IAm Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I’m teaching an acting class. It’s for anyone, really, even beginners. AMA…

Last thing you ate?

Your mom

How often do you watch your own movies and what are some of your biggest lessons from doing so?

Most of what I do with most of my evenings, once my kids go to bed, is fire up Don Jon.

If you were offered to play Robin/ Nightwing in a movie right now, would you sign on?

As with every project for me, it would depend on the script and the director. But if I were to do a movie like that, I'd only want to do it if it were going to be awesome, and honestly, I think the odds of that happening would be pretty slim.

“JGL SLAMS WB WITH BRUTAL PUT-DOWN OF THE STATE OF THE DCEU!”

Oy didn’t mean it that way 😬

How much does chemistry between actors affect projects? Especially curious about your experiences with Zooey Deschanel in 500 days of summer and Tom Hardy in Inception. :DD

Absolutely, feeling a personal connection with your collaborators is primary to any creative process. Zooey is a good friend, and when we did 500 Days of Summer, we'd already known each other for years. (Check out the first movie we did together, MANIC, back when we were still a coupla punk kids, great performance from Don Cheadle in that one too). And I've always found the shipping of Arthur and Eames to be delightful, hilarious, and sweet, even if a bit surprising :)

What was it like to see the 3rd Rock cast again? Was it everything you dreamed it’d be?

Those folks are like my second family. I love them.

Who have been some of YOUR favourite teachers?

Whether it was a simple thing like a relative who taught you how to fish or a maths teacher you had at school or an acting coach that really helped you get ahead.

Fave subject = good teachers :)

I never studied acting in a proper academy. But I did take some acting classes, started when I was about seven, til I was ten or eleven. Kevin McDermott. I still think about him and things he taught me all the damn time. And not just things about acting. Or, better said, things about acting that apply to way more things than acting. Brilliant teacher. Incredibly kind soul. One of the biggest influences of my life. What I’m teaching in my class has a lot of him in it, amongst others things I’ve learned over the years.

Would you ever ask Kevin to teach a class?

That's a fantastic idea

There are a bunch of Class Projects, and we’re putting out new ones almost every week. The teachers are all excellent artists and lovely people. So far I’ve taught this acting one as well as a screenwriting one, but there’s writing poetry, writing bedtime stories, making music, producing found sound beats, photography, video editing, collage, and it’s all project based. Not academic. Making art. Learning and growing as you go. I should probably put a link here. Lemme find a link…

What's the greatest praise you've ever received for your work?

I believe Gary Oldman once used the word “honest”. To me, I couldn’t ask for praise much higher.

Thanks for being here again. What type of acting does your class focus on? I know there are different skills for TV, film, stage/live or even improv type. Would your class for acting help with improv type acting skills?

Thanks! So this is a Class Project, meaning it's not a broad Acting 101 type of course where I go over all different types of acting. It's one project. We set up our learning program on HITRECORD in this project-based way because I think it's by far the best way to actually learn a creative skill. At least, it is for me. I learn best by jumping in and doing something. So in the Class Project I'm teaching, we perform a monologue. And I take you through the steps of how I actually do it. Picking the material, studying it, performing it. Students do the same process, step by step, and get guaranteed feedback along the way. So by the time you've done the class, you've actually done some real acting. Not just heard about it.

How old is too old to get into acting?

It depends on what you mean by "get into". You might mean try to earn a living at it. I hesitate to give any advice about that, because honestly the success rate is extremely low, and in all honesty, I don't think it's a goal that makes people happy. But on the other hand, there's getting into acting, like giving it a try, seeing how it feels, learning it, practicing it, getting better at it, having fun with it, finding meaning in it. And for that path -- what I'd call pursuing it artistically, as opposed to commercially -- for that, you can be absolutely any age.

Good question

Hey Princess! HITRECORD all star over here!

If you could revisit any role, what would it be, and why is it Tommy Solomon?

The hair

How do actors remember their lines? This has been a question I've always wanted to ask an actor.

If the writing makes sense, and you know the story, and you understand WHY you’re saying everything you’re saying, the dialogue comes naturally. (Sorry to pitch, but I do talk about this more in the class :)

How many people do you interact with on set, on average?

These days, during covid, it’s far fewer than normal. And it’s all with lots of safety protocols. But it’s a few dozen.

What do you think of your role as Jim hawkins in Treasure Planet?

What a privilege! Ron and Jon who directed Treasure Planet also made LIttle Mermaid, and one of my favorite and most watched (dad) movies of the recent past, Moana.

So was Cobb dreaming or what?

Everyone has their Inception theory. And I have mine. No, I’m not saying what it is.

Super Important Question: If you could, would you do a new season of '3rd Rock From The Sun' taking place in current times?

You’re right, that is super important. I think if 3rd Rock were set today, it wouldn’t work, because the shit happening in real life is so much weirder than anything the Solomons ever did. It wouldn’t seem like comedy. It would seem like reality. And only those of us with very dark senses of humor would be laughing.

What is the most challenging role you've ever played?

7500

Hi Joseph, thanks for doing this!

I have two questions.

1) What is one thing you wish you knew before you started acting?

2) What was it like to work with Danny Glover?

1. Don't use your real name
2. Being a kid actor, a lot of people think they should pamper you. I remember Danny didn't do that. He treated us like fellow professionals. And I really appreciated that.

I’m working as a production assistant on Super Pumped with you next week! Have you seen production assistants move up to writer or director in your career?

Nice! Come say hi :) Edward Jesse started at HITRECORD as my assistant, and now he's head of creative development and he co-created our show Wolfboy and the Everything Factory. Go Edward!

What director do you think got the best acting from you? Like, one who pushed you to places you maybe felt uncomfortable with to give a great career best preformance?

You’re speaking about a dynamic between actors and directors that I find to be a funny kind of myth — that great directors take an adversarial position against actors, and GET a performance out of them, almost against their will. I’ve worked with some directors who see it that way, and I definitely don’t think those are my best performances. I think my best acting has been done in collaboration with directors who have made me feel totally safe and comfortable. That’s when I’m most able to lose myself, try risky things, etc, because I know the director has my back no matter what.

Hey, u/hitrecordjoe_! Today's my 11th hitRECordiversary! :o) Which flavor of Victory Ice Cream should I eat to celebrate the special occasion? <3

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, ROSELLA! For you redditors out there, Ms. Weigand here is a wonderful member of the HITRECORD community, a great writer, and genuinely positive human being. Victory Ice Cream is a ritual my brother started (dan and I also started hitrecord together many, many years ago) a long time ago to combat a tendency to self deprecate and instead to celebrate one's victories, big and small. Me, I usually aim for something with chocolate. Dan would probably get whatever flavor was the farthest from familiar, because he was a true Sam I Am. And your 11th!? Wow. 11 is also a whole thing. Special day. Thanks for everything Rosella. Again by heart <3

do you ever find yourself regretting taking on a role in the middle of a production?

In certain moments, I regret basically every decision I ever make about work. Both "good" decisions and "bad" decisions. I regret them all at some point. It makes no sense. We humans have bad brains. I'm incredibly grateful for where I am right now. If anything had been different, I wouldn't be here. So what's the point of regretting anything?

What’re we gonna see you in next?

Right now I’m shooting a show called Super Pumped. It’s about Uber. I’m playing Travis Kalanick, the former CEO. Pretty fascinating story. Very fun character to play. Not exactly not a bad guy, but you kinda can’t look away. Coming out in February.

One of my favorite films of yours was Brick. I found it on a whim and loved the premise. What was one great memory or behind the scenes moment that sticks with you still to this day?

Rian and I spent a lot of time together before shooting that movie. Way more than normal. Lots of rehearsal. Watching movies together. And just talking. One night, I remember we sat on the floor (I don’t remember why) of his apartment, and went through the whole script, and he told me what he was planning to do with the camera in every single scene. No director had ever opened up that part of their process to me in so much depth.

Wanna try and convince me to join hitrecord?

Art and creativity online is often framed as a popularity contest, measured in followers, likes, etc. In my opinion, this is poison for a person’s creativity. HITRECORD is a place where we’re aiming for something different, where it’s less about fame and attention and more about the joy and meaning of the creative process itself. It’s a community I started a long, long time ago with my brother, dan, it’s grown organically over the years, and it means a real fucking lot to me.

How are you? Do you browse Reddit otherwise? Have a nice day!

I’m good, you? Constantly. You too! 😸

Hey JGL, I recently just rewatched Don Jon on Amazon prime. I've always liked the movie, but felt it oversimplified Jon's recovery from porn addiction. I sincerely wish porn/sex addiction was as easy as meeting the right person that says "have you tried jerking off without porn?"

Anyways, I noticed at the end credits this was a film you not only directed but wrote as well. Can you talk about what sex/porn addiction means to you and what inspired this movie? Likewise, have you got any advice for someone coming to terms with their own sex addiction and how to develop a healthier form of sexuality?

It’s a very fair point. The story doesn’t dive into the process of him quitting watching porn. For me, even though that character is addicted to porn, it’s not exactly an addiction story. I always thought of his addiction as more of a metaphor for seeing the world in a one-sided way. Jon objectifies everyone, yes the women in his love life, but he also objectifies his friends, his family, even himself. So when Esther talks about reframing how he thinks about sex, it’s more about that change in perspective than it is about porn addiction specifically. Anyway, that’s maybe not so useful for someone who’s suffering from a strong addiction to pornography. Listen, I’m not a psychologist, but I think acknowledging an addiction is an important first step, and then there’s no shame in going and getting help and support. It’s close to impossible to kick a real addiction all by yourself. And porn/media, in my opinion, can absolutely be a real addiction.

Welcome back to Reddit! I love the idea behind the new classes. What's the end goal there? Is it just for acting or are you going to expand it to all kinds of art and creative stuff?

Thank you! So it's not just acting, no. We're putting out Class Projects of all kinds. So far I've taught this one on acting and one on screenwriting as well (which you can join for free, btw). But we've got all kinds of projects--writing a bedtime story, making a surreal collage, writing a folk song, editing a found footage montage, and of course, more! There's quite a few already even though we just launched, and we're putting out new ones almost every week. The end goal is really to get creativity into your life, keep it going on a regular basis, because it's fun and it's good for your soul, but it's also hard to do by yourself, so this is a way actually do it, learn, grow, and do it together with other people.

How much $ is it to take your class?

It’s $20/month for a year’s subscription, and it’s all-you-can-eat, join as many Class Projects as you want. We have classes in writing, photography, music, video editing, all kinds of creative things. I know for me personally, and I think for a lot of people nowadays, we don’t want to do just one creative things. It’s fun to keep it eclectic.

Hey I have this question about celebrities... What is one annoying thing most fans do when around you?

Hahaha well… when people come up to me (which doesn’t happen much in covid times), usually one of two things happens: 1) The person doesn’t really care about me in particular and they’re mostly excited to get a photo with someone in the “celebrity” category; 2) The person has been impacted in some way, big or small, by something I’ve done, like they liked a movie I’m in, or they’re on hitrecord, etc. As you can probably imagine, #1 is less fun, but I try not to blame people for the twisted fishbowl we find ourselves in. #2 is often a lovely and meaningful experience for me, and hopefully for the other person too, so I’m really grateful for those.

Are you nervous about teaching?

Maybe not "nervous", but it is new in a way that does make my heart flutter a bit.

What part of the craft do you think is the hardest to master, and why?

I think the hardest part is contending with all of the other bullshit surrounding the craft. All the voices and numbers saying who or what is good or bad. It's hard to ignore that stuff. But once I can silence that noise, the art is pretty much just happy-making. That doesn't mean it's not challenging, but I love a challenge, so I wouldn't exactly call that "hard." -- And btw, I think this is true for any artist, whether you're a well known professional or a total beginner. Forget about the surrounding bullshit, and just jump in, and you're through the hardest part.

Salut Joseph, ça va ?

Ouais

Hi Joseph,

One of my greatest memories as a kid during summer break was watching 3rd Rock From The Sun all night until I couldn’t keep my eyes open.

My question is: What was it like working with John Lithgow? Also, what do you remember working on the set of That ‘70s Show when you made your appearance on there.

I remember the director asking me and Topher to kiss longer, and then on the next take, kissing for what felt like several minutes. But when you watch it, our lips touched for probably less than a second.

Biggest difference between the real you and your Mr. Corman character?

My dad is a heroically supportive, tireless selfless, mensch. Who is also much shorter than Hugo Weaving.

Who's a great an unheralded actor or actress that you've worked with...?

Dominique Fishback. She’s not exactly unheralded anymore, but she’s about to be a lot more heralded.

Just want to say that Mysterious Skin is one of the most impactful movies I've ever seen but I haven't met a single other person who has seen it. Do you ever think back on that movie?

Sure. It's one of my favorites too. Thank you. Hilariously, and gloriously, Elizabeth Shue is playing my mom again right now in Super Pumped. Talk about a brilliant actress.

Why do you want to teach? Don’t you do enough?

There’s a quote I like, I don’t know who said it, “The most valiant thing an artist can do is inspiring someone else to be creative.” This is what I’m always aiming for on HITRECORD in various ways. And teaching is probably the most direct way of doing that I’ve ever experienced.

How do you have the ability to act out a character like for example... Niel McCormick in 'Mysterious Skin'... without having (in your actual reality) experienced what the character goes through during childhood?

Great question. Sometimes I draw from personal experience, and that can be very effective. But it doesn't always work, because, like you're pointing out, sometimes I'm playing a character with whom I don't share the same experiences. In fact, it's always that to some degree. It's a spectrum. This is why I like to think of acting as an exercise in empathy. I mentioned Kevin McDermott above, my one and only acting teacher. He used to talk about the "Magic IF". What if I were going through what this character is going through? I haven't experienced it myself, but what if I did? This is one reason why I think it'd be great for everybody to do some acting, not just "aspiring actors" but really anybody and everybody. Being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes is at the crux of acting, but I also think it's at the crux of just being human.

I know how much you like drumming. When did you get started ?

I was 14 first time I ever got behind a drum set. But that’s the cool thing about drumming, different than any other instrument (besides your voice) — you don’t need the instrument itself to play.

Do you still keep in touch with any cast of the film BRICK?

Rian and Nathan Johnson are kinda like family. Well, they actually are family, they’re cousins, but I mean they (and Marke Johnson as well) also are like family to me.

Thanks for doing an AMA! I’d be curious to hear why you take on projects like this. I feel like at your level of celebrity it’s probably not about money - right?

What are your motives for putting stuff like this out there? Maybe a little about money, but maybe also something else?

I’ve been doing HITRECORD in various forms for 15 years or so, and I’ve never made a dollar from it. The company makes money (like Class Projects is a subscription service) because we employ a team of people that build the site and app, produce the content, manage the logistics, etc. But the point for me has never been the money. As I said, I just consider myself lucky to get to do art, and it’s fun and meaningful for me to try to share that experience with other people who might not have had the same opportunities I’ve had.

Hi, JGL! Do you think you will fall in love with teaching and leave acting forever?!

I guess I’m not a monogamist in that particular way.

Heya Joseph Gordon-Levitt (you’ve got a cool name btw) I would ask you something like “how old is too old to start acting?” But I assume you’ll say something like “your never too old” so, as an Irish student, who doesn’t live near any city and is planning on moving to the USA in my twenties, have you Any advice for starting to act when I (or if I) get there?

Don’t wait. You’ll always be able to find a reason why NOT to do your art. “I’m not in the right place.” “It’s not the right time.” “No one will like me.” I’m guilty of that kind of rationalizing too, I do it all the time in various ways. When I let those rationalizations win, I’m always sad about it later. Whereas when I’m able to ignore those rationalizations, and I just get started, I’m always happy about it later. Even if what I ended up making that day doesn’t turn out how I wanted it to, I tend to feel pretty good. Certainly better than if I never tried.

Favorite performance by an actor you never met in person?

Denis Lavant in “Lovers on the Bridge” (Les Amants du Pont-Neuf)

Favorite French song?

Chanson des escargots qui vont à l’enterrement de Jacques Prévert

I write everyday for work. How do you write for fun, or for the passion or to bring a conversation to a larger audience? The formatting of screenwriting generally bogs me down. Anyway to get over that?

Interesting how you worded that question. You mentioned writing for fun, but you also mentioned attracting a larger audience. Those two things can overlap sometimes, but they’re not the same thing. To me, writing for fun is about focusing on just what’s interesting to me (and my collaborators if I’m writing together with others) and really not worrying about a large audience. Now, sometimes that kind of writing might attract a large audience, sometimes it won’t, and honestly, I don’t think the artist has all that much control over that. As soon as you start focusing on what a large audience wants — instead of what you yourself want — now it’s a certain kind of guesswork that CAN be fun, but is often sorta labyrinthine and awful, in my experience. So I’d say, since you’re already writing for work (congrats on that!) why don’t you spend some time writing whatever you want and letting the rest of the world go fly a kite? PS - what bogs you down about screenwriting?

Thank you for the response! I love how you helped me see the similarities and differences here. I'm reminded of a friend who once told me he wrote his best work (a short piece of fiction) and then... he just put it in a desk drawer! One of his most fulfilling works he told me.

Your advice is incredibly freeing and petrifying because I'm so used to being like a yak yoked to the plow for work. Time to write for me when I write on my own time. But sometimes, I do take it for granted that I get to write daily and make a paycheck. Thank you for that perspective.

I guess when it comes to screenwriting, I've never been taught how. It seems... overwhelming. That's what caught my eye about your class.

Haha are you a plant? My screenwriting class is free to try out. You can’t not do it now :)

Hey Joe, will you contribute to my hitrecord project if I start one?

I contribute to people’s things pretty often. I can’t do everybody’s. But like here’s some voice-acting I did recently, performing Cturner63’s piece of writing – https://hitrecord.org/records/6461995.

Hi Joseph,

Big fan :) I love HITRECORD and I'm constantly looking to contribute, just for the fun of it.

I've been able to express myself freely through submission requests of voice acting, writing about a photo, or just simply scrolling through other people's contributions. I just think it's helped me feel at home.

My question is, would HITRECORD be here forever? :) I want my kids to embarrass me oneday! So, like a memory archive 20+ years from now. Please say yes! Thank you for your time.

That’s awesome to hear, thank you. My brother came up w this bit of wordplay, Forever Endeavor. I certainly hope and intend for HITRECORD to last, and we’re going over a decade strong now, so here’s the future!

Yo JGL!! I adore you in all your roles!! And you truly seem like a humble guy.. so what’s the absolute favorite script you’ve had the honor to take on? Hello from El Paso, Tx ❤️

Tony Kushner’s screenplay for Lincoln is/was of another caliber than the vast majority of scripts I’ve read, in my opinion. That literary eloquence is just not how modern minds think anymore, as they did more commonly in the nineteenth century when the printing press was still the dominant form of mass media. But he really captured it. What a pleasure. Can’t wait for Westside Story, primarily because it is the follow up collaboration between Spielberg and Kushner.

What was it like working with Christopher Nolan? Does he have any unique/funny quirks? Thank you again for doing this!

He never sat down while we were shooting. Only during lunch break.

Are you actually teaching the class? Is it live or pre-recorded?

Class Projects are asynchronous, not live, so you can do it on your own schedule, at your own pace. But it’s definitely interactive. I go into the chat thread pretty regularly these days. And since we just launched this, it’s still early, so I’m fairly able to keep up with conversations.

Why did you kill off Dax?

That episode (of Mr. Corman) is a lot about masculinity. The fantasy fight towards the end is about how we romanticize brutality and make it fun. And fight scenes are mad fun! But I wanted to sorta lure the audience into that fun place, ignoring the downsides of that kind of extreme brutal machismo, and then suddenly remind us of the real and sometimes tragic consequences.

Did I see you at the Oswego Airport Phish Concert in 99?

🤘🐠🤘

hey man. what do you do when not working? Do you play video games (if so, which ones?), or play any musical instruments, or play any sports?

cheers man. loved your performance in Looper

Thanks dude! I used to play a lot of Street Fighter II. Especially with my brother, who would usually beat me. Music wise, here’s something he and I used to do for fun — https://hitrecord.org/records/1823653

Would you say if you wanna get into acting should you also take singing lessons? I feel like EVERYONE can sing beautifully!

I hesitate to use the word “should” in any sentence regarding art :o) But if you WANT to sing and act, then you should absolutely do both of those things. Depending on the style of acting, I find there can be a lot of overlap, or almost none at all. The acting class I’m teaching right now is about Naturalism, which isn’t much like singing because the whole point is making the lines sound like just real talking.

I hesitate to use the word “should” in any sentence regarding art :o) But if you WANT to sing and act, then you should absolutely do both of those things. Depending on the style of acting, I find there can be a lot of overlap, or almost none at all. The acting class I’m teaching right now is about Naturalism, which isn’t much like singing because the whole point is making the lines sound like just real talking.

What type of ptsd did the character Hesher suffer from?

Hesher is Death, so…

Thoughts on the new Matrix?

I’m a big fan of not only the first movie, but also Reloaded and even Revolutions. I know, controversial. But I’m unspeakably excited for the next movie, and thus not watching or reading anything about it. Haven’t even watched the trailer. Drove by a billboard the other day and averted my eyes.

Did you know your ice skate from Halloween H20 sold at an auction in 2019?

No. But I like claiming to be the male Drew Barrymore of 90s horror.