Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s 9 Best Musical Performances: Jimmy Fallon, Lady Gaga, More

JGL Lip-Synchs to Elton John, Nikki Minaj

On this week’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the musically inclined host asked guests Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Stephen Merchant to compete with him in a “lip-synch off.” While Fallon and Merchant brought the thunder, Gordon-Levitt’s spirited renditions of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” and Nikki Minaj’s “Super Bass” stole the show.

JGL & Zooey Deschanel – “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?”

Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel first met in the summer of 2000 while shooting the underrated indie film Manic, and later reunited—to much fanfare—in the 2009 dramedy (500) Days of Summer. The close pals performed an acoustic cover of Nancy Wilson’s “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” back in 2011.

JGL’s Does The Pixies’ “Here Comes Your Man” Karaoke-Style

One of the standout scenes in the aforementioned 2009 film (500) Days of Summer is when a tipsy Tom (Gordon-Levitt) steps up to the mic at karaoke night and performs a stellar version of The Pixies’ “Here Comes Your Man” to impress his attractive coworker, Summer (Zooey Deschanel).

JGL on 3rd Rock from the Sun

Before he was a bigtime movie star, Gordon-Levitt played Tommy on the hit TV series 3rd Rock from the Sun. In one glorious scene, Tommy, dressed like a Blues Brother, performed a depressing song about the planet sucking.

JGL & Anne Hathaway – “Le Petit Soldat”

Gordon-Levitt and Hathaway have been friends since working on the unintentionally hilarious inner city drama Havoc together, and the pair—along with hitRECord member Lorraine Hoey—performed “Le Petit Soldat” at a hitRECord event at Los Angeles’s Orpheum Theater on Oct. 10, 2011. hitRECord, for the uninitiated, is a website and online community started by Gordon-Levitt and his late brother that produces collaborative art.

JGL’s Version of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”

One of the highlights of Gordon-Levitt’s hitRECord live events is his inevitable musical performance. Back in 2010, the actor performed a cover of Lady Gaga’s smash hit “Bad Romance,” much to the crowd’s delight.

JGL’s Halloween Performance of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”

Gordon-Levitt spent his 2011 Halloween at Le Poisson Rouge, a music club in downtown New York City, where he hosted a hitRECord costume party. There, the actor—dressed like a dapper, blood-soaked zombie—took on the Michael Jackson classic “Thriller.”

JGL – “La Bamba”

While shooting the 2010 indie thriller Uncertainty, Gordon-Levitt took a break with some members of the crew, busted out his guitar, and led a sing-along of the Mexican folk anthem “La Bamba.” Looks like a fun guy to work with.

JGL Takes On R. Kelly’s “Ignition” (Remix)

At another hitRECord event in 2011, Gordon-Levitt performed a sultry, acoustic rendition of the R. Kelly classic “Ignition” (Remix). This guy is always having a good time, it seems.