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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Dark Knight Rises is set for a summer 2012 release and screen shots are already being circulated throughout the internet.  Nolan returns to direct the blockbuster trilogy with the film set to be the dramatic conclusion to the series in wherein Batman was reintroduced to us through leading man Christian Bale.

The screen shots of the set that is being talked about all over the internet circles around Anne Hathaway, the 28 year old actress who will play the role of Cat Woman.  The costume in which she appears in the shots online does not really remind many of the history of the Femme Fatale.

She appears in a futuristic-looking costume with 3d looking goggles that cover her eyes.  Those who are familiar with the Batman series are crying foul and it remains to be seen what exactly the costume will look like and how Hathaway will play the role.

Anne Hathaway recently spoke saying the pictures do not represent the overall look of the costume and there is more to discover, but fans see it differently.  MTV has called the pictures “underwhelming” but nothing more is known about the movie and the direction it will take.

The worst of it came in a recent poll done by US Magazine in which fans were asked who they considered the sexiest Cat Woman.  The answer was pretty clear and not in favor of the newest leading lady.  Michelle Pfeiffer finished with 52 percent of the vote, the expected favorite Halle Berry earned 37 percent while Hathaway came in last with 11 percent.

11 percent is not a bad starting point considering the movie is still a year away and both of her predecessors are considered icons.  Much will change between then and now but fans are already showing their lack of patience for the role and since little is still known, there is a lot of room for fueled opinions to brew.
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