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The most valiant thing you can do as an artist is inspire someone else to be creative." Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a former child-star turned blockbuster film star. Originally kick-starting his career on shows like 3rd Rock from the Sun, Gordon-Levitt has nimbly navigated the entertainment world en route to becoming one of the biggest names in the industry.

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While Gordon-Levitt is a celebrated actor, he has showcased his skills in other endeavors. Gordon-Levitt is the founder of the collaborative online production company, hitRECord, as well as the host of HitRecord on TV. Gordon-Levitt is also a talented musician with multiple singles and records released under his name. With a variety of major products releasing on the horizon, now is a great time to see where Hollywood's surging leading man got his start.

Raised in Sherman Oaks

Joseph Gordon-Levitt was born on February 17, 1981, in Los Angeles, California. Raised in Sherman Oaks, Gordon-Levitt's father was Dennis Levitt while his mother was Jane Gordon. Dennis worked as a news director for the Pacifica Radio station, KPFP-FM. Jane ran for Congress during the '70s as a member of the Peace and Freedom Party. Gordon-Levitt had a brother named Dan while growing up. Tragically, Dan would pass away in 2010.

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Gordon-Levitt grew up in a Jewish household, though he claims that his family wasn't 'strictly religious'. Gordon-Levitt attended Van Nuys High School as a kid before graduating in 1999. Before even attending high-school, Gordon-Levitt was showing an affinity for the arts. He began acting at just four years old after joining a local musical theater. A few months later, Gordon-Levitt would sign a deal with his first agent. Gordon-Levitt grew up in the film industry with regular roles flowing in at the age of six. 

Despite his early beginnings in the world of showbusiness, Gordon-Levitt proved that he had a clear head on his shoulders. After taking a break from acting in order to focus on school, he would return with a renewed sense of purpose and a focus on taking only quality work.

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Child Star to Hollywood Heartthrob 

With Joseph Gordon-Levitt, finding success in Hollywood seemed almost easy. At the age of six, he would appear in several major commercials for products like Cocoa Puffs and Pop-Tarts. From there, he would appear in a couple of television shows in 1988, including Family Ties and Stranger on My Land. Gordon-Levitt wouldn't establish himself as a legitimate child actor until he landed the role of George in the hit series, Roseanne (1993). Gordon-Levitt would appear in four episodes and that work would lead directly to his breakthrough, Angels in the Outfield (1994). Levitt would star in the film as Roger Bomman as the movie soared to both critical and commercial success.

After finding success on the silver screen, Gordon-Levitt would appear in two box office hits in 1998. First, Levitt would star in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later and then 10 Things I Hate About You. Levitt would garner critical acclaim for his work in the latter film alongside then-rising star, Heath Ledger. The film has since become one of the definitive rom-coms of the era.

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In 1996, Gordon-Levitt would land the role that would cement his legacy as a prolific television actor. Levitt would star alongside Jon Lithgow and Kristen Johnston in the alien-themed sitcom, 3rd Rock from the Sun. In the show, Gordon-Levitt played one alien in a small extra-terrestrial family as they tried to fit in on Earth. The show would run for five years and Gordon-Levitt would appear in all 139 episodes.

While Levitt was becoming a pop-culture icon, he was also finding it easier to transition into bigger and better movies. Levitt would land the lead role in the cult-Disney film, Treasure Planet (2002). Levitt worked on the project for four years as a voice actor before finally seeing the film get a release. From there, Gordon-Levitt had a string of indie hits that included Brick (2005), The Lookout (2007), and 500 Days of Summer (2009). In 500 Days of Summer, Gordon-Levitt gained legitimate star status opposite Zooey Deschanel in an inventive and quirky romantic comedy. The film was highly praised for turning the genre on its head.

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With a string of solid films on his resume, Gordon-Levitt made a break for the big time when he accepted a starring role in the blockbuster film, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009). While the film scored mixed reviews, it still made piles of cash at the box office. Levitt would not return for the sequels in order to reprise his role as Cobra Commander. Instead, Gordon-Levitt would land a starring role in the Chris Nolan film, Inception (2010). Inception would become a cultural phenomenon as well as one of the biggest movies of the year. Even now, almost a decade later, the film continues to retain its cult following.

Now firmly established as a leading man, Levitt would continue to work with the biggest names in Hollywood. Gordon-Levitt would score a starring role in the critical darling, 50/50 (2011). The film followed the character Adam as he deals with a cheating girlfriend, a stoner buddy (Seth Rogen), a new therapist (Anna Kendrick) and a sudden, unexpected, cancer diagnosis. Gordon-Levitt would receive rave reviews for his work in the film. Following 50/50, Gordon-Levitt would reunite with Chris Nolan for the blockbuster film, The Dark Knight Rises (2012) as a young police officer named Blake.

With a focus on taking only quality work, Gordon-Levitt would slow down on the number of films that he had been accepting. He'd still score a leading role in the sci-fi hit, Looper (2012), alongside Bruce Willis. Levitt would also get a supporting role in the Oscar-winning film, Lincoln (2012) as Robert Lincoln.  These hit films would be followed by Gordon-Levitt's first major self-directed project, Don Jon (2013). The film starred Gordon-Levitt, Tony Danza, Julianne Moore, and Scarlett Johansson. The film garnered rave reviews and it would end up being acquired for a wide release.

Levitt would take a break from filmmaking before returning with a bang in the political thriller, Snowden (2016) as the real-life whistleblower, Edward Snowden. Levitt would also get a voice-over role in Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017). Right now, Gordon-Levitt has several films in production, including The Trial of the Chicago 7, Wingmen, and an untitled collaboration with Jamie Foxx and Machine Gun Kelly.

Outside of his work in the entertainment world, Gordon-Levitt considers himself to be a feminist and an advocate. Gordon-Levitt is married to Tasha McCauley, the CEO, and founder, of Fellow Robots. Together, McCauley and Gordon-Levitt have two children. Gordon-Levitt is active as a musician, director, producer, and actor.