Thanks to a perfect storm of unexpected factors, Joseph Gordon-Levitt wound up going through the rear window of a taxi cab during the Premium Rush shoot. Another actor likely would have screamed to be taken to the hospital immediately, but in the moment, all JGL could think about was making sure his injury was filmed for possible inclusion in the movie. After assuring David Koepp he wasn’t about to bleed out, the director agreed to take a few shots on his phone, and surprise surprise, the footage actually made the final cut.
Gordon-Levitt eventually made his way to the emergency room where he received thirty-one stitches, but he was back at work with a smile on his face the next day. It’s easier to get over traumatic events when there’s a humorous villain to the point the finger at. In this case, it was one of those damn New York City diplomats. Here’s how JGL remembers it, as he explained at a recent press conference in Los Angeles.
A diplomat broke through our lock-up. You know, in New York City, you have the United Nations. There’s diplomats driving around, and they can break the law. So, he broke through our cones and went past the cops and double parked right where we were shooting. Basically, I ended up going through the rear window of a taxi cab.
Shooting on bicycles all day might keep the actors in great shape, but it also has the potential to lead to evenings spent in the hospital. Still, if this was the worst that happened to anyone involved with Premium Rush, filming should probably be considered a success. Plus, something tells me Gordon-Levitt will be pulling out this story now and again for years.
