Joseph Gordon-Levitt Goes Method, Gets Bloody in Bike Flick

Via Gordon-Levitt's Tumblr

Angels in the Outfield star Joseph Gordon-Levitt is in town filming a bike messenger movie called Premium Rush. (Why anyone would try to add to the genre after Quicksilver is beyond us.) While shooting over the weekend, the sinewy young thespian immersed himself in the role so completely that he crashed into the back of a taxi, shattering the rear window and bloodying his arm. As Laurence Olivier once (supposedly) remarked to Dustin Hoffman, "Why don't you just try acting?"

Check out a short video of Gordon-Levitt acting macho and reveling in the injury, which he says was his fault for "going too fast." Premium Rush concerns a bike messenger who picks up a package at Columbia University and subsequently catches the attention of a dirty cop, which is being played by awesome actor Michael Shannon, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his turn in Revolutionary Road. All the movie needs now is a Kevin Bacon cameo, more viral marketing like this, and we're there.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on August 3, 2010 3:54 PM

Comments [rss]

pastoralia

I will watch Michael Shannon in anything.

Manitoba

I swear I saw this movie in 1987; I think it involved the KGB.

Spirit of 76

Crashed through the backlight of a car? He's lucky he's just an actor. Davis Phinney crashed through a backlight back in '88. As a world-class racer, he had far more power and speed, making the aftermath a gruesome, bloody mess. It took 130 stitches to sew up his face.

Guest

I was half expecting Russell Brand to fall down stinking drunk yesterday in front of Grand Central as he reprises the role of Arthur, but alas, he did not.

Patrick Bateman

If we are lucky this will do for bike riding what GLEAMING THE CUBE did for skateboarding. Take it to the Next Level! I still wake up sometimes from the adrenaline rush of the last scene where Christian Slater takes his solid steel board and ollies on top of those mobster faces. Either that or this will become Street Hawk for fixies.

realist

Or Iron Will for dogsleds.

chuzzlewit

or Porky's for sex.

jibbly

Or R.A.D. for BMX bikes.

mfib

Dude. Spoilers.

dr zippy

That's no supposed on Olivier's instruction to Hoffman. I remember Olivier saying that in a 60 Minutes profile. He was talking about how Hoffman forced himself to stay awake for days on end so he would appear frazzled in the dentist scene in Marathon Man.