Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt (born February 17, 1981) is an American actor. He began as a
child actor, and subsequently developed into adult roles, having strongly concentrated on
independent films (including
Brick,
The Lookout and
Mysterious Skin). Gordon-Levitt will portray
Cobra Commander, the villain in the upcoming
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra film directed by
Stephen Sommers.
Biography
Early life and family
Gordon-Levitt, the younger of two sons, was born in
Los Angeles, California and raised in
Sherman Oaks. He is
Jewish.
His father, Dennis Levitt, was once the news director for the
Pacifica Radio station,
KPFK-FM.
His mother, Jane Gordon (daughter of director
Michael Gordon),
studied French, ran for the
United States Congress in
California during the 1970s for the
Peace and Freedom Party, and met Dennis Levitt while she was working as the program guide editor for KPFK-FM.
Gordon-Levitt has an older brother, Daniel (born 1974).
[Joseph Gordon-Levitt @ Notable Names Database][Dan Gordon-Levitt's website]
Gordon-Levitt joined a musical theater group at the age of four, and played the
scarecrow in a production of
The Wizard of Oz.
He was subsequently approached by an agent and began appearing on television and in commercials for
Sunny Jim peanut butter,
Cocoa Puffs,
Pop-Tarts, and
Kinney Shoes.
