9 Milestones in the Evolution of Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Brick (2005)

A year later, the actor would receive a groundswell of critical attention for his leading role in Rian Johnson's neo-noir indie. As a suburban high school student who turns hardboiled detective after discovering the body of his girlfriend, Gordon-Levitt received critical praise for making the '30s style gumshoe archetype work in a cool, modern-day high school film. The indie, which won a Special Jury Prize at Sundance, helped reinforce the actor's dramatic credibility and earned a spot on a few Best High School Movies lists.

(500) Days of Summer (2009)

By deconstructing a relationship in Marc Webb's twee comedy (500) Days of Summer, Gordon-Levitt returned to the mainstream arena and earned his first Golden Globe nomination. Critics praised his charming chemistry with co-star Zooey Deschanel, who played the title character Summer and the object of Gordon-Levitt's affection. The attention he received for his role also helped him snag his first guest-hosting gig on Saturday Night Live.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)

In 2009, the actor helped bring the G.I. Joe toy series to life in Paramount's Rise of the Cobra, which with a $175 million budget, is his biggest studio credit yet (until the $250 million Dark Knight Rises is released next year). Gordon-Levitt co-starred in this picture as the villainous Cobra Commander. The actor reportedly agreed to the role after seeing the concept art for his character, an insane, disfigured MARS scientist. He later explained, "I was like, 'I get to be that? You're going to make that [makeup] in real life and stick it on me? Cool. Let me do it.' That's a once-in-lifetime opportunity."

Sparks (2009)

That same year, the actor made his screenwriting and directorial debut with Sparks, a 24-minute video that he had adapted from an Elmore Leonard story. The short stars Carla Gugino and Eric Stoltz and was produced by the Gordon-Levitt's collaborative production company hitRECord. The film was a Sundance selection and preceded another, slightly more popular surrealistic, tongue-twisting short directed by and starring the actor, Morgan M. Morgansen's Date with Destiny (the second video below).

50/50 (2011)

In this weekend's cancer dramedy 50/50, Gordon-Levitt stars as a young man who is given a 50/50 chance at surviving the spinal form of cancer with which he is diagnosed. This project -- based on the real-life struggles of screenwriter Will Reiser -- is the actor's first bromance (with Seth Rogen no less) and the first time that we've seen the actor stricken with a terminal illness, but like in most of his other dramas, he manages to find moments of levity in the dark subject matter. From here, Gordon-Levitt will star as a passionate bike messenger in the thriller Premium Rush, a Gotham City beat cop in The Dark Knight Rises and Robert Todd Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln -- all set to release in 2012.

Pages: 1 2