Hey Joe, It’s been awhile

Remember this guy? He was the kid on that T.V. show 3rd Rock from the Sun back in the 90’s. I vaguely remember having a crush on this guy. I remember watching that movie “Angels in the Outfield” over and over again. I loved that movie. He was also in that movie “Ten Things I Hate About You” with Heath Ledger. He played the nerdy kid that was always ditched for the more popular person and never got the girl. Oh god he was cute in that movie, right? At that time Joseph Gordon Levitt (we'll call him JGL) was at that awkward stage in life, transitioning from a teenager to an adult, lingering in a place that most child actors can never come out of. He could have easily dropped off the face of the earth, in fact some people might suggest that he did, but that’s not the case at all. He did take a hiatus from full time acting from 1999-2004 while attending Columbia University all the while keeping his feet wet by doing a few guest appearances a year in TV.

Although we haven’t heard a lot of buzz around him for the past few years, he has been quietly perfecting his craft by involving himself various independent projects, gaining accolades from both critics and fellow actors.

2009 has been JGL’s comeback year, if that’s what we’re going to call it. We first started to re-notice him back when 500 Days of Summer, co-starring Zooey Deschanel, received fantastic reviews from the independent film festival circuit last spring. I remember seeing the trailer and saying to myself, "oh ya, that guy, I didn't know he was still acting." I'm sure a lot of people were thinking the same thing. Rotten Tomatoes gave this film a 90% rating and it was recognized as a huge success. Check out the trailer here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/500daysofsummer/

Shortly after the release of 500 Days, he starred in this summer’s blockbuster G.I. Joe, although for most of the movie you wouldn’t even recognize that it was him. JGL wrapped up filming the lead in Hesher, opposite Natalie Portman due out in 2010 and is currently working on Inception Point with Leonardio DiCaprio and Ellen Page. Solid choices Joe, solid. Because of these solid choices, JGL has gained amazing street cred over the past few years. He's the farthest thing from a "has been", in fact, he's becoming one of those real actors, prepared to sit on the stage of fame for years to come.

On November 21st, JGL will host Saturday Night Live for the first time.This means he’s popular again and even more people will start to recognize this guy. He’s not one of those attention seeking types of people. You’ll rarely find him in the tabloids so it’s easy to kind of forget about him. Although JGL has been working as an actor for the past 20 years, it’s only now that people are starting to recognize him and put him in the league with the big boys and girls. He never seemed to have sold out to get on top. He slowly and methodically made his various moves to stand in the position he’s in today. JGL was patient and now his time has come. This is his opportunity. JGL has proven his talent and therefore doesn’t have to worry about taking the impractical roles just to stay in work. This guy will have an Oscar someday. I can’t wait to say “I told you so” to all the people that don’t agree.

Check out the trailer for Uncertainty that opens this weekend. http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/uncertainty/