Joseph Gordon-Levitt gained "even more admiration" for Taylor Swift after singing her track 'Lover' on 'The Tonight Show'

He told People magazine: "I felt absolutely terrible and knew I needed to do something. And the night that I went to do Jimmy's show was her actual birthday...

"We didn't know if we would get the rights [to perform the song] because it's very difficult so I had to also pick a back-up and that was very difficult.

"I actually gained even more admiration for Ms. Swift as a songwriter as I was trying to find something else that would simultaneously be meaningful to my wife and meaningful to the wider world. It's a really hard balance to strike. She's a master, she's truly awesome."

The 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' star's wife was delighted with the musical surprise.

He said: "Oh, she was shocked, yeah. In the best way. She sunk down into the couch squealing, I think...

"I think she would be embarrassed for me to say how big a fan of Taylor she is. We went to the 'Eras Tour' together. She's been a fan long before it was cool to be a Taylor Swift fan."

But Joseph knows his special birthday surprise for this year has set a high standard for him to follow in the years to come.

He laughed: "Here's the thing, though. The next year, I don't have to do it from New York.

"I get to do it in private, which is much easier."