Joseph Gordon-Levitt agrees he was 'the actual villain' in '(500) Days of Summer'

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has agreed with a Twitter post declaring that his character was “the actual villain” in the noughties romcom (500) Days of Summer.

The 39-year-old actor portrayed Tom in the 2009 movie, with the non-linear narrative detailing his relationship with Summer, played by Zooey Deschanel.

Since the film was released to positive reviews and became a sleeper hit at the box office, many have criticised its apparent sympathy for Tom and the portrayal of Summer as a “Manic Pixie Dream Girl”.

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Gordon-Levitt criticised his own character on Twitter, quoting another user who described Tom as the villain of the movie and adding: “I approve this message”.

Last year, the movie’s two lead actors sat down for a viewing party to mark its 10th anniversary and Deschanel said the notion of Summer as a villain is an idea people “misunderstand” about the film.

The actor has not been shy of illustrating Tom’s flaws ever since the movie came out, saying in 2012 that he “develops a mildly delusional obsession” with Summer in the film.

He added: “A lot of boys and girls think their lives will have meaning if they find a partner who wants nothing else in life but them.

“That’s not healthy. That’s falling in love with the idea of a person, not the actual person."

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In 2018, he wrote on Twitter that Tom is “selfish”, though made it clear that he “grows by the end” when he moves on from Summer.

Gordon-Levitt returned to the world of movies last month after an acting hiatus, with a lead role in hijacking thriller 7500, as a pilot trapped in the cockpit as terrorists attempt to take over the aircraft.

He told Yahoo Entertainment: “I knew that [with] my first job back, I really wanted to focus on finding a creative challenge, and not think about: ‘Oh, what should my next career move be having taken some time off?’

“I really just wanted to focus on the art of it and why I love acting so much.”

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He will be seen next in Aaron Sorkin’s real life drama The Trial of the Chicago 7, which was recently acquired by Netflix.

According to Deadline, the streaming platform shelled out $56m (£44m) to secure the rights to the prime Oscar contender.