Known for major roles in films like "Inception" and "The Dark Knight Rises," Joseph Gordon-Levitt has also played an active role in liberal causes. He produced his own documentary about the Occupy movement and has been a vocal supporter of Internet freedoms.
So in many ways, it was a no-brainer for the 34-year-old to be cast in Oliver Stone’s upcoming feature about Edward Snowden. For research, the actor travelled to Moscow to meet with the source, a trip that his lawyers didn’t even want to him talk about.
"I left knowing without a doubt that what [Snowden] did, he did because he believed it was the right thing to do, that he believed it would help the country he loves," Gordon-Levitt told the Guardian, speaking about the visit for the first time.
"I don’t want to be the actor guy who’s like, 'You should listen to me! What he did was right!' I don’t think that’s my place.
"Even though that is what I believe – that what he did was right."
He also saw similarities between Snowden and Philippe Petit, the World Trade Center funambulist who Gordon-Levitt also plays in the upcoming "The Walk."
"What I found was someone warm, kind, thoughtful: a lot like Philippe," he said. "Both of them are incredibly driven towards something they believe in."
A former contractor with the US National Security Agency, Edward Snowden garnered worldwide attention when he exposed the extent of the US government’s domestic spying apparatus in 2013. Facing up to 30 years in a US prison, he is currently living in exile in Russia, where he has been granted a three-year residency permit.
"I have been consistent in saying that the only thing I want from the government in order to come back and stand trial is guarantees of a fair trial," Snowden told Al Jazeera earlier this month.
Gordon-Levitt’s film, "Snowden," comes to theaters on December 25.
