Joesph Gordon – Levitt was born on February 17, 1981 to Jane Gordon and Dennis Levitt. At an early age, Levitt starred in many 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 film making. 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 has chosen to devote himself to cinema, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Michael Gordon. His grandfather was a Hollywood director between the 1940s and 1970s and directed the 1959 Doris Day/Rock Hudson film Pillow Talk. His first short film, Sparks, was based on the Elmore Leonards story of the same name, however JGL took creative license with the film due to low budget funds. His other short films are inspired by previous relationships he has experienced, but with a touch of fantasy and humor. His new film, Don Jon, was inspired by the short films he had made with his company HitRECord. He was also inspired by his growth and the lessons he learned as a child, when his mother raised him and his brother with the "ideals of the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s". Finally, the film's plot also took inspiration from the death of his brother, Daniel Gordon-Levitt, in 2010, who passed away due to a drug overdose. Through this he spread awareness of the dangers of drug use and the emotions of the character Esther in the film, emulating the feelings Joesph Gordon-Levitt felt after his brother's death. The films or shorts that Levitt has directed and written... .middle of paper ......has just begun producing major films, he stated that starting in December 2013, he would produce a film based on the graphic novel series critically acclaimed The Sandman created by Neil Gaiman. His success is yet to come, we will wait to see what the future holds for Joesph Gordon-Levitt. Works Cited "Joseph Gordon-Levitt". Bio. First aid vehicles. nd Web. 23 May 2014. “Scintille”. PressRECord. npndWeb. May 23, 2014. “Joseph Gordon-Levitt.” IMDB.nd Web. May 23, 2014“10 Surprising Influences on Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Don Jon.” The geek's den. np September 30, 2013. Web. May 23, 2014. Huffington Post. Interview with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Huffington Post. October 19, 2013. Web. May 23, 2014. "Joseph Gordon-Levitt on Don Jon." Movies. npndWeb. May 23, 2014. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's "Sparks" lights up Wholphin screening. IndieWire. December 16, 2009. Web. May 23 2014.