Joseph Gordon-Levitt Thinks His ‘500 Days of Summer’ Character Was Kind of a Jerk

'500 Days of Summer' was the movie that catapulted Joseph Gordon-Levitt into A-list stardom. The movie also has a devoted audience of girls who want him and guys who want to be him. But if you're one of those fans of the movie, Gordon-Levitt thinks you might want to reconsider that sentiment.

Speaking to Playboy (link NSFW), Gordon-Levitt says that while he "really liked" '500 Days' as a movie, he has mixed feelings about how the audience responded to it.  Says the actor:

I would encourage anyone who has a crush on my character to watch it again and examine how selfish he is. He develops a mildly delusional obsession over a girl onto whom he projects all these fantasies. He thinks she’ll give his life meaning because he doesn’t care about much else going on in his life....That's not healthy.

It's like that old joke that the same behavior that gets you the girl in a romantic comedy will get you arrested in real life.

For those looking for some solid relationship advice that doesn't involve fantasizing about a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Gordon-Levitt says "you just have to pay attention, keep your eyes open, listen to people and be present." (Coincidental choice of image on the top, but also why the relationship in the film didn't work out.)