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Joseph Gordon-Levitt

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Gordon-Levitt at the London Film Festival screening of Don Jon, November 2013
Born
Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt

(1981-02-17) February 17, 1981 (age 43)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
EducationVan Nuys High School
Columbia University (did not graduate)
Occupation(s)Actor, director, writer, producer
Owner and founder of hitRECord
Years active1988–present
Spouse
Tasha McCauley
​
(m. 2014)​
[1]
RelativesMichael Gordon (grandfather)

Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt[2] (/ˌdʒoʊsəf ˈɡɔːrdən ˈlɛv[invalid input: 'ɨ']t/; born February 17, 1981)[3][4] is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and editor. As a child star, he appeared in the films A River Runs Through It, Angels in the Outfield, and 10 Things I Hate About You, and as Tommy Solomon in the TV series 3rd Rock from the Sun.

He took a break from acting to study at Columbia University, but dropped out in 2004 to pursue acting again. He has since starred in (500) Days of Summer, Inception, Hesher, 50/50, Premium Rush, The Dark Knight Rises, Brick, Looper, The Lookout, Manic, Lincoln, Mysterious Skin, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. He also founded the online production company hitRECord in 2004 and has hosted his own TV series, HitRecord on TV, since January 2014.

In 2013, Gordon-Levitt made his feature film directing and screenwriting debut with Don Jon, a comedy film in which he also stars. He previously directed and edited two short films, both of which were released in 2010: Morgan M. Morgansen's Date with Destiny and Morgan and Destiny's Eleventeenth Date: The Zeppelin Zoo.

Early life

Gordon-Levitt was born in Los Angeles, California,[2] and was raised in its Sherman Oaks neighborhood.[5] He is Jewish, from a family that is "not strictly religious";[6][7] his parents were among the founders of the Progressive Jewish Alliance.[8][9][10] His father, Dennis Levitt, was once the news director for the Pacifica Radio station, KPFK-FM.[11][12] His mother, Jane Gordon, ran for the United States Congress in California during the 1970s for the Peace and Freedom Party; she met Dennis Levitt while she was working as the program guide editor for KPFK-FM.[11] Gordon-Levitt's maternal grandfather, Michael Gordon, was a Hollywood film director between the 1940s and 1970s and directed the 1959 Doris Day/Rock Hudson film Pillow Talk.[11]

Career

Early acting work

Gordon-Levitt joined a musical theater group at the age of four and played the Scarecrow in a production of The Wizard of Oz.[11] Subsequently, he was approached by an agent and began appearing on television and in commercials for Sunny Jim peanut butter, Cocoa Puffs, Pop-Tarts, and Kinney Shoes.[11]

At age six, he starred in several made-for-television films. In 1991, he played both David Collins and Daniel Collins in the Dark Shadows television series.[13] During 1992–93, he played in The Powers That Be, a sitcom starring John Forsythe, as a clever young boy named Pierce Van Horne. Also in 1992, he portrayed Gregory Kingsley in the made-for-TV film Switching Parents, based on Kingsley's real life case of "divorcing" his parents. In 1994 he appeared in the Disney film Angels in the Outfield as an orphan who sees angels. In 1996 he began playing Tommy Solomon on the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. The series ran for six seasons. The San Francisco Chronicle noted that Gordon-Levitt was a "Jewish kid playing an extraterrestrial pretending to be a Jewish kid".[14] Gordon-Levitt was attending Van Nuys High School while acting on the show and graduated with honors in 1999.[15] During the 1990s, he was frequently featured in teenage magazines, something he resented.[11] He has also said that during this time period, he did not enjoy being recognized in public, saying that he "hates celebrity".[14]

Gordon-Levitt at a promotional event for (500) Days of Summer in March 2009

Gordon-Levitt starred in the 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You, a modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, and voiced Jim Hawkins in Treasure Planet (2002), a Disney adaptation of the novel Treasure Island.[16] In 2000, he began attending Columbia University School of General Studies.[11][17] He studied history, literature, and French poetry.[11] He became an avid Francophile and a French speaker.[11] He said that moving to New York City from his hometown forced him to grow as a person.[14] He dropped out in 2004 to concentrate on acting again.[11]

Later acting work

Gordon-Levitt has said that he made a conscious decision to "be in good movies" after returning to acting.[17] His films include 2001's drama Manic, which was set in a mental institution, Mysterious Skin (2004), in which he played a gay prostitute and child sexual abuse victim, and Brick (2005), a modern-day film noir set at a high school, in which he had the lead role of Brendan Frye, a teen who becomes involved in an underground drug ring while investigating a murder. Brick received positive reviews, with The Minnesota Daily's critic commenting that Gordon-Levitt played the character "beautifully", "true to film's style", "unfeeling but not disenchanted", and "sexy in the most ambiguous way."[17][18] Another reviewer described the performance as "astounding".[19] He also starred opposite Steve Sandvoss as a young judgmental missionary in Latter Days (2003), a film that centers on a sexually repressed Mormon missionary (Sandvoss) who falls for his gay neighbor. He had roles in Havoc and Shadowboxer.[20]

Gordon-Levitt at WonderCon in March 2012

His next role was in 2007's The Lookout, in which he played Chris Pratt, a janitor involved in a bank heist. In reviewing the film, The Philadelphia Inquirer described Gordon-Levitt as a "surprisingly formidable, and formidably surprising, leading man",[21] while New York magazine stated that he is a "major tabula rasa actor ... a minimalist", and that his character worked because he "doesn't seize the space ... by what he takes away from the character."[22] The San Francisco Chronicle specified that he "embodies, more than performs, a character's inner life."[14] His 2008 and 2009 films include Stop-Loss, directed by Kimberly Peirce and revolving around American soldiers returning from the Iraq War, and Killshot, in which he played a hoodlum partnered with a hired killer played by Mickey Rourke.[17]

Gordon-Levitt played a lead role opposite to friend Zooey Deschanel in (500) Days of Summer, a well-received 2009 release about the deconstruction of a relationship.[20] His performance, described as "the real key" to what makes the film work, credits him with using "his usual spell in subtle gradations."[23] Variety's Todd McCarthy praised his performance, saying he "expressively alternates between enthusiasm and forlorn disappointment in the manner Jack Lemmon could".[24] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said the movie "hits you like a blast of pure romantic oxygen" and credited both lead actors for playing "it for real, with a grasp of subtlety and feeling that goes beyond the call of breezy duty."[25] He was subsequently nominated for a Golden Globe Award.[26]

He later played villain Cobra Commander in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.[27] On November 21, 2009, he hosted Saturday Night Live.[28] In 2010, he replaced James Franco[29] to star alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in Christopher Nolan's science fiction thriller Inception, which received favorable reviews.[20]

In 2011, Gordon-Levitt began filming Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, in which he played John Blake, a police officer who emerges as a key ally of Batman.[30] Also released in 2012, he played the starring role of a bicycle messenger in the action film Premium Rush; the younger version of the lead role, shared with Bruce Willis, in the time-travel thriller Looper;[31] and the supporting role of Robert Todd Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's biopic Lincoln.[32]

Gordon-Levitt played a new character, Johnny, in the sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014), described by the filmmakers as "a cocky gambler who disguises a darker mission to destroy his most foul enemy at his best game".[33] In October 2013, it was reported that he was one of the frontrunners to play the lead character for Marvel Studios's superhero film Ant-Man, which eventually went to Paul Rudd.[34]

In November 2014, it was confirmed that Gordon-Levitt would play National Security Agency surveillance leaker Edward Snowden in a movie directed by Oliver Stone. [35]

Directing and producing

Gordon-Levitt's first film as director, the 24 minute-long Sparks, an adaptation of a short story by Elmore Leonard starring Carla Gugino and Eric Stoltz, was selected for the 2009 Sundance Film Festival as part of a new program for short films.[36] In 2010, he directed another short film, Morgan and Destiny's Eleventeenth Date: The Zeppelin Zoo.[37] It premiered at two houses during the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.[37]

He was one of the many producers of the Broadway show Slava's Snowshow.[38]

In 2013, Gordon-Levitt wrote, directed and starred in his screenwriting and directorial debut, Don Jon. The film also stars Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, and Tony Danza, and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2013. Following the premiere, the film was acquired by Relativity Media and Gordon-Levitt stated: "I always intended this to be a movie for a mass popular audience. Everyone told me it was a long shot ... I couldn't possibly be more grateful."[39]

In December 2013, Gordon-Levitt announced his involvement as a producer on a film adaptation of the critically acclaimed graphic novel series The Sandman. He will produce for the Warner Bros. studio, alongside David S. Goyer and Neil Gaiman, the creator of the series. Gordon-Levitt may also direct and star in the film.[40][41]

Personal life

Gordon-Levitt's older brother, Dan,[42][43] who was a photographer and fire spinner, died in 2010 at age 36.[44]

On December 20, 2014, Gordon-Levitt married Tasha McCauley, a CEO and founder of a NASA-based robotics company, Fellow Robots.[1]

In October 2013, Gordon-Levitt identified himself as a feminist, giving credit to his mother: "My mom brought me up to be a feminist. She was active in the movement in the '60s and '70s. The Hollywood movie industry has come a long way since its past. It certainly has a bad history of sexism, but it ain't all the way yet."[45]

Gordon-Levitt explained his understanding of the concept of "true love" in a November 2013 promotional interview for Don Jon:

Well those two words can mean a lot of different things. You mean, the Princess Bride version of true love? Do you mean the Sleepless in Seattle version of true love? Um, I would say true love means a genuine and unique connection between two unique individuals. What I think true love is not, is some shiny trophy that's the same "riding off into the sunset" image that you can get. I don't think ... if you think about true love as something that you're after, that you can have, um, you're missing it.[46]

hitRECord

Main article: HitRecord
is an online collaborative media platform founded and owned by Gordon-Levitt. The company uses a variety of media to produce such projects as short films, books, and DVDs.[47] HitRecord has produced such films as Don Jon and the short films Morgan M. Morgansen's Date with Destiny and its sequel Morgan and Destiny's Eleventeenth Date: The Zeppelin Zoo.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1988 Stranger on My Land Rounder Television film
1989 Settle the Score Justin Television film
1991 Changes Matthew "Matt" Hallam Television film
1991 Hi Honey – I'm Dead Josh Stadler Television film
1991 Plymouth Simon Television film
1992 Beethoven Student No. 1
1992 A River Runs Through It Young Norman
1993 Gregory K Gregory Kingsley Television film
1994 Holy Matrimony Zeke
1994 Roadflower Rich Lerolland
1994 Angels in the Outfield Roger Bomman
1995 The Great Elephant Escape Matthew Television film
1996 The Juror Oliver Laird
1998 Sweet Jane Tony
1998 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later Jimmy Howell
1999 10 Things I Hate About You Cameron James
2000 Picking Up the Pieces Flaco
2000 Forever Lulu Martin Ellsworth
2001 Manic Lyle Jensen
2002 Treasure Planet Jim Hawkins (voice)
2003 Latter Days Elder Paul Ryder
2004 Mysterious Skin Neil McCormick
2005 Brick Brendan Frye
2005 Havoc Sam
2005 Shadowboxer Dr. Don
2007 The Lookout Chris Pratt
2008 Stop-Loss Tommy Burgess
2008 Miracle at St. Anna Tim Boyle
2008 The Brothers Bloom Bar Patron Uncredited cameo
2009 Killshot Richie Nix
2009 Big Breaks Todd Sterling Short film
2009 (500) Days of Summer Tom Hansen
2009 Uncertainty Bobby
2009 Women in Trouble Bert Rodriguez
2009 G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra The Doctor/Rex
2010 Hesher Hesher
2010 Morgan M. Morgansen's Date with Destiny Morgan M. Morgansen / Narrator Short film, also director and editor
2010 Elektra Luxx Bert Rodriguez
2010 Morgan and Destiny's Eleventeenth Date Morgan M. Morgansen / Narrator Short film, also director and editor
2010 Inception Arthur
2011 50/50 Adam Lerner
2012 The Dark Knight Rises John Blake
2012 Premium Rush Wilee
2012 Looper Joe Also executive producer
2012 Lincoln Robert Todd Lincoln
2013 Don Jon Jon "Don Jon" Martello Also director and writer
2014 The Wind Rises Jiro Horikoshi (voice) English dub[48]
2014 Sin City: A Dame to Kill For Johnny
2014 The Interview Himself Uncredited cameo
2015 The Walk Philippe Petit Post-production
2015 Untitled Christmas Eve project Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1988 Family Ties Dougie 2 episodes
1990 Murder, She Wrote Boy No. 1 Episode: "Shear Madness"
1991 Dark Shadows Daniel Collins / David Collins 11 episodes
1991 China Beach Archie Winslow, age 9 Episode: "Quest"
1991 Quantum Leap Kyle Episode: "Permanent Wave"
1991 L.A. Law Rick Berg Episode: "Lose the Law"
1992 The Powers That Be Pierce Van Horne 13 episodes
1993 Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Zack Lawson Episode: "The Secret"
1993 Roseanne George 4 episodes
1996–2001 3rd Rock from the Sun Tommy Solomon 131 episodes
1998 That '70s Show Buddy Morgan Episode: "Eric's Buddy"
2000 The Outer Limits Zach Episode: "Something About Harry"
2005 Numb3rs Scott Reynolds Episode: "Sacrifice"
2009
2012 		Saturday Night Live Host "Joseph Gordon-Levitt/Dave Matthews Band"
"Joseph Gordon-Levitt/Mumford & Sons"
2013 Lady Gaga and the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular Himself Special
2014–present HitRecord on TV Host Also executive producer

See also

References

  1. ^ a b http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/joseph-gordon-levitt-marries-tasha-mccauley-in-secret-wedding-20143112
  2. ^ a b "Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt" is his full name and Los Angeles, California, is his birthplace. California Birth Index, 1905–1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California.
  3. ^ "On this day: Joseph Gordon Levitt is born".
  4. ^ "Monitor". Entertainment Weekly. No. 1247. February 22, 2013. p. 32.
  5. ^ [1][dead link‍]
  6. ^ Ashley Baylen (April 20, 2012). "Top 50 Hottest Jewish Men (10–1)". Shalom Life. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  7. ^ Dovey, Rachel. "Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Hollywood's Boy Wonder Grows Up", Paste, October 11, 2010.
  8. ^ Roderick, Kevin. "Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives shout out to KPFK", LA Observed, September 29, 2011.
  9. ^ McCafferty, Dennis; Alan Carter; Lydia Strohl (April 2, 1999). "Favorites of a Young Rock Star". USA Today, through Rome News-Tribune. Retrieved July 9, 2010. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ Elkin, Michael (May 22, 2003). "He has a Mania for Good Works". The Jewish Exponent. Retrieved April 28, 2010.; transcribed text
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lidz, Frank (March 25, 2007). "From Alien Boy to Growing Star in the Indie Universe". The New York Times. Retrieved March 26, 2007.
  12. ^ Mueller, Matt (2008). "Hey Joe". Wonderland Magazine. Archived from the original on May 8, 2008. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  13. ^ Kirkland, Bruce (August 18, 2012). "Gordon-Levitt riding fast to fame". The Toronto Sun. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  14. ^ a b c d Chonin, Neva (March 25, 2007). "Look out: his star is rising". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved March 26, 2007.
  15. ^ Hirschberg, Lynn (September 16, 2007). "Kid Rock". The New York Times. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  16. ^ "Joseph Gordon-Levitt – Treasure Planet Interview". BBC News. BBC Online. February 4, 2003. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  17. ^ a b c d Roberts, Sheila (March 24, 2007). "Joseph Gordon-Levitt Interview, The Lookout". MoviesOnline. Archived from the original on March 29, 2007. Retrieved March 26, 2007.
  18. ^ Fjerstad, Tatum (April 6, 2006). "This film's too cool for school — in a good way". The Minnesota Daily. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved March 26, 2007.
  19. ^ Wright, Andrew (April 6, 2006). "On Screen". The Stranger: Seattle's Only Newspaper. Retrieved March 26, 2007.
  20. ^ a b c "Joseph Gordon-Levitt". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster Inc. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  21. ^ Rea, Steven (March 25, 2007). "On Movies: 'Lookout' can't be called an overnight success". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved March 26, 2007.
  22. ^ Edelstein, David (March 25, 2007). "A Terrible Thing to Waste". New York Magazine. Retrieved March 26, 2007.
  23. ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (July 19, 2009). "(500) Days of Summer". Salon. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  24. ^ McCarthy, Todd (January 18, 2009). "500 Days of Summer". Variety. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  25. ^ Travers, Peter (July 16, 2009). "(500) Days of Summer". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  26. ^ "The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards Nominations". Golden Globes.org.[dead link‍]
  27. ^ Brian Jacks (September 4, 2008). "'G.I. Joe' Movie Will Reveal 'Twisted' Cobra Commander; Mask And Menacing Voice Included". MTV Movies Blog. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
  28. ^ Stanhope, Kate (October 31, 2009). "January Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Host SNL, along with Dave Matthews Band as the musical guest". TV Guide. Retrieved November 2, 2009.
  29. ^ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (April 24, 2009). "Joseph Gordon-Levitt replaces James Franco in 'Inception'". Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner Inc. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
  30. ^ "'The Dark Knight Rises': Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard's Parts Revealed". The Huffington Post. April 29, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  31. ^ Flemming, Mike (May 14, 2010). "CANNES: Bruce Willis Plays Mature Joseph Gordon-Levitt In Time Travel Pic 'Looper'". Deadline Hollywood. Mail.com Media Corporation. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
  32. ^ Fischer, Russ (May 5, 2011). "Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' Casts Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Many More". slashfilm.com. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  33. ^ Lincoln, Ross A. (January 7, 2013). "Joseph Gordon-Levitt Joins 'Sin City: A Dame To Kill For'". Movieline. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  34. ^ "Marvel Likes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Paul Rudd for 'Ant-Man' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.com. October 14, 2013. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  35. ^ Reuters (November 10, 2014). "Joseph Gordon-Levitt confirmed as Edward Snowden in Oliver Stone NSA film". theguardian.com. Retrieved November 11, 2014. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  36. ^ "2009 Sundance Film Festival Announces Short Film Program". Sundance Film Festival. December 8, 2008.
  37. ^ a b Bettinger, Brendan (August 9, 2010). "Watch Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Channing Tatum in the Short Film Morgan And Destiny's Eleventeenth Date: The Zeppelin Zoo". Collider.com. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
  38. ^ Cox, Gordon (December 12, 2008). "Ticket brokers try to catch a break". Variety. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
  39. ^ Daniel Miller; Tatiana Siegel (January 21, 2013). "Sundance 2013: Relativity Acquiring 'Don Jon's Addiction' for $4 Million". The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  40. ^ "Joseph Gordon-Levitt Eyeing 'Sandman' As Director And Star, Producing With David Goyer At Warner Bros". Retrieved December 16, 2013.
  41. ^ "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm incredibly honored to be working with David Goyer, Warner Bros, and @neilhimself on SANDMAN. #Prelude". Retrieved December 16, 2013.
  42. ^ Warner, Kara (October 6, 2010). "Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Brother Dead At 36". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  43. ^ Lang, Bret; Walker, Hunter (October 5, 2010). "Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Brother, 'Burning Dan,' Dies". The Wrap. The Wrap News Inc. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  44. ^ Gordinier, Jeff (August 2010). "Joseph Gordon-Levitt Comes of Age". Details.
  45. ^ John Brougher (October 8, 2013). "I'm a male feminist. No, seriously (slide number 3)". CNN. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  46. ^ Henry Barnes (November 12, 2013). "Don Jon star Joseph Gordon-Levitt: 'True love isn't some shiny trophy' - video interview" (Video upload). The Guardian. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  47. ^ "hitRECord – About Us". HitRecord. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  48. ^ Cunningham, Todd (August 27, 2013). "Disney Will Release Hayao Mayazaki's 'The Wind Rises' in U.S." The Wrap. Retrieved August 27, 2013.

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