What the Heck Happened to Joseph Gordon-Levitt?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt dominated the early 2010s with hit after hit. Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Looper, Lincoln, the list goes on. So why did we stop hearing much about him in the latter half of the decade?
In this video we go through Joseph's rise to fame, what caused him to lose a bit of it, and what he's doing now.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:49 - Early Career
02:15 - Peak
03:21 - Bad Run of Movies
04:58 - Family and HitRecord
06:58 - The Return
09:12 - Future Projects
10 Things I Hate About You. 500 Days Of Summer. Looper. 50 / 50. Inception. The Dark Knight Rises. Spielberg's Lincoln. The Trial of the Chicago 7. Mysterious Skin. Don Jon. Snowden. Project Power. Brick. The Walk. The Night Before. Premium Rush. 7500. Hesher. Manic. The Lookout.
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Twitter: / realfilmstack
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#josephgordonlevitt #whathappenedto #filmactor

[@joeyclemenza7339]

I love how this all had a happy ending. no scandal, no arrest, no SA allegations... just a man choosing to pivot his career into another venture, and choosing his personal life and role as a father over wild popularity. That's really admirable. JGL is a good man, and has earned that success and happiness.

[@wicked_deftlady]

Love your Converge profile! 🖤

[@DeadByNightlight]

Nice just clicked on the video for the first time and I see this comment

[@kingkazuma2239]

Naw he's stuck watching porn on his laptop

[@billybob4159]

@@kingkazuma2239 lol

[@mitchhamilton64]

saved me watching a video. i quit when he talked about his father

[@BurritoKingdom]

He took a hiatus when his kids were born at the height of his popularity. Which is admirable. He wanted to be a good father

[@jarsky]

Yup, and he also moved his family down to Wellington, New Zealand while he was working with Weta and took some personal time with his son attending school down here

[@vperkv6554]

You can't get tht back with a child, Ever.

[@Officialmartymars]

​@@vperkv6554 you can have another kid though

[@Scipio488]

@@Officialmartymars Yes. Fortunately all children are interchangeable units rather than unique individuals; if you miss one train you can just take the next.

[@america1st721]

he took a hiatus because nobody would hire him.

[@universalsoulhealing]

So basically he’s been really busy and is doing great.

[@fawasashraf]

yeah.. What the Heck Happened to Joseph Gordon-Levitt? Nothing.

[@MrLeeSensei]

@@fawasashraf exactly!

[@JohnZyski]

This is usually the answer to these videos.

[@Korgano]

He had such an effortless coolness in Inception. My favorite character in the movie.

[@breakfastonuranus]

Finally someone said

[@esoterika7774]

That movie was a total rip off and people like you are what's wrong with the world.

[@l_l_l.69.l_l_l]

Totally agree

[@arthurshat7793]

Definitely agree. It made me want to know more about Arthur’s backstory.

[@mknees1467]

I think he's underrated for sure. I've been a fan for years and if you watch, truly watch some of his work you get to fully appreciate the sheer talent the dude has. I'll give you one example: Mysterious Skin (one of the most painful movies I've ever watched). His role on that early film of his proves that he truly is an excellent actor and has been for a while.

[@Jprager]

I still maintain that movie is the best performance of his career no doubt. Also that it is very difficult to revisit given the subject matter. It seems that just like Keanu Reeves, neither are really known for their drama performances but those are undoubtedly some of their best

[@bootleg3826]

Please tell me you’ve seen Brick or Manic. They’re probably some of my favorite movies

[@mknees1467]

@@bootleg3826 I have! Those two films are indie perfection to be honest.

[@ironspaghett]

His eyebrows have more talent than quite a few actors

[@OzymandiasWasRight]

He's incredible in Mysterious Skin, but that is a tough TOUGH watch. Certain parts of that movie I cannot watch. Brick is all the way through great tho.

[@IamthNight]

He's always been a star in the smaller indie films. Mysterious skin still haunts me to this day.

[@koteshima6682]

He isn't choosing/creating projects that are popular, he's just marching to the beat of his own drum and has put his family firs before his career/popularity. He is inspiring.

[@jimbobbby]

I've always had a soft spot for him. Good to hear he's doing well.

[@tangerinesarebetterthanora7060]

He's entering a new stage in his career. He used to play the young adult trying to figure out life well 10 years ago. It's not that he isn't versatile, but he may find difficulty moving past that image in producers minds.

[@dunsmoregaines4239]

? Have you seen him in the ‘Dark Knight Rises?’

[@coreymcmanus4749]

Premium rush was a very underrated movie if you ask me. He has been one of my favorite actors for a long time.

[@S0ulEaTeR1012]

Good movie

[@The..Butterfly..Effect]

One of the best bike movies

[@stuffandnonsense8528]

I have always just thought he's a well respected actor who choses what he does based on his own preferences rather than any other perceptions.

[@retro9173]

He's super talented, he tends to adds depth to many of the characters he portrays and brings to life on screen. That 2010's Hesher movie was so memorably underrated imo ..

[@kaylah5172]

he’s such an underrated actor, liek his performances in mysterious skin, inception, 500 days of summer, etc were amazing and yet most people don’t know him by name

[@robofistsrevenge3288]

50/50 was a standout flick for him, so it was wild to learn that his casting was a crazy coincidence. The screenwriters originally cast James McAvoy, but at the last second had to pull out due to VERY sudden scheduling conflicts. The movie needed someone asap, so they called up JGL, sent him the script, he accepted, and literally the next day (I'm pretty sure) he's on set, doing the first take of the entire production, which was shaving his head. Crazy commitment, love this guy.

[@Shaunholton]

He probably figured out that being a working creative doesn’t always require ‘attention’. And good for him!

[@OzymandiasWasRight]

Hes still my favorite actor. The fact he takes roles he wants instead of ones he thinks he needs is likely where his talent comes from. Im just glad he didnt show up in a MCU movie or something.

[@xDreadheadx]

LOVED Hesher. So chaotic and surreal . One of the few movies that can make me cry.

[@mhawang8204]

He has spoken about how he was a music/film snob when he got on 3rd Rock From the Sun. I think he never lost that, by which I mean he doesn’t care that much about Hollywood success beside what projects he can pick to do. I believe he’s much happier working on HitRecord, a passion project started with his late brother, rather than being Ant-Man. It all worked out for him.

[@PrincessKLS]

But he’s not even working on hitRECord anymore. I miss how the site and community was like.

[@daniellau5859]

Its mind boggling how excellent of an actor he is and yet keeps acting in films that flop. Obviously no way to tell if a films gonna flop but its crazy that it keeps happening to him

[@jgalvan09]

he just needs a better agent who fights for better roles for him or he has to also choose better roles, it's tough but as long as he is happy with the projects he acts in and is happy that's what matters

[@MonaeJohnson]

It's good to know not that many of his movies flopped as this video suggest. They nearly made over the original budget and anything over 50% on Rotten Tomatoes isn't bad either. To me it just seems like he took a break for his family and chooses what roles he'd rather do. He's literally done so many great movies and shows that he can retire knowing he's done better than most actors in Hollywood. That's impressive.

[@charaznable2791]

The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long... This dude has had a steady career and still has opportunities, nothing happened to him, he's fine.

[@retro9173]

Exactly, which I don't get the "what the heck .." title .. 🤔🤨

[@FilmStack]

We hinted at some upcoming videos in the call to action. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on them! What other actors or actresses do you want to see us make a video on?

[@valentina47734]

He became a father and enjoying family life. He will be back. He probably never left. What a cutie.

[@AndrewCortesi]

I’ve been watching JGL since Angels in the Outfield (as a kid) and love his work. Great actor always. I kind of think JGL has such a baby face, even at an older age, that it can be a challenge to cast him in more serious roles. I was surprised to see him in Inception because while he was great, I struggled with the believability of his character as an experienced dream extractor next to Leo and other “adults”. However films like 500 days of summer fit him perfectly. As did Snowden, 50/50, Super Pumped, etc etc. Looper required way too much makeup. Is it weird to think he may just be in a state of limbo until he looks “older”? I also really like actors these days that have not ventured into the main-stream Marvel or Star Wars franchise. Because when you go to see them in a new film you expect to see something different and unique. And Marvel has gone downhill anyway since End Game.

[@Dabbztv]

ur videos are really good man. great voice-overs

[@MichaelKeelphotography]

I just shot a wedding a few weeks ago where he was a guest, his wife Tasha with him etc. He was very low key, humble, funny, down to earth, and he was engaged, truly interested in what you have to say. I respected him before meeting him, and respect him even more now. He takes roles that interest him, he's involved in a ton of things that help others. He's truly into the arts. He is definitely NOT Hollywood. He's an artist, a guy who truly loves working, and perfecting his craft. He's just this regular guy like most of us. You just wanna love what you do, excel, support your family, and be happy. All the other shite, like Hollywood.... He just isn't that.

[@hd9ek]

I stumbled across this and I love the humor of it, the perfect images to match your statement. Very original! I just subscribed to your channel

[@covagotnext8337]

Great video man! 👏

[@alessandrajackson3768]

He chose his family and probably a much healthier life for himself and the people he cares about! He is really admirable.

[@alessandrajackson3768]

His directorial Don Jon (what he also stared in) really changed my life!

[@johnpresnell]

Excellent, I’m glad you covered this! As an actor he’s got an interesting quality, and I hope he’s around for good.

[@nathandc2669]

I subscribed, great video mate

[@Taylor_Lindise]

I love Hit Record, and glad you covered it~

[@Robert-pm1bb]

Premium rush was such a good movie honestly

[@SIMPLIFIEDFILMING]

Great video man

[@FilmStack]

Thank you!!! ☺️

[@ankkaah1809]

Ay just found your channel because of this vid and I cant understand how you havent got more attention. Bro this was very well done and an amazing video. Thanks for all the facts and details, it was so interesting. I love Joseph so much as an actor and I hope to see him more in future films. Keep up the amazing work!!!

[@FilmStack]

Thanks for the comment, it means a lot! Yeah he is a great actor, really excited to see what he’ll do in the future

[@Faceplay2]

Because his just ripping of the much bigger show WTF happened to said person. The WTF series has been going on for like nine years.

[@alimfuzzy]

JGL was the bane of my existence during highschool because people said I looked exactly like him.... unfortunately it was his 3rd rock days and not the movie days.

[@jona3180]

I was asking myself this last week and saw this video pop up. He was in a string of kickass movies from 2011 - 2015

[@y3ee3e]

I really enjoyed premium rush. worth checking out..underrated film

[@JustBob-sw4rf]

I hate cleverly misleading clickbait titles. “What the heck happened…” Ahh, nothing. He’s having a typical actor’s career. Actually much better than typical because it sounds like he can find work any time he wants. Which isn’t typical.

[@DankTheGank]

Angles in the Outfield and The Sandlot were my 2 favorite baseball movies as a kid.

[@alexrush4140]

Brick is one my favorite films. So well done

[@VideoHeadMan]

It seemed really weird that she kind of fell off in Hollywood. I remember a skit with Tom Hanks on the original Colbert Report, he complained about the pressure of being a giant movie star, and specifically said Joseph Gordon Levitt is nipping at his heels for competition. I thought he was going to become the next Tom Hanks but he slowly started showing up less and less in things. Kind of like Josh Harnet. I hate when Hollywood tries to make new leading man, and put some in a bunch of projects that are not suited for them like Colin Farrell and his early career but Joseph Gordon Levitt seem to have been making his own decisions and really guiding his career himself. It was very strange for him to just stop being a big deal.

[@johnayalachef]

He’s a good actor and gives to the community, his platform @Rec great showcases for creativities. I think he’s a character actor. He can’t open a film, it’s a business. Good bloke. ❤ I forgot about his brothers passing.

[@brothaclutch984]

Brick is probably one of my all time favorite movies. I love the bleakness and mystery of it all

[@goodoldfella6291]

Thanks for making the Don-Jon, Joseph

[@ryanashley1loong580]

I didn't know how aacomplished he is off screen. Good job JGL.

[@branleyhd]

Hell always be the kid from 3rd rock from the sun! He’s a tv actor

[@frankd9945]

He's the kid from Angels in the outfield. Kind of funny. He's been around forever. I feel like his career is peaks and valleys and he'll resurface again

[@xjaredx11]

His movie 50/50 really helped me during a rough time in my life. Always liked him as an actor since seeing angels in the outfield as a kid. I didn't know he was in treasure planet I've always loved that movie.

[@hajirizayev7374]

I love him in "Loop". That guy is talented.

[@kojiyaw]

500 Days of Summer was amazing but Premium Rush was my true favorite JGL film because watching movies was me and my best friends hobbies back then and I remember being amazed as how he was a really good biker in the movie

[@anth636]

nice vid

[@FilmStack]

Thank you!

[@AllenNegreteFilms]

not even intentionally, I have seen probably 70-80% of the movies talked about in this video. Almost all of his latest stuff except Corman. My subconscious says the man still has as much appeal as anyone.

[@josephfriedrich9792]

I still, to this day, im convinced joseph and heath are related.

[@bitwise4996]

Premium rush is genius. It really takes on a tour around New York. No other movies gives the same bird's-eye view of the city.

[@MrMuir333]

Hope he is well!!! He’s truly an amazing guy!!! Best wishes to him!!!

[@Seantherightway06]

The Angels in the Outfield slander was unnecessary. May be biased though because loved that movie as a kid. He’s always been one of my favorite actors!

[@Samahra01]

I realize youre not knocking him and your content is well done:) I have to say I resent these kind of titles because it promotes visibility, fame, and celebrity as a barometer for success.

[@cafesociety8525]

In the business of show I'd say it is.

[@PirataEscondido]

angels in the outfield is a classic. redact that immediately

[@SparkzMxzXZ]

i absolutely enjoyed premium rush, great watch in cinemas

[@2beJT]

We want to see him do something like a Bond role.

[@Asidders]

I feel like he should have been in Tenet somehow. 🤔

[@finfog4590]

Robert Patterson’s role? He’d be playing his Inception guy again.

[@sia7051]

I think things also started to slow down once Dan died. Joseph wanted to focus on things that really mattered to him such as family and projects he was passionate about. As HitRecord was something he and Dan created together, he put a lot of effort into keeping this going to honour his brother’s memory.

[@MCharlerySmith]

Hes so diverse and multi-talented that he'll probably reemerge at some point with the ability to channel all his skills into completely unique roles and artistic endeavours which will bring widespread acclaim.

[@kendalldavis6082]

My favorite performance from him is definitely 50/50. He should’ve gotten an Oscar nomination from that role.

[@roberthernandez3902]

I havet heard of 1 of those good movies , got something to watch now

[@CoNtAiNeR93]

He is specific...he doesnt just do every movie or series he gets offerd...i just saw him in the series poker face...didnt let me down at all..actually made me think his bad in reality cause of his acting...

[@Suedetussy]

I never thought thathe didn’t get roles anymore. He seems like a humble, down-to-earth person, who wants to focus on family or other things in life than career. (It‘s what i‘d do, if i had lots of money.)

[@angelthman1659]

One of the best actors around. Hope he rebounds.

[@travis_redfern6771]

Dude could’ve easily been nominated in his teen years for Oscar in Mysterious Skin, or even Manic tho it was that documentary style filmmaking for that one. Where realistic acting was expected from the whole cast. But it’s 50/50 that’s one of my all time favorite movies and has an absolutely heartbreaking performance especially in the car scene😢

[@9usuck0]

3rd rock from the sun was when I was introduced to him, and I have liked him ever since.

[@lilbitz17]

Just watched him in episode 9 of Poker Face. Really happy to him on screen again

[@gregwx]

Very talented actor, writer and producer; loved Mr Cornman.

[@joshxip]

I loled at the A+ from Chris Stuckman

[@Anw4rr10r]

You and me both buddy 🤣

[@deiradinn]

Nothing happened but the normal path of life, he's been active, successful and trying different things.

[@Coldoroki]

I don't really get the question, the guy has been in Hollywood since he was a child... he was a good child actor, teenage actor, adult actor, he's still in stuff all the time, he's consistently gotten work his entire life, and has always been a great actor

[@holladaycubed]

Woah. Angels in the outfield is a classic

[@brennanshetler977]

Brick changed my life and I never would’ve watched it without him as the star

[@aubreytherapper5258]

What happened to JGL ? Absolutely nothing, his doing his thing

[@giodhuha6771]

He never takes a step back. I still follow his social media accounts where he's still very active on those.

[@The482075]

What happened to Joseph Gordon Levitt? Turns out he's doing just fine. I'm happy for him. Also keep up the Hit Record.

[@nekaylasmith311]

He liked my tweet on twitter before. I should share my screenplay with him. Life is happy.

[@salonikullar3627]

Such an underrated actor istg

[@enriqueshawty5595]

You should do one about Justin Long

[@Erlisch1337]

wth....I'd honestly forgotten he existed until I saw this video pop up in my reommendations

[@573f]

man i looove this guys acting so much. yeah not all the movies are good but some are very good. weird to see how many of these dont hit the good bucks..

[@meluckycharms111]

Omg I really really want to see a Joseph Gordon Levitt/Channing Tatum musical. Fingers crossed on that one

[@juliannehannes11]

Guys and Dolls

[@corndog7813]

I cant believe we have a video about JGL and it didnt feature 500 days of summer nor that 70's show.

[@brutusvonmanhammer]

Always kept the tiniest flame alive that he'd get a Robin spinoff Ahh well. We'll always have his DKR performance 👌

[@invertedcrown]

manic, mysterious skin & brick made JGL my favorite actor of that early to mid 2000s era... it seemed that he was trying to take on edgy & heavy dramatic roles that were especially challenging (particularly his mega intense role in mysterious skin, which is still his masterpiece imo)... then he started going for the lame blockbuster types of movies that i could care less about.. this seems to be a common pattern with many young talented actors, they make these artsy & awesome movies early in their career, then they get popular and go after the big budget movies (where the money's at)..... he'll still always be a legend for those early movies though...

[@kevinmorley4924]

What happened to him? How much does a man have to achieve in this life for him not to have a "what happened to him" video made on his career which is truly electric.The work he has done is incredible. Do a video on this. He's an incredible talent.

[@FilmStack]

That’s what the video is about. An overview of his career and how he’s still doing some cool things right now!

[@robwood1987]

I think one of his issues is that he’s JGL in everything he’s in. When he plays a role, you aren’t seeing what that character is like so much as you are seeing what if JGL was like this character. A lot of times it works because he’s a really likable guy but it hurts his versatility. Additionally I think his youthfulness limits him a bit. He looks and sounds rather young but he’s not young anymore. He can’t play early 20’s anymore but he’s still a bit youthful to effectively play age appropriate leading roles.

[@itsarnoldbruh]

Angels in the outfield was one of my favorite movies growing up

[@Mirtguitar]

That guy is one of my favorites and always will be.

[@Proper.Posture]

still one of my proudest monuments is having a credit in the first episode of HitRECord on TV...

[@juantelle1]

Super pumped is one of the best shows ive ever seen what are you talking about

[@rhysknight8681]

So basically he's a creative genius who carved his own path rather than playing it safe. Awesome. Got a lot of respect for him

[@brandonslemoine]

I am so genuinely in love with him

[@D00M3R_MAVS]

I know him from 3rd rock, but he was also in that film "brick" which was great IMO.

[@1badjesus401]

THE SANDMAN film (PRIOR to Netflix) took a lot of his time, energy and creativity.. he was to co-write, direct and act as Morpheus. When that didn't happen it'd be easy to understand his outlook on industry/career changes lil bit. Jason's the kind of actor no matter what he's in you can't help but like the dude.. similar to Ben Foster, Sam Rockwell, Scott Glenn.. he more than held his own in INCEPTION and in most cases stole the scene. He's doing what he should like those guys do.. smaller parts in GOOD FILMS with occasional bigger budgets to pay kids college and mortgage. THANKS for this video👍

[@t.b.5115]

Been acting since he was a kid, decided to take a break after 30 years in the film industry. Good on him.

[@xTheToolx]

Hesher is one of my all time favorites.