Fame became "a source of anxiety for me," he said, relaxing in a gray button-down and jeans at a Silver Lake coffee shop. "When I was younger and more selfish, I loved the acting, but I wanted to burn the film after. Having grown up some since then, I now really appreciate how movies and art can connect people."
--
Taking a timeout
That epiphany came a couple of years after he took a break from the spotlight, moved to New York and enrolled at Columbia University. He earned "about half a bachelor's" in French literature before deciding that brushing up on Final Cut Pro, a film-editing software program, was ultimately a better way to spend his time than going to class.
Living in New York -- "a real city where people are on top of each other" -- made him "hyper aware of the world at large" and keyed up to create art with others.
"Now I don't cringe when people tell me they used to laugh at '3rd Rock,' " he said.
What followed were a series of demanding roles that earned him acclaim within film circles: He played a young prostitute in "Mysterious Skin," a high school misfit-turned-sleuth in the neo-noir "Brick" and a brain-damaged bank robber in "The Lookout."
Webb had never seen "3rd Rock" before casting Gordon-Levitt in the comedy. Rather, it was his performance in "Mysterious Skin" that put him on the shortlist. "It's a brutal, brutal film, but Joe's character is sort of lighthearted and sweet and endearing, despite his circumstances," Webb said. "The tenor of the character wasn't that far away from how we envisioned Tom," the movie's hopeless romantic.
His "(500) Days" costar and longtime friend Deschanel said his renewed love of acting was infectious. The two met during the filming of the 2001 drama "Manic," and she has seen him wrestle with the ups and downs of life in the entertainment industry.
"It's cool to see him reinvigorated," she said. "I think everyone believes he has the talent and the looks to be a big star, but I think he just wants to keep telling stories and support art he thinks is interesting."
"(500) Days" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last January, and Gordon-Levitt said that fans haven't been shy about approaching him on the street and expressing feelings about the film. "A lot of people have come up and said, 'Man, that meant so much me,' or, 'It reminded me of my old boyfriend or girlfriend,' or, 'That's me.' I love that."
