At the star-studded premiere of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F in Beverly Hills, Joseph Gordon-Levitt took a nostalgic trip down memory lane, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the beloved teen film 10 things I hate about you.
The actor, known for his versatile roles in independent films and blockbusters, opened up to ET’s Nischelle Turner about the cult classic’s enduring legacy and shared his thoughts on being part of the new Beverly Hills Police Officer provision.
Gordon-Levitt, who was just three years old when the original Beverly Hills Police Officer was released in 1984, revealed his deep connection with the film. “I love it deep in my heart. I think one of the first songs I learned to play on the piano was,” he recalled, doing a brief rendition of a song from the film.
He added with a smile: “It’s true. My older brother is a huge Eddie Murphy fan, so when I was a kid it was all about that.”
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is the fourth installment in the iconic franchise. Features the return of Eddie Murphy as Detroit detective Axel Foley. This time, Foley returns to Beverly Hills to foil a plot against his daughter Jane, played by Taylour Paige.
Foley teams up with familiar faces Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Ashton), alongside new partner Detective Bobby Abbott, played by Gordon-Levitt, to uncover the conspiracy.
This film marks the first sequel to the Beverly Hills Police Officer series since Beverly Hills Cop III was released thirty years ago.
When asked about the milestone birthday of 10 things I hate about you, Gordon-Levitt expressed his amazement at the film’s lasting impact. “I just can’t believe people still. I mean, it’s so charming. How many times do you become an artist and do something and 25 years later people are still talking about it. I’ll tell you the truth. I never would have imagined,” he said.
Reflecting further, he drew a parallel with his current project, noting the unpredictable nature of a film’s legacy. “It’s hard to say when you’re doing it. I don’t know. I bet if you asked Eddie 40 years ago, ‘Hey, do you think in 40 years you’ll be at the premiere of the fourth movie of these movies?’ He would say I don’t know, probably not, I don’t know. So, I mean, who would have thought, but we had a great time. 10 things I hate about you and I’m glad people still love it.”
The conversation then turned to his role in the last Beverly Hills Police Officer film and how it resonates with his family, especially his two young children.
When asked if his kids would watch him as an action star, Gordon-Levitt humorously responded, “Do you think I would let my kids watch that movie?”
He continued, sharing a candid parenting moment: “I don’t know, they’ll see scenes of that. In fact, I’ll tell you the truth. I brought one of my boys to a scoring session because he really likes music and it was great to see an orchestra up close, but they had on the screen what was happening and there I was holding a gun and I thought, oh no, I cover my boy’s eyes like this. Not ready to watch yet. Beverly Hills Police Officer.”
He continues, “Although, to tell you the truth, I was probably his age when I watched that movie with my older brother.”
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F premieres on Netflix on July 3rd.
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