Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt (born February 17, 1981) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received various accolades, including nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his leading performances in 500 Days of Summer (2009) and 50/50 (2011). He is the founder of the online media platform HitRecord whose projects such as HitRecord on TV (2014–15) and Create Together (2020) won him two Primetime Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Interactive Program.
Born in Los Angeles to a Jewish family, Gordon-Levitt began his acting career as a child, appearing in the films A River Runs Through It (1992), Holy Matrimony (1994), and Angels in the Outfield (1994), which earned him a Young Artist Award and a Saturn Award nomination. He played the role of Tommy Solomon in the TV series 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996–2001) for which he received three nominations at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. He had a supporting role in 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and voiced Jim Hawkins in the Disney animated Treasure Planet (2002) before taking a break from acting to study at Columbia University, but dropped out in 2004 to resume his acting career.
Since returning to acting, Gordon-Levitt has starred in Manic (2001), Mysterious Skin (2004), Brick (2005), The Lookout (2007), The Brothers Bloom (2008), Miracle at St. Anna (2008), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), Inception (2010), Hesher (2010), Premium Rush (2012), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Looper (2012), and Lincoln (2012). He portrayed Philippe Petit in the Robert Zemeckis-directed film The Walk (2015) and whistleblower Edward Snowden in the Oliver Stone film Snowden (2016). In 2020, he starred in the legal drama The Trial of the Chicago 7, for which he won the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
In 2013, he wrote and directed Don Jon, a comedy-drama film that was released to critical acclaim, earning him an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Screenplay. He previously directed and edited two short films, both of which were released in 2010: Morgan M. Morgansen's Date with Destiny and Morgan and Destiny's Eleventeenth Date: The Zeppelin Zoo. In 2021, he wrote, directed and starred in a comedy drama series Mr. Corman on Apple TV+.
Known For
Paradise Records
2025
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Johnny
2014
Holy Matrimony
Zeke
1994
Wingmen
Nobody Nothing Nowhere
Lincoln
Robert Lincoln
2012
Looper
Joe
2012
Premium Rush
Wilee
2012
The Dark Knight Rises
Blake
2012
50/50
Adam Lerner
2011
Elektra Luxx
Bert Rodriguez
2011
Inception
Arthur
2010
Morgan and Destiny's Eleventeenth Date: The Zeppelin Zoo
Morgan M. Morgensen / Narrator
2010
Hesher
Hesher
2010
Uncertainty
Bobby
2009
Women in Trouble
Bert Rodriguez
2009
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
The Doctor / Rex
2009
(500) Days of Summer
Tom
2009
Killshot
Richie Nix
2008
Miracle at St. Anna
Tim Boyle
2008
Stop-Loss
Tommy Burgess
2008
The Lookout
Chris Pratt
2007
Brick
Brendan
2006
Havoc
Sam
2005
Shadowboxer
Dr. Don
2005
Mysterious Skin
Neil McCormick
2005
Latter Days
Elder Paul Ryder
2004
Treasure Planet
Jim Hawkins (voice)
2002
Manic
Lyle
2001
10 Things I Hate About You
Cameron James
1999
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Jimmy Howell
1998
The Juror
Oliver Laird
1996
Angels in the Outfield
Roger
1994
White Night
James Jones
Killer Heat
Nick Bali
2024
Greedy People
Terry
2024
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
Detective Bobby Abbott
2024
Once Upon a Studio
Jim Hawkins (voice) (archive footage)
2023
Flora and Son
Jeff
2023
Poker Face
Trey Nelson · (1 episode)
2023
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Hourly Dong (voice)
2022
Pinocchio
Jiminy Cricket (voice)
2022
A Forest Haunt
Narrator (voice)
2022
Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber
Travis 'TK' Kalanick · (7 episodes)
2022
That's My Jam
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2021
Last Meals
(1 episode)
2021
Wolfboy and the Everything Factory
Luxcraft (voice) · (20 episodes)
2021
Mr. Corman
Josh Corman · (10 episodes)
2021
Amend: The Fight for America
Self · (2 episodes)
2021
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Richard Schultz
2020
Project Power
Frank
2020
Dear Class of 2020
Self
2020
Create Together
Self - Host · (12 episodes)
2020
7500
Tobias Ellis
2019
Knives Out
Detective Hardrock (voice)
2019
Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration
Self - Host
2019
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
Self · (1 episode)
2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self · (2 episodes)
2019
Band Together with Logic
Self
2019
Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis
Self - Host
2018
Explained
Narrator (voice) · (1 episode)
2018
James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction
Self · (2 episodes)
2018
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Slowen Lo (voice)
2017
Drop the Mic
Self · (1 episode)
2017
Comrade Detective
Iosif Baciu (voice) · (6 episodes)
2017
Snowden
Edward Snowden
2016
Straight Outta OZ
2016
The Night Before
Ethan
2015
The Walk
Philippe Petit
2015
The Muppets
Self · (1 episode)
2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Hot Ones
Self · (1 episode)
2015
The Interview
Self (uncredited)
2014
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self · (1 episode)
2014
Running Wild with Bear Grylls
Self · (1 episode)
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self · (2 episodes)
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
(1 episode)
2014
Off Camera with Sam Jones
Self · (1 episode)
2014
HitRECord on TV with Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Self - Host · (16 episodes)
2014
Vinegar
Vinny
2013
Lady Gaga & the Muppets Holiday Spectacular
Self
2013
Don Jon
Jon Martello, Jr.
2013
Lincoln: An American Journey
Self
2013
Ending the Knight
Self
2012
The Mindy Project
Matt Sherman · (1 episode)
2012
Comedy Bang! Bang!
Self · (1 episode)
2012
Honest Trailers
John Blake (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2012
Dreams: Cinema of the Subconscious
Self
2010
Conan
Self · (1 episode)
2010
Morgan M. Morgansen's Date with Destiny
Morgan M. Morgensen / Narrator
2010
Big Breaks
Todd Sterling
2008
The Brothers Bloom
Bar Patron
2008
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (1 episode)
2007
Building Brick
2006
Escargots
2006
Made in Hollywood
Self · (1 episode)
2005
Numb3rs
Scott Reynolds · (1 episode)
2005
Nudes in the News
Tommy Solomon (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2002
Forever Lulu
Martin Ellsworth
2000
Picking Up the Pieces
Flaco
2000
Pendulum
Patrick
Click
Self · (1 episode)
2000
Teen Choice Awards
Self - Nominee · (1 episode)
1999
That '70s Show
Buddy · (1 episode)
1998
Sweet Jane
Tony
1998
The View
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1997
3rd Rock from the Sun
Tommy Solomon · (139 episodes)
1996
The Outer Limits
Zach Henniger · (1 episode)
1995
The Outer Limits
Teenage Boy · (1 episode)
1995
The Great Elephant Escape
Matthew „Matt“ Cunningham
1995
The Road Killers
Rich
1994
Gregory K
Gregory Kingsley / Shawn Russ
1993
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Zack Lawson · (1 episode)
1993
A River Runs Through It
Young Norman
1992
MTV Movie & TV Awards
Self / Presenter · (1 episode)
1992
Beethoven
Student #1
1992
The Powers That Be
Pierce Van Horne · (15 episodes)
1992
Plymouth
Simon
1991
Hi Honey - I'm Dead
Josh Stadler
1991
Changes
Matt Hallam
1991
Dark Shadows
David Collins / Daniel Collins · (12 episodes)
1991
Quantum Leap
Kyle · (1 episode)
1989
Roseanne
George · (3 episodes)
1988
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1988
China Beach
(1 episode)
1988
Stranger on My Land
Rounder
1988
L.A. Law
Ricky Berg · (1 episode)
1986
Murder, She Wrote
Boy #1 · (1 episode)
1984
Family Ties
Dougie · (2 episodes)
1982
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host · (2 episodes)
1975