Joseph Gordon-Levitt is "grateful" to be American.
The 34-year-old actor who will star as former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden in the Oliver Stone-directed biopic has dismissed claims that he and the iconic filmmaker are unpatriotic.
He shared: "What the haters don’t understand is that his opinions are formed completely out of patriotism.
"He has a very deep love for this country and what America is meant to stand for. It’s not patriotic to just sit back and let the country you love do something wrong."
Joseph said he could relate to the director’s controversial attitude about Snowden’s decision to leak classified information.
He told Playboy magazine: "I feel the same way. I’m so grateful to have been born and raised here, and for the freedoms and opportunities that have been afforded me, which I wouldn’t have gotten were I born in most other places in the world.
"But I also want to raise my hand and say so if the principles that are the foundation of what our country is about are being violated. The government is not supposed to be the one with the power. That’s the whole principle of democracy, of the United States, of the American Revolution, the American experiment, you could say."
Joseph insisted the story of Snowden – who’s currently living in exile in Russia – will help deliver an important message.
He said: "The people are supposed to be the ones in control. The government serves them. The Edward Snowden story exemplifies that. It’s a chilling example."
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: I’m a proud American
