Joseph Gordon-Levitt Manages To Win Edward Snowden Over To The Idea Of The Upcoming ‘Snowden’ Biopic

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Edward Snowden in the upcoming film Snowden. According to Vanity Fair, a new trailer for the film Snowden debuted during Comic-Con showing Joseph Gordon-Levitt at his finest.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt brings the infamous whistleblower to life in the biopic directed by Oliver Stone. While the previous trailers focused on the chronology of Snowden’s life from his failed stint in the Army to his shift as an N.S.A. contractor, the new trailer amps up the paranoia of Gordon-Levitt’s character’s post-whistleblowing life. There’s also more focus on Snowden’s personal life in the new trailer, centering on his relationship with girlfriend Lindsay Mills, played by Shailene Woodley.

ThePlaylist: See Joseph Gordon-Levitt And Shailene Woodley In New Trailer For Oliver Stone’s ‘Snowden’ … pic.twitter.com/ImlK49CZ7f

— José Arrieta (@Atzerriratu) July 26, 2016

Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s new film premiered during Comic-Con. Afterward, the cast and director were joined by Edward Snowden himself via video, according to the Telegraph.

Edward Snowden at Comic-Con: ‘I live a surprisingly free life’ – https://t.co/ZaVbIdxqTy #Film pic.twitter.com/5NlOQSp0NT

— Film Hour (@filmhour) July 24, 2016

Edward Snowden shot to international attention in 2013 after leaking classified documents that revealed the extent of the United States government’s surveillance programs. When Snowden was first asked what he thought about Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s impersonation of him, he was initially non-committal and called the experience of being a film subject both crazy and surreal. He eventually warmed up to the actor portraying him on the big screen. While not everything can be perfect, Joseph Gordon-Levitt can take heart from the fact that at least one aspect of his performance is spot on.

Edward Snowden spoke on Joseph Gordon-Levitt portraying him on the big screen.

“I don’t think anyone looks forward to having a movie made about themselves, especially someone who’s a privacy activist. But what I can say is some of my family members say, ‘He [Gordon-Levitt] sounds just like you’. If he can pass the family test, he’s doing all right.”

During the panel, Snowden also admitted that, while he was not exactly thrilled by the idea of having his story turned into a film, he was at least satisfied that the film was in the hands of one of Hollywood’s most fiercely individual directors, and he was being portrayed by an actor as talented as Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

In fact, the interpretation of Snowden’s voice as performed by Gordon-Levitt was a recurring conversation topic on the internet, according to Yahoo! Movies.

Some of the online publications have said that his voice was excellent, while some said that it was bordering on ridiculous. Joseph Gordon-Levitt notes that nothing surprises him anymore when it comes to the way people respond to things on the internet. In the end, the way he portrayed Snowden’s voice was a bold choice by Joseph Gordon-Levitt that paid off in the larger context of the movie. He gives a committed, steadily captivating performance in Snowden, which screened at Comic-Con and could very likely put Gordon-Levitt in the awards discussion this fall.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt spoke on his research for the role of Edward Snowden, saying that one of his most helpful research methods was simply to listen to Snowden as much as he could.

“I just listened to him a lot. You can find a lot of interviews and talks that he did. And there’s a great documentary, CitizenFour, which was really incredible. And I ripped a lot of audio and put it on my phone, put on the headphones and just listened.”

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has gone as far as to say that Edward Snowden is a patriot. According to Sports Rageous, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the rest of the cast hold Edward Snowden in very high regard.

The 10 Things I Hate About You actor noted that privacy is promised in the Constitution, and if there is even the possibility that the government will seek to make amendments to this rule anytime soon, the government should be open to explaining themselves. Snowden was previously asked if he saw himself as a whistleblower, a traitor, a patriot, or a hero, he simply responded saying that he is an American. Joseph Gordon-Levitt describes him as an old-fashioned gentleman, and he praised Snowden for his optimism.

[Photos by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP | Richard Shotwell/Invision for Open Road/AP Images]