Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt is an American theater and film actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, musician. Nominee for Golden Globe, Actors Guild, Saturn, MTV, Georges. Viewers know him from the films: "The Beginning", "The Dark Knight Rises", "Snowden", "Sin City 2", "Walk".
The actor's creative biography includes more than one hundred and fifty roles in television and film projects, including participation in the Oscar and Golden Globe awards ceremonies and entertainment show programs.
Today Gordon-Levitt is one of the most famous actors in Hollywood. He not only acts in films, but also works on his own projects, in particular, helps young talents to realize themselves in show business.
short biography
The future actor was born in the United States in the winter of 1981. Joseph's parents, Jane Gordon and Dennis Levitt, met in California. They were brought together by common political views and interests. In 1970, Jane ran for Congress from the Peace and Freedom Party. Both are the founders of the progressive Jewish union. Later, my father began working as a presenter at a radio station, and my mother became a news editor at the same station.
The boy's grandfather, Michael Gordon, was a prominent Hollywood director in the late 1950s. His career was interrupted after he was blacklisted during the "red panic" that swept America in those years.
Joseph had an older brother who died suddenly in 2010. The relatives did not name the cause of death. However, many media outlets published articles stating that Daniel died of a drug overdose, which caused a storm of negative emotions in loved ones. The family declined to comment further, and Joseph stopped giving interviews about his personal and family life altogether.
I must say that the elder brother also belonged to the people of art. He was an excellent dancer and professional photographer. He had his own studio. In addition, he staged performances accompanied by fiery and pyrotechnic effects, for which they even began to call him "Flaming Dan".
Joseph received a double surname due to the fact that his mother adhered to the beliefs imposed on her in her youth that a woman should not change her surname to her husband's. Therefore, after the marriage, she remained Gordon, and it was decided to give the boy the surname of both mother and father.
For the first time on television, Joseph appeared at the age of six. He landed small roles in commercials and children's television shows. But even earlier, he took part in the theatrical musical production "The Wizard of Oz". At that time, the boy was only four years old, but he perfectly played one of the main characters of the play - the Scarecrow.
After graduating from Van Nuys High School, the young man went to college, and then to university, but left his studies for a while to devote himself entirely to the acting profession.
Film career
Gordon-Levitt played his first role in a movie at the age of seven. He appeared in a small episode of the television movie Not One Step Back. When the boy was eleven years old, he starred in the family comedy "Beethoven". True, he appeared on the screen for only a couple of minutes.
In 1996, Gordon-Levitt got a role in the project "The Third Planet from the Sun". Here he was already able to demonstrate his acting talent and receive the well-deserved recognition of the audience and film critics. Along with the cast of the project, Joseph was nominated several times for the Actors Guild Award.
After graduating from the popular TV series, he began to devote most of his time to the filming of independent films. The actor appeared in the movie "10 Things I Hate" with Heath Ledger and Julia Styles. The film was based on Shakespeare's classic play The Taming of the Shrew.
This was followed by work in the pictures: "Manic", "The Last Days", "Mysterious Skin", "Crazy", "War of Shadows", "Deception". In most films, Joseph received only cameo roles, which did not add to his popularity.
Gordon-Levitt received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award after starring in the melodrama 500 Days of Summer.
A year later, he starred in the cult film "Inception" directed by K. Nolan. His partners on the set were: L. DiCaprio, T. Hardy, E. Page, T. Berenger, M. Cotillard, K. Murphy.
Filming for Joseph was not easy. He had to train a lot to maintain excellent physical shape. All the actors were trained in a specially equipped revolving room, where they had to learn how to maintain balance. As the actor himself recalled, it was very difficult, but incredibly interesting.
Another interesting role Gordon-Levitt got in the project "The Dark Knight: The Legend Rises." Some fans of his talent had little doubt that the actor got the role of the Joker due to his physical resemblance to Heath Ledger. But the director decided not to do this, showing respect for Ledger, who died early.
The main role was played by Joseph in the film by Robert Zemeckis "Walk". In it, he perfectly embodied on the screen the image of the famous tightrope walker from France Philippe Petit, who passed without belay between the twin towers in New York.
In 2016, the actor played another leading role of Edward Snowden in the biopic Snowden.
Projects
In recent years, the actor does not appear on the screen so often. He is busy with his own project, which provides any creative person with the opportunity to start working on his ideas together with other authors, artists, performers, actors, directors, screenwriters.
The production company is called HitRecord. With her help, many representatives of the creative professions have already been able to start publishing books, releasing records, touring, participating in festivals, and making films.
HitRecord shares 50/50 profits with everyone who contributed to the creation of the projects. To date, members have already earned over $ 2 million. But the main thing Joseph believes is not making a profit, but the fact that young, talented, creative people can begin to bring their plans to life.
In 2014, Gordon-Levitt directed the Hit Record television show, in which he showed off the achievements of HitRecord members.
In addition to filming new films, the actor successfully tries himself as a screenwriter, director, musician and producer. His film "The Passion of Don Juan" grossed $ 30 million at the box office.
