Edward Snowden publicly endorses the Snowden movie at Comic Con

Edward Snowden says that Oliver Stone’s dramatisation of his story is a “pretty accurate portrayal.”

Edward Snowden says that Oliver Stone’s dramatisation of his story is a “pretty accurate portrayal.”

Gordon-Levitt said Snowden’s public endorsement “means a lot.”

Snowden appeared live from Moscow via Google Hangouts Thursday night at Comic-Con following the first public screening of Stone’s film, Snowden, to answer audience questions and interact with the cast, including star Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Speaking to a small audience comprised mostly of journalists, Snowden said there wasn’t a lot of fictionalisation in the film, which chronicles his life from 2004 to 2013, when he leaked classified security documents to the press.

“I don’t think anybody looks forward to having a movie made about themselves, particularly someone who is a privacy advocate,” Snowden laughed, but said that there was a “kind of magic” to the film and its potential ability to reach a large audience through narrative storytelling.

Watch Snowden trailer: Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in Oliver Stone’s thriller

Gordon-Levitt said Snowden’s public endorsement “means a lot.”

Snowden also appears in the film as himself at the very end. While his demeanour in interviews is calm and composed, Stone found his acting to be less than natural.

“We did nine takes from several angles,” Stone said, half laughing. “We got there eventually but it was a painful day.”

In addition to looking at some of Snowden’s mentors throughout his career, the film heavily focuses in on his relationship with girlfriend Lindsay Mills. Shailene Woodley plays Mills, who Stone said was represented poorly by the press.

Actors Joseph Gordon Levitt, Shailene Woodley and Zachary Quinto attend the Snowden Press Line during Comic-Con International 2016.

Read: Joseph Gordon-Levitt met Edward Snowden before filming biopic

“I think the media was very unfair to Lindsay at the time and treated her in a very condescending way,” he said. He hopes that the film helps to redeem her in the public eye.

Out of necessity, the film takes some liberties with facts that aren’t in the public record yet, including the pivotal moment when Snowden smuggles the classified files out of the NSA. Without spoiling how the filmmakers chose to dramatise that scene, Stone did reveal that it was actually Snowden’s idea.

“It was a good idea and we ran with it,” Stone said.

“Snowden,” an Open Road Films release, leaks into theatres on Sept. 16.

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