Joseph Gordon-Levitt Was An Awkward Teenager Once, Too

Before he became Hollywood's multi-media renaissance man and one of the most in-demand actors, Joseph Gordon-Levitt was an awkward teenager with a really awkward haircut. For those of you who don't remember, JGL broke out as Tommy Solomon, an archaic alien who assumes the body of a teenage boy in the cult sitcom 3rd Rock From The Sun.

For years, Gordon-Levitt was synonymous with his shoulder-length coif, which at the time was an uncommon look on television for actors his age. So, when the up-and-comer appeared on Late Night With Conan O'Brien in 1998 with his famous locks hacked off, Conan just had to bring it up. Forget that Gordon-Levitt was there to promote his new movie Halloween H20, Conan wanted to know about that hair.

After some friendly teasing, Gordon-Levitt admits that his lengthy locks simply became too cumbersome. Unfortunately, when you're famous, changing your hairstyle is a lot more complicated than simply booking an appointment at your local chop shop — especially when it's your trademark look. So, how did he finally get the permission to alter his famous do? Let's let the man (or, kid) himself explain.