Hollywood's new It boy: Joseph Gordon-Levitt?

Who knew Third Rock From the Sun would turn out to be such a stepping stone? Series star Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who played young alien Tommy Solomon on the long-running NBC sitcom and then took some time away from show-biz to attend Columbia University, is suddenly a hot Hollywood property.

His latest release, Mysterious Skin, has earned him excellent reviews, and now Variety reports he’s been cast in his first lead role in a big studio production, playing a disabled janitor who gets caught up with bank robbers in The Lookout.

Was there any way to predict Gordon-Levitt’s impending ‘it’-dom? Check out his work in season one of Third Rock, which arrives on DVD today, and make the call for yourself.

addCredit(“Joseph Gordon-Levitt: John Sciulli/WireImage.com”)