There are times when it is difficult to follow the career of an actor: the busier he gets, the more there is to watch. It is becoming increasingly expensive to keep up with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as his CV continues to grow. He has been acting a long time–twenty-five of his thirty years–in which time he has established a history of memorable roles in memorable films and received over a dozen nominations and awards. He is starring in ‘50/50,’ out now, and will appear in at least five releases next year.

Mr. Gordon-Levitt impressed a lot of people, even as a toddler, but real fame knocked with his TV role as Tommy Solomon in ‘3rd Rock from the Sun’ (1996-2001). He held his own with such stars as John Lithgow, even though he was only 15 in the first series. After that, most of his roles were in film, and he has made a surprising number of good decisions in the roles he has chosen.

He became an indie-film prince, exercising his acting muscles in a variety of roles: as a homosexual hustler in ‘Mysterious Skin’ (2004), a leading man in the arguably-romantic comedy ‘(500) Days of Summer’ (2009), a megalomaniacal baddie in ‘G.I. Joe’ (2009), and an action-star in ‘Inception’ (2010). ‘50/50’ sees him as a young man battling his odds with cancer.

What sets Mr. Gordon-Levitt apart is the number of arrows in his quiver. His acting is solid, he nails comedy, the drama is compelling, and he can convey the message in an expression or through his delivery. He can also sing, dance, direct and write. He established a web-site to collaborate on projects with other artists called www.hitRECord.org.

His rendition of ‘Make ‘Em Laugh’ on Saturday Night Live (2009), complete with gymnastics, surpasses most performances by a host in that long series. He did most of his own stunts in ‘Inception’s’ complicated fight-scenes.

There have been comparisons to Heath Ledger; they even starred as brothers in ’10 Things I Hate About You.’ He has the intensity and the range. He will be in the follow-up ‘Batman,’ though not replacing Mr. Ledger. Next year alone, he will be working with Spielberg, Tarantino and Nolan. This is impressive company, certainly.

Mr. Gordon-Levitt is accomplished, adored and amiable. He can be serious and he can laugh. He jokes, takes the lead and defers. He is generous with praise, and modest. He is polite. He could be the “nice young man” of whom parents would approve for their daughters; he has a depth of which the daughters would approve for themselves.

He sparred with Zooey Deschanel in ‘(500) Days of Summer,’ and stole the film from the “it-girl.” His dance routine elevates the film above most romantic fare. One begins to wonder if there is anything Joseph Gordon-Levitt cannot master. It is a relief and a pleasure to learn that there is an actor with real depth for two generations.

He is a ladies’ man and a man’s man, with great range and many facets. There will be many more opportunities to see his work, next year and beyond.

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John Lithgow has released a memoir titled “Drama: An Actor’s Education” that was well reviewed in Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe & Mail. According to Johanna Schneller’s review and interview, he is a natural raconteur in print and in person.

In a market where many celebrities are encouraged to write an autobiography, it is heartening to see that at least one has a story to tell, and has a talent for telling it. It is easy to list some of the memorable characters he has portrayed, and to mention the awards he has won, but talents should be recognized in their other forms.

There are many, many actors out there, even without considering the film industries beyond Hollywood. They must work hard at reminding people who they are, as it is their popularity that helps keep them employed. Some are fortunate enough to work consistently; for some, it is luck, for others, it is talent.

With all the names to remember, it is not easy to follow any one’s career consistently, nor should anyone need to; however, it is often pleasant to stumble upon a reference of an actor doing something distinct, out of his expected context. There is something intriguing in seeing such people as ‘one of us,’ as a normal person, as himself.

Even in interviews, we might doubt the authenticity of character that is presented. In such cases, when we meet an actor or similar celebrity, it seems important that he or she turn out to be the nice person we had hoped, or, in other cases, shock and disappointment because he or she is not the person we had projected. People are people, even if they are actors.

John Lithgow is firmly rooted among the nice people. Audiences are happy if actors can act; we are impressed when they can sing or dance; it is unusual if they can play an instrument as well. Mr. Lithgow can do these, and write –all very well. Moreover, he is as charming and personable as we had hoped.

He plays arrogance convincingly on stage or screen, but he does not wear it well in person. There are a few roles that help define an actor’s range, and these are what tend to stay with the various audiences. In particular, some will be familiar with his many children’s books, and with his children’s albums; another audience will know his work on stage, Broadway or Royal Shakespeare Company–he was a stupendous Malvolio in Twelfth Night–most will know him from his considerable work in TV and film.

This man can act, as many know: from a trans-gender role in “The World According to Garp,” through multiple-personalities in “Raising Cain,” to bad men, opposite Sylvester Stallone in “Cliffhanger,” and in “Dexter,” or comedy roles in such films as “Shrek,” or “3rd Rock from the Sun,” he can be gentle or completely manic.

It is all the more impressive that John Lithgow can not only act but sing, play the guitar and write. Often, many wince when celebrities try to branch out into ‘the other industry.’ Some actors cannot sing, though they try; some singers cannot act, though they must.

There was a day when “actors” were genuinely multi-talented: actors such as Dick Van Dyke, Julie Andrews, Danny Kaye and Mary Tyler Moore could sing and dance as well as act; some also played instruments. John Lithgow, is a truly compelling, versatile and pleasant man at the top of his game with no sign of slowing down.

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