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Who says acting is a cushy job? For his latest role, Joseph Gordon-Levitt went through casting, training and a car window all for the sake of the craft -- the latter left the actor with 31 stitches.

"[I] went through the rear windshield of a taxi cab," Joseph, 31, revealed at the Premium Rush New York City premiere. "It happens," he added with a shrug.

In the film, directed by David Koepp (Secret Window, Stir of Echoes), Joseph plays Wilee, NYC's fastest bicycle messenger, who is given 90 minutes to deliver his last package of the day. The story chronicles Wilee's journey in real time as he dodges the villains that would kill to intercept the package before it reaches its assigned destination.

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"It's like an action movie except instead of glorifying guns and cars, it glorifies bicycles," said Joseph.

Dania Ramirez (Entourage) and Jamie Chung (Sucker Punch) also star in the movie, opening August 24.