In Robert Zemeckis‘ dizzying THE WALK, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Philippe Petit, the adventurous French high-wire artist who achieved worldwide infamy in 1974 when he endeavored to walk across the Twin Towers on nothing more than – of course – a wire. As Petit became a well-known figure soon after (and continues to be, thanks to the 2008 documentary MAN ON WIRE – Gordon-Levitt not only had his work cut out for him attempting to master Petit’s remarkable balance and strength, he had to tackle impersonating the man’s distinctive French accent and mannerisms as well. No easy task when you have to take a week-long course with him, but perhaps that closeness only helped bring the inherently likable character to life.
Only a day after the film’s premiere at the New York Film Festival, I had the chance to speak to Gordon-Levitt about the pressures of working with Petit, whether he’s ever defied death in real life before, and working with 80s/90s hero Robert Zemeckis.