It says a lot about Joseph Gordon-Levitt that he can make even a sex fiend charming. The actor stars in āDon Jon,ā opening this Friday, as Jon, a New Jersey stud who indulges in pornography up to 11 times a day. In fact, he prefers it to having actual sex with Scarlett Johanssonās character ā±(say what?!). Not only did Gordon- Levitt write and direct the movie, he brought in Tony Danza ā his costar from 1994ās āAngels in the Outfieldā ā to play Jonās father. The Post sat down with the two to talk porn, workouts and, much to Gordon-Levittās chagrin, orgasm faces.
Was it awkward for you, Tony, to be directed by your former child co-star from āAngels in the Outfieldā?
Tony Danza: Not at all. First of all, he gave me the job, so youāre beyond awkward at that point. Coming up to this movie, he had worked with three of the greatest directors working today: Spielberg [ā¤āLincolnā], Chris Nolan [āThe Dark Knight Risesā] and Rian Johnson [āLooperā]. When [Gordon-Levitt] was 12 years old on āAngels in the Outfield,ā he was watching the direšctor. So believe me, when he was on those big movies, he was watching the director.
Joe, did you always know youād eventually direct?
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: When I turned 21, my birthday present to myself was a copy of Final Cut, the video editing software.
TD: Not to be overly paternal, but there was a certain pride I had for him that he was doing this. I remember getting ā
the script and thinking, āWait a minute. He wrote this?ā Iāve always thought Joseph ā Joe ā is a great talent and a brilliant guy and a driven guy. And he can do a backflip!
The men in the movie rank the womenās hotness on a 10-point scale. What number are you?
JGL: [Laughs] Eleven.
TD: Well, if weš“āre giving out 11sā¦12. What do ya think oź§f that?
It seems like you both bulked up for the movie.
JGL: Heās just like that! Heās just crazy fit.
TD: Iām in shape. What do you want from me?
JGL: This guy, even when I was at the height of training like crazy, we did a push-up competition, and he beat me. Barely, but he still beat me. Iām 31 years old, āworking out hours every day for the last 6 months, aā±nd this [62-year-old] guy still beat me in a push-up competition.
So what is an acceptable amount of porn for a man to be watching?
JGL: I donāt think thereās any rule.
TD: I just think everybody [should] wait until theyāre 18 to do anything ā to do marijuana, to do drugs, drink, pornography. Just wait till youāre 18, so your brain is formed.
JGL: It depends on the 18-year-old.
TD: You really canāt make a rule, but the problem is that while weāre thinking about this, thereās an 11-year-old going ādinkā [gestures like heās pressing a computer keyboard]. When I was a kid, if you wanted to get pornography, you had to raid your uncleās stash of Playboāys. Or you had to go to the store and pick up a magazine. Youāre standing there with this magazine, your neighbor walks in. She looks at you like, āHuh?ā That is a tremendous governor on behavior. You didnāt want to go through that. But if you could just press the button . . .
Joe, you make a lot of orgasm faces in this movie.
TD: [Laughs heartily.]
JGL: Keepinā it classy, buddy.
How did you decide what they should look like?
TD: He watched āWhen Harry Met Sally.ā
JGL: I donāt know how to answer that question.
Well, were you trying to make it funny?
JGL: Of course! The movieās a comedy. One of the funniest things is just š·hearing the lines said in those phenomenal Jersey accents.
Tony, you grew up in Brooklyn ā how would you characterize the differences between the two accents?
TD: Brooklyn becomes really [voice gets guttural], itās down here, you know? Itās all the same, just the characterization is different.
JGL: My experience with accents in general is that everybodyās an individual. Weāre not saying that everybody in New Jersey talks like Tony and I talk in this movie. Julianne Mooreās character is also in New Jersey, and she speaks differently.
TD: So thereās hope.