"Snowden" actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt explained how he prepared for the role of Edward Snowden in an interview.
To get in character, Gordon-Levitt flew to Russia with "Snowden" director Oliver Stone. The actor likewise said that he read everything he could about Snowden to prepare for the production of the film, Screen Rant reported.
Levitt revealed that he had his work cut out for him because Snowden is someone who deflects attention to the issue he brings. Obviously as an actor, he had to capture Snowden's idiosyncrasies to nail the part.
"That's the other side of playing someone that is still alive, that they are going to see the movie," he said.
He went to say that he was relieved to hear the positive reaction from Snowden himself who praised his performance. At first, he admitted that he had to combat the pressure of bringing the renowned computer CIA operative to big screens.
"He told me that members of his family were calling because they had seen the trailer and they were telling him that I sounded like him," That was the ultimate victory as far as I was concerned!"
Stone for his part said that at first he did not want to make the film but felt the urge to make it the more he resisted it, Wired reported. The director admitted that Snowden embodied traits and themes that he is attracted to as a film maker.
"It doesn't lend itself to cinematic glory; it's a live situation that is always changing. But the more I thought about it, I knew I had to do it. I could not walk away," he said.
"Snowden" opens in theaters on Sept.16, 2016.
