Joesph Gordon – Levitt was born on February 17, 1981 to Jane Gordon and Dennis Levitt. From a young age, Levitt starred in numerous shows and films, such as Angels in the Outfield and The Dark Shadows. As he grew up, he took on more mature roles and became fascinated with cinema. After his work on 3rd Rock from the Sun, a sitcom, he took a break from acting and attended Columbia University. Here he studied French history, literature and poetry. After 4 years of college, Levitt left Columbia in 2004 to try acting again. Recently, Gordon-Levitt chose to go into film, following his grandfather Michael Gordon. His grandfather was a Hollywood director between the 1940s and 1970s and directed the Doris Day/Rock Hudson film Pillow Talk in 1959. His first short film Sparks was based on an Elmore Leonard story of the same name, but JGL took creative license with the film due to its low budget. His other short films are inspired by past relationships he's experienced, but with a touch of fantasy and humor. His new film, Don Jon, is inspired by the short films he made with his company HitRECord. He was also inspired by his childhood and the lessons he learned as a child, as his mother raised him and his brother with the "ideals of the feminist movement of the '60s and '70s." Finally, the film's script was also inspired by the death of his brother, Daniel Gordon-Levitt, in 2010, who died of a drug overdose. Through this, he brought awareness to the dangers of drug use and the emotions of the character Esther in the film, mimicking the feelings Joesph Gordon-Levitt felt after the death of his brother. The films or short films that Levitt has directed and written..... middle of paper ...... has just started producing major films, he said that starting in December 2013 he will produce a film based on the critically acclaimed The Sandman graphic novel series created by Neil Gaiman. His success is yet to come, we will wait and see what the future holds for Joesph Gordon-Levitt. Works Cited “Joseph Gordon-Levitt”. Biography. A&E Media. and Web. May 23, 2014. “Sparks.” HitRECord. npnd Web. May 23, 2014. “Joseph Gordon-Levitt.” IMDB.nd Web. May 23, 2014 “10 surprising influences on Don Jon by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. » Geek's Den. np September 30, 2013. Web. May 23, 2014. Huffington Post. Interview with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. HuffingtonPost. October 19, 2013. The web. May 23, 2014. “Joseph Gordon-Levitt on Don Jon.” Movie. npnd Web. May 23, 2014. "Joseph Gordon-Levitt's 'Sparks' Triggers Wholphin Screening." » Independent thread. December 16, 2009. The web. May 23 2014.