Joseph Gordon-Levitt: 5 Reasons Why He Was Awesome Before 2012

3. Tough Stuff

What I admire most about JGL as an actor is his choice of roles; the wide range of parts he plays. JGL is fearless. Take Mysterious Skin, based on the Scott Heim novel, the film depicts the trauma and sexual abuse of two adolescent boys living in the middle of nowhere, USA. JGL€™s character Neil grows up with a skewed perception of sexuality that leads him to move to New York and work as a male prostitute. A harrowing scene in this film has Neil stroking the crusty wounds of an old man with AIDS just before he gets raped and beaten with a baseball bat by a violent customer. A far cry from his dweeb days, that's for sure.
Contributor
Contributor

I am a recent graduate with an MA in Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media. Top 3 films: City of God, 21 Grams, Brick Top 3 televison shows: In Treatment, Project Runway, Parks and Recreation Top 3 books: Mysterious Skin, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Great Gatsby Top 3 facts: I'm Dutch, I love sloths, I can do a cool trick with my shoulders