Biography
Who is Joseph Gordon-Levitt?
Early life and background
Joseph Gordon-Levitt was born on February 17, 1981, in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood. He comes from a Jewish family and attended Van Nuys High School, graduating in 1999. His mother ran for the United States Congress in 1970, while his maternal grandfather was Hollywood film director Michael Gordon.
He joined a musical theater group at the age of four and played the Scarecrow in a production of The Wizard of Oz. An agent soon approached him, leading to appearances in television commercials for brands like Pop-Tarts, Cocoa Puffs, and Kinney Shoes.
Early acting work and television
As a child actor, Joseph appeared in various films and television series during the early 1990s. He played roles in A River Runs Through It, Holy Matrimony, and Angels in the Outfield. In 1996, he secured the role of Tommy Solomon in the hit television sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, which ran for six seasons until 2001.
During the late 1990s, he also appeared in the film 10 Things I Hate About You and made a guest appearance on That '70s Show. After spending time starring in different projects, he enrolled at Columbia University in 2000 to study history, literature, and French poetry before leaving in 2004 to return to acting full time.
Career highlights and films
Since returning to the screen, Joseph has taken on diverse roles in independent and mainstream cinema. He starred in the modern-day film noir Brick in 2005 and earned critical acclaim for his performance alongside Zooey Deschanel in the 2009 romantic comedy-drama 500 Days of Summer, which brought him a Golden Globe Award nomination.
He later appeared in blockbuster films including Christopher Nolan's Inception in 2010, The Dark Knight Rises in 2012, and Looper in 2012. In 2013, he wrote and directed the comedy-drama film Don Jon. He also founded the online media platform HitRecord, winning two Primetime Emmy Awards for interactive programming projects.
Family and personal life
Joseph married Tasha McCauley, and the couple shares two children named Danny and Jeremy. Throughout his life, he has balanced large-scale Hollywood acting roles with independent filmmaking and digital media projects through his online production company.
Birthday and age
Joseph Gordon-Levitt was born on February 17, 1981, which makes Joseph 45 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Joseph shares the date with 50 other famous people.
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