as the sheer silliness of Joe’s creative soul is played out in black and white.

Always busy Joseph Gordon-Levitt has an ever-growing desire to be apart of something great. At 18, he took some time off from acting to attend Columbia College, where he studied classes taught solely in French. He has no desire to be a “celebrity”, and stated that “celebrity is giving into the idea that certain people are better than others, and I say: **ck that, we’re all people! We’re all beautiful. We all deserve attention!” Joe surely has gotten my attention, and I’m sitting on the edge of my seat, just dying to see what he’ll do next.

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Inception

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