Joe Gordon-Levitt On Playing Cobra Commander

Joe Gordon-Levitt On Playing Cobra Commander

Firstshowing.net has an excerpt from an interview Levitt did with NY Mag..

By MarkCassidy - Jun 26, 2009 07:06 AM EST
Filed Under: G.I. Joe
Source: firstshowing.net

There have been a few trailer and tv spots already for "GI Joe", but Gordon-Levitt has been noticeably absent from all of the footage so far, and there's an obvious reason for that. As hardcore G.I. Joe fans know, Cobra Commander wears an ominous hood because his face is disfigured. Fans have been waiting and wondering if we'll ever even get to see this "face" at all, but Gordon-Levitt promises we will.

"Yeah. My face is in it. There's this crazy kind of getup that I wear. It's got makeup and it's got all this other stuff, and it's a mask, basically. You can hardly tell it's me. And that, to me, is the best. That's why I love Daniel Day-Lewis or Gary Oldman. Actors like that, where they're so different as each character, the actor disappears. Doing G.I. Joe made it real easy to disappear because of all the elaborate stuff on my face. And it demands a totally different kind of acting style. You sort of check your realism at the door."

"I was thinking of Slava's Snowshow the whole time [Gordon-Levitt is a producer for the avant-garde Russian clown show]. In Snowshow, they put on makeup; it's old-fashioned makeup, totally different, of course, than what we did in G.I. Joe, but they put stuff on their face to create a character. Now, the guy who put stuff on my face, Kazuhiro Tsuji is his name, the protégé of Rick Baker — he's an artist, man! He's such an admirable artist, and to watch him do this work and have it be all on my face, it's just so fun. And then I get to play with that and create a performance out of that, instead of my own face. It's so much fun for someone like me who gets off on different acting styles, playing with the craft. That's what G.I. Joe is about for me."

A few posters have shown a character that some believe to be Cobra Commander, others a character called The Doctor. But i think we all remember the toy that was released of Cobra Commander! If that is the face Levitt is talking about, i can see there being some very disappointed "Joe" fans when the movie comes out.

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BigGrunks
BigGrunks - 6/26/2009, 7:57 AM
I'm just curious as to why someone who looks like they're 11 years old is playing Cobra Commander. Odd...
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 6/26/2009, 8:51 AM
Man, this is lookin' like the WOLVIE movie looking at that Action figure lol! ; D
longbowhunter
longbowhunter - 6/26/2009, 9:04 AM
That doesnt look like Cobra Commander. He looks like a B movie monster.
Shaman
Shaman - 6/26/2009, 9:10 AM
Now that's a bent gimp!!!
vonstallin
vonstallin - 6/26/2009, 9:11 AM
I will say that my biggest disapointment is the look of Cobra Commander. (if that is him).

Im not going to go by the toy 100% because if you look at the Movie toy line, they have newly made characters on both sides thats not even in the movie. Vehicles thats not in the movie also.

So this might be a (pre-movie) relseas CC that you can play with all the other characters thats out. We have seen eveyone in the trailers but Cobra Commander and the Doctor.

I honestly think that the fire that burns the Doctors/Cobra Commanders face forces him to wear that suit and its just a temporary thing to help him heal.

I bet at the very end we see him don the hood (even though they said he wont) or see the classic style helmet and chrome face plate.

Cobra Commander did wear an accelerator suit (battle Armor) back in 1987....

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg252/cdrydie/GI%20Joe/25th%20Aniversary/BattleArmorCobraCommander.jpg


Everything on Cobra Commander.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_commander

superdog
superdog - 6/26/2009, 9:14 AM
there are lots of big dissapointments with this movie, cobra commander being one of the biggest. maybe they can do one of those public service announcements at the end of the movie...hye kids, if you wanna play cobra commander just burn some acid on your face, get a crappy see through mask, and a big plastic snake.....now we know and knowing is....well you get the point
Talontd
Talontd - 6/26/2009, 10:33 AM
It's so annoying to hear people say "Cobra Commander" is one of the biggest disapointments of the film when..........THE MOVIE ISN'T OUT YET!!!

You haven't seen him, I haven't seen him.....yet people still find something to piss and moan about! Wah wah wah, cry me a river!


Gordon-Levitt is one of, if not the most, talented actors of his generation! I'm just happy they got someone of his caliber on the cast.

Oh yea, and say what you want about Marlon Waynes, but he was AMAZING in Requiem......he just needs to stop letting his family talk him into sh!t roles!!!
thwhtGuardian
thwhtGuardian - 6/26/2009, 11:08 AM
Joe Gordon-Levitt is one of the most talented actors in his generation?? Outside of 3rd rock from the sun and ten things I hate about you what has he been in?
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 6/26/2009, 11:41 AM
thwhtknight, check out Brick and Mysterious Skin among others. They guy has serious chops.
thwhtGuardian
thwhtGuardian - 6/26/2009, 11:49 AM
I'll have to check him out then. I've never heard of either of those films, are they like indie films or something?
vonstallin
vonstallin - 6/26/2009, 11:58 AM
He and Tatum was in Stop Loss, thats the movie that got the attension of the producers of this film.
Stumblin
Stumblin - 6/26/2009, 12:27 PM
Yeah, not every costume they designed in the 90's for G.I Joes were good. Including that Cobra Commander battle armor.
vonstallin
vonstallin - 6/26/2009, 1:21 PM
lol so true Stumblin:

I mean look at Sct Slaughters crew, the dreadnaughts Bazoka... i mean seriously..a football jersey?

Serpentor,

Cobras Falconer: Raptor
http://www.yojoe.com/action/87/87card/raptor.jpg


(lets not gorget the Frige)
http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/gijoe/images/thumb/7/79/3.jpg/255px-3.jpg


I have seen Hasbro toss out some pure garbage and call it a Joe or Cobra.
BiZArOh
BiZArOh - 6/26/2009, 2:37 PM
Yo am i the only one who thinks that this dude looks like Heath Ledger???

Ledger-->http://imstars.aufeminin.com/stars/fan/heath-ledger/heath-ledger-20050212-24788.jpg

joe-->http://www.shockya.com/news/wp-content/uploads/joseph_gordon_levitt.jpg

and i think you all can figure out where i am going with this
Rob
Rob - 6/26/2009, 3:54 PM
"Outside of 3rd rock from the sun and ten things I hate about you what has he been in?"

Brick, Manic, The Lookout, Miracle at St. Anna, and several other films since 3rd Rock finished. He mostly does indie films, which is why I'm kind of surprised he took this role.
SHHH
SHHH - 6/27/2009, 4:06 PM
@ryanjdrf1992

Damn he does look just like him
Talontd
Talontd - 6/27/2009, 4:59 PM
THWHTKNIGHT-

Ah man, you have been missing some quality indies my friend!!! Check out:

Brick
The Lookout
Mysterious Skin (<---careful with that one, very very disturbing)

He has smaller roles in:

Shadowboxer
Miracle At St. Anna
Manic

Brick and The Lookout are both SERIOUSLY worth a watch, those two films put him at the top of my list for up and coming actors........let me know what you think!
lalosuper3001
lalosuper3001 - 6/27/2009, 10:37 PM
I'm just happy it has the ninth Doctor Who playing Destro. No wonder his weapons are so advanced. He is a Time Lord for Heaven's sake! :)
deadshot77
deadshot77 - 6/28/2009, 9:11 PM
JASON X meets KRANG
Phinehas
Phinehas - 6/28/2009, 10:31 PM
"Brick, Manic, The Lookout, Miracle at St. Anna, and several other films since 3rd Rock finished. He mostly does indie films, which is why I'm kind of surprised he took this role."

Sometimes you need money, and big things like this payout!

I wonder if he could pull off Joker as Ledger did. He looks a little like Ledger.
JohnnyTHM
JohnnyTHM - 6/29/2009, 9:11 AM
@Phinehas Every actor who does indies still wants a break through roll. He is a good actor and hopefully the toy is a misrepresentation of the character. Also think about C.C. in the past he is always been portrayed as a lankey chap with unknown power a bit of the eccentric bilionaire. You can look at a few actors and fit them mentally in to a range of characters but this one suits best to me because the actor playing him is someone that you wouldn't first think would be ideal until you really look at him KillShot!! Also a good quailfing role for allow him to be cast as the Joker!
JTHM OUT!
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