'Hesher': Joseph Gordon-Levitt Talks Natalie Portman

There's an awkward tension in the air between Joseph Gordon-Levitt's titular nihilist Hesher and Natalie Portman's downtrodden store clerk Nicole, but off the set of their upcoming indie dramedy "Hesher," it's all kind words and good feelings between the two.

Set to release this weekend, Gordon-Levitt and Portman star in the story of an anarchist and checkout clerk who become the best friends of a 13-year old boy mourning for his mother. Portman, in her new pursuit of behind the scenes work, helped to produce the film, one of many reasons why Gordon-Levitt sings her praises in this new interview with PopSugar.

"Natalie is someone I've just admired ever since I saw 'The Professional,'" he admitted. "She's such a great actor, and yeah, she's produced 'Hesher,' it's the first movie her production company has produced, and what a cool thing to do that with. If you're Natalie Portman, you can produce some huge Hollywood money maker, but she chose to do this little movie because she believed in the story and she believed in the filmmaker. It's the kind of movie that wouldn't necessarily get made without a little help from someone like her."

Portman's company, HandsomeCharlie Films, formed recently to give life to women-based comedies and indie films.

Gordon-Levitt, who will soon begin shooting "The Dark Knight Rises," was just cast as Robert Todd Lincoln, eldest son of the 16th President, in Spielberg's upcoming epic biopic "Lincoln."

WATCH:

Comments

[diogenes junior]

12:17 AM on 05/12/2011

I find people who are more interesting than me quite annoying.

[SolarPowerGuy]

03:42 AM on 05/12/2011

Faved for the laugh!

[blssme]

10:46 PM on 05/11/2011

This guy is only going to get hotter

[BIG AL 2]

09:24 PM on 05/11/2011

Natalie Portman is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen.

[Jenna T]

10:25 PM on 05/11/2011

After Mrs. Big Al, of course.
; )

[BIG AL 2]

10:45 PM on 05/11/2011

Of course. How are you Jenna (A.K.A Medusa)?

[MaryJane]

11:06 PM on 05/11/2011

Ya cut me deep Big Al.

[BIG AL 2]

01:27 PM on 05/12/2011

Why? You're just as beautiful, if not a little more.

[Aries Warrior]

08:28 PM on 05/11/2011

Who are these people ?

[Jenna T]

07:18 PM on 05/11/2011

If you haven't seen 'Brick' with Levitt, do yourself a favor and watch it sometime.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0393109/

You can thank me later.

[yesIcan]

10:11 PM on 05/11/2011

Not only does Levitt give a very good performance, but it was filmed right in my neighborhood in San Clemente, CA and I recognized all the landmarks, made the movie double cool for me. :-)

[Jenna T]

10:24 PM on 05/11/2011

That would be very cool !

Great movie, I thought.

We just watched it for the first time this week, completely by accident.
Had never heard of it until a review of it caught my eye.

Don't think it had a huge distribution.

Thanks for your reply !

[copelli21]

07:00 PM on 05/11/2011

If only he hadn't made "Havoc."

I had the misfortune of seeing this ridiculous movie recently and I wanted to reach out and drown him.

Now some may think that the evoking of such emotion is an indicator of a great talent....naw, he was just annoying as f*&k and I hated the movie.

[yesIcan]

10:13 PM on 05/11/2011

Good thing you didn't see "Holy Matrimony." ;-)

[trofimov47]

07:00 PM on 05/11/2011

So, I'm a big fan of this guy, all his work, his attitude, etc. And, yeah, not much of a "dish," really more of a "gush," here, but whatever.

One thing though...the adage about how you "shouldn't work with kids or animals," as I understand it, isn't because they are difficult or unprofessional, but that they are naturally more appealing and natural than adults often tend to be...as in, an animal is not "acting" per se, so is very compelling and real in contrast to human adults performing, and a similar deal with kids, especially the good ones, who are incredibly imaginatively immersed, as kids do (like Portman in "Leon", ironically. 've heard the same deal applies to working with fire: flame's as real as it gets.

Nuthin' personal, Mr. Gordon-Levitt; just keeping it real.

[AthheistInChief]

06:01 PM on 05/11/2011

what was the dish??

[chrisfromky]

05:17 PM on 05/11/2011

"Women based comedies" There is a reason those don't get made....

[SoapboxMcGee]

05:05 PM on 05/11/2011

He's one of my favorite actors. Looking forward to this. I dig his respect of the craft, thoughtful selection of post-3rd Rock roles and how he handles discussing his private life.

[zLala]

05:05 PM on 05/11/2011

I don't know if I'm jealous or what but Natalie Portman's saintlyhood and nabbing of any role out there she wants irritates me.

[Mafdet]

06:58 PM on 05/11/2011

She's just gettin while the gettin is good.  Remember when every movie made featured Tommy Lee Jones.  Then Anthony Hopkins.  Then Kevin Spacey.  Then Samuel L. Jackson.  Her number has come up and she's going for it.  A year or two from now she will be playing younger actresses' older sister, aunt or mother.  If she's lucky, she'll get offered the parts Diane Keaton does now.  I hope she makes a success of her production company, but I imagine she will find out what every other successful production company has:  Men can be anything they want to in movies but women can only play 3 roles:  Sexy leading lady, bitter or homely sidekick to sexy leading lady, and mentally unhinged villain trying to ruin life of sexy leading lady.  Only 2 or 3 women in a generation get to act outside those parameters.

[TannySG]

05:02 PM on 05/11/2011

He has a one-way ticket to being an acting legend. Love all his recent work.

[FoxIslander]

04:43 PM on 05/11/2011

..."dishes" on?....oh i get it...and if they date they will be "stepping out", or if they argue they will be "calling out" and if she gets pregnant she'll have a "baby bump". Sheesh.

[mapleaforever]

04:14 PM on 05/11/2011

Glad to see his career taking off. Loved him in The Lookout.

[thoreau101]

04:10 PM on 05/11/2011

He's yapping so he's selling. The rubes will buy the junk. NP the producer?
What does she do? Cry all day into the mirror?

[AcaciaJules]

05:18 PM on 05/11/2011

Jealous much? She's worked hard and for a long time to get where she is. I bet you weren't working a full time job at 11 years of age.

[thoreau101]

05:36 PM on 05/11/2011

Golly!, I didn't know that. Now that changes everything, except for her amazing lack of talent. Some things are eternal.