Joseph Gordon-Levitt Sings a Taylor Swift Song, Talks Eddie Murphy and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Sings a Taylor Swift Song, Talks Eddie Murphy and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

-Joe, it is so great to see you. Welcome back to the show. -I always love being here with you, Jimmy. -Every time we get together, you’re — First of all, I always say this, but you’re one of my favorite actors. But you’re always very — you’re very musically talented, as well. -You know, I try. You too. -We’ve done — We’ve done some bits together. You did one of our first-ever lip-sync battles. -[ Laughing ] Right. -Uh, which went viral, which is back in the day when we started. We also were in a barbershop quartet called The Ragtime Gals. -Right. -And, uh… I forgot what song it was. -It was a Rihanna song. I remember. -Oh, yeah. -Yeah. "Bitch Better Have My Money." -Yeah, yeah, we did a beautiful, beautiful version of that. And then, "That’s My Jam." You came on and just hit a home run. There you are with Chance The Rapper. You’re just so good and fun, and people love you. -You always set me up, man. You let me do it. -No. But I saw that you found a way to put music in with your work, with your acting. You make a playlist for your character. -That’s true. Yeah. -And that gets you into the character’s scene? -Yeah. Well, sometimes, if you’re trying to, I don’t know, be angry or you’re trying to be in love, it can really help if you listen to some angry music before you shoot, or you listen to some romantic music before you shoot. -When did that start? -Oh, I’ve done that… I don’t know. Since before you could make — Like, since before music was on phones. I used to, like… [ Laughter ] -Yeah. -I would bring CDs to set. -What’s the playlist like for "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F"? -The playlist for "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" is only one song. "Axel F." -"Axel F" — Yeah, of course. Yeah. [ Laughter ] ♪ Boop, boop, boopity boop boop ♪ -Yes, do it! Do it, do it, do it, come on! [ "Axel F" plays ] Yes! -I mean, come on. ♪♪ It’s the jam. It’s the jam. So you listen to that? to get into character? [ Cheers and applause ] That song is the jam. -I remember, honestly, one of the very first songs I ever learned to plunk out on a piano… -Me too! -…was that — Was it? Was it? -I was obsessed with that. -♪ Bom, bom ♪ ♪ Da, buh dum, bum bum ♪ I thought it was like, "Oh, my gosh!" -"I can play grown-up music!" -Yes! It was the biggest deal. -"This isn’t ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb.’ This isn’t ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.’" -No, this is "Axel F"! Yeah, it’s the biggest deal. What is that like when you get the call that Eddie Murphy wants you to be his co-star? His sidekick? -Okay, so when I was a kid — Do you have older siblings? -Yeah. Gloria, my — I have one older — Yeah, one older sister. -So you know how your older siblings’ stuff, the stuff they like, it takes on a certain, like, mystique. You know what I mean? It’s like it’s a little forbidden. It’s a little over your head, but you love it, you want it. You want to love it as much as your older sibling does because it’s cool that way. So for me, that was Eddie Murphy, because my older brother loved Eddie Murphy on "Saturday Night Live" or his stand-up, or in movies like, you know, "Beverly Hills Cop," for sure. I probably shouldn’t have been watching that stuff when I was that age, to be honest. -Yeah, exactly, yeah. But you did. -Oh, and I loved it. -You turned out okay. -I turned out okay. -I think so, yeah. You did. Yeah. So, yeah, when this came across the desk, like, "You get to be the new sidekick in the new ‘Beverly Hills Cop,’" I’m like, "Yes, thank you. Yes." -"My brother would have loved this." -Exactly, exactly. Yeah. -That’s so — that’s so cool. -You’d be down, you’d be down. -And when you go on set, do you try extra hard to make Eddie laugh? Because when Eddie comes on, I get kind of intimidated because I go, "I don’t know if he’s trying to be funny, or what do I do?" -That’s funny. I’ll tell you what. What I found the best way to, like, make friends with Eddie is to not do that, actually. -Yeah. -He loves — -Okay. Thank you, thank you. -There’s your adjustment. -Yeah. Too late. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. [ Laughter ] But next time, Eddie, next time, Eddie. -‘Cause Eddie just — he’s — he’s done so much. He doesn’t have anything to prove. He doesn’t, like, need to be funny all the time. So I’ll just be like, really, really real with him. Talk about, like, what you’re watching on Netflix or what music you’re listening to or whatever like that. -And then how do you not laugh when he improvises? -I was on a sitcom for five years. -Yeah, that’s true, yeah. -I know what it’s like… You know what it’s like. -…to not laugh, you know? So, I mean, and this is, I think, one of the things that people love about Eddie’s comedy so much is, as bombastic as he can be, he’s always kind of real. There’s always a real human underneath his characters. So when we were improvising ’cause he makes up a lot of stuff, I would always just try to throw him back something very real and not reach for the laugh, not try to go for the punchline. -Can you tell everyone what is going on with this "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F"? -What’s going on with "Beverly Hills Cop"? So, I play a Beverly Hills cop. -Ah! There you go. -I do, it’s true. Well, because, you know, the premise is that Eddie’s character is not from Beverly Hills. -Yeah. -He’s from Detroit, and he comes and makes fun of Beverly Hills, which Beverly Hills deserves. Okay? -Yeah. Yeah, sure. [ Laughter ] -This is why we love "Beverly Hills Cop." -Makes it a comedy. Yeah. Yes, but a lot of action and all that stuff. -Yes. -I want to show a clip. Here’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Eddie Murphy in "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F." Take a look. -This [bleep] supposed to be like riding a bike! You’re supposed to get right in there and know how to do this [bleep] You was trained. You can do this. Get going, man! We got to go! -Will you please just shut the [bleep] up? I’m trying to concentrate. [ Helicopter engine whirring ] ♪♪ -It’s taking off! Go, go, go, go! -[Bleep] man, I thought you was supposed to be an elite pilot. -I was a pilot, but as you pointed out, I’m not a pilot anymore. -Watch out! -Man, you look nervous! -I am nervous. -Well, why you so damn nervous? -I crashed a [bleep] helicopter, okay?! Got in my head! I haven’t flown since! That’s why I left LAPD. -What?! Quick! -Shut it down! -Oh [bleep] -Oh [bleep] [ Both screaming ] [ Laughter ] -Come on! That’s how you do it. That’s how you do it. -That’s how you’re doing it. -Joseph Gordon-Levitt. -Thank you. Before we go, before we go, I know today is an important day, and there’s somebody that you want to shout out. -Today is actually my wife’s birthday. And I know — [ Audience "Awws" ] And I’m so sad because she’s not here in New York with me. I’m here, you know, working. And she’s back home, and I feel so terrible. And so I texted Jimmy, and I was like, "Can I — Can I give her a special birthday present on the show?" -And we’re here to make dreams come true. -And thank you for that. Thank you for that. -We always happen to have a guitar here. -It’s very convenient that way. Right? -We always — We always do. -Okay. Okay. -This could be — We always do something. This is for your wife. -This is for her. This is a song by a singer-songwriter that she really, really loves. You all might know. I just want to say… Uh, babe, you’re the most luminous soul I’ve ever met, and I’m so grateful you were born. And I’m coming home soon. Love you. ♪♪ ♪ We can keep the Christmas lights up till July ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] ♪ This is our place, we make the rules ♪ ♪♪ ♪ And there’s a dazzling haze ♪ ♪ There’s a mysterious way about you, dear ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Havin’ known you twenty seconds ♪ ♪ That’s twenty years ♪ ♪ Can I go where you go? ♪ ♪ Can we always be this close? ♪ ♪ Forever and ever, and, oh ♪ ♪ Take me high, and take me home ♪ ♪ Oh, you’re mine, mine, mine, my, my ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Lover ♪ -Yes! [ Cheers and applause ] Joseph Gordon-Levitt, everybody! "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" begins streaming on Netflix July 3rd. Standing ovation. Not too shabby.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt talks about making a playlist for each of his characters and working with Eddie Murphy on the set of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F before singing Taylor Swift’s song “Lover” for his wife’s birthday.

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt Sings a Taylor Swift Song, Talks Eddie Murphy and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
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