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Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Actor, director and producer, also writer · Born February 17, 1981 (45) · Los Angeles, California, USA

2 Primetime Emmys · Screen Actors Guild Award winner · Golden Globe nominee · 3 other major award bodies

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, he 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, he 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 the comedy drama series Mr. Corman on Apple TV+.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 17, 1981 (45)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Actor, director and producer, also writer
Titles
80 on MovieCove · 107 credits in all
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 35% in 30 days

What are Joseph Gordon-Levitt's films like?

Across their 53 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

What they feel like to watch

their average across 48 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

A split, not a type: Light 15 · Serious 11 · Dark 22

A split, not a type: Grounded 27 · Stylized 15 · Heightened 6

A split, not a type: Gentle 7 · Charged 16 · Intense 25

Steady 15 · Shifting 24 · Whiplash 9

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 25 · Some laughs 17 · Funny 6

Slow burn 14 · Even-paced 28 · Relentless 6

Casual 16 · Engaged 21 · Full focus 10

A split, not a type: Easy watch 15 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 22

Resolved 35 · Open-ended 9 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

40 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 18 of 40 analyzed roles.

Hero
18 of 40
Ally
10 of 40
Shadow
3 of 40
Mentor
3 of 40
Herald
2 of 40
Shapeshifter
2 of 40
Trickster
2 of 40
Show the 40 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
32
Melancholic
19
Joyful
16
Hopeful
15
Contemplative
15
Other
55

How their films end · 11 with a twist

  • Happy16
  • Bittersweet24
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous10

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Joseph Gordon-Levitt's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 59 of their 80 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (17).

Subscription and free streaming for Joseph Gordon-Levitt's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

107 credits, 80 with a MovieCove page; 40 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Pendulum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Patrick

  • Wake Up Dead Man(2025)

    as Baseball Announcer (voice)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
  • Paradise Records(2025)

    as The Negotiator

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
  • An SNL Thanksgiving (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as (archive footage)

  • Killer Heat(2024)

    as Nick Bali

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
  • Greedy People(2024)

    as Terry

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
  • Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F(2024)

    as Detective Bobby Abbott

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
  • Once Upon a Studio(2023)

    as Jim Hawkins (voice) (archive sound)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • Flora and Son(2023)

    as Jeff

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
  • Poker Face(2023)

    Show 1 episode · as Trey Nelson

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows
  • Glass Onion(2022)

    as Hourly Dong (voice)

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
  • Pinocchio(2022)

    as Jiminy Cricket (voice)

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
  • A Forest Haunt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Executive Producer · as Narrator (voice)

  • Super Pumped(2022)

    Show 7 episodes · as Travis 'TK' Kalanick

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
  • Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Travis 'Tk' Kalanick

  • Wolfboy and the Everything Factory(2021)

    Show 20 episodes · Executive Producer · as Luxcraft (voice)

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
  • Mr. Corman(2021)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Songs · Writer · as Josh Corman

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7(2020)

    as Richard Schultz

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
  • Project Power(2020)

    as Frank

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
  • Create Together (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 12 episodes · Creator · as Self - Host

  • 7500(2019)

    as Tobias Ellis

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
  • Knives Out(2019)

    as Detective Hardrock (voice)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
  • Band Together with Logic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Director · Executive Producer · as Self

  • Endgame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Guard

  • Explained(2018)

    Show 1 episode · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
  • Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi(2017)

    as Slowen Lo (voice)

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
  • Comrade Detective(2017)

    Show 6 episodes · as Iosif Baciu (voice)

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows
  • Snowden(2016)

    as Edward Snowden

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
  • Straight Outta OZ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • The Night Before(2015)

    as Ethan

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
  • The Walk(2015)

    as Philippe Petit

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
  • Sleep Cycle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director

  • HitRECord on TV(2014)

    Show 16 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · as Self · as Self - Host

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
  • One Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Producer

  • Vinegar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Vinny (voice)

  • Don Jon(2013)

    Director · Writer · as Jon Martello, Jr.

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
  • Django Unchained(2012)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • Lincoln(2012)

    as Robert Lincoln

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
  • Looper(2012)

    Executive Producer · as Joe

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
  • The Mindy Project(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Matt Sherman

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows
  • The Blue Dildo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director · Writer

  • Premium Rush(2012)

    as Wilee

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
  • The Dark Knight Rises(2012)

    as Blake

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • 50/50(2011)

    as Adam Lerner

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
  • Elektra Luxx(2010)

    as Bert Rodriguez

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
  • Inception(2010)

    as Arthur

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • Morgan and Destiny's Eleventeenth Date: The Zeppelin Zoo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · as Morgan M. Morgensen / Narrator

  • Morgan M. Morgansen's Date with Destiny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Editor · as Morgan M. Morgensen / Narrator

  • Hesher(2010)

    as Hesher

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
  • Uncertainty(2008)

    as Bobby

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
  • Women in Trouble(2009)

    as Bert Rodriguez

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
  • G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra(2009)

    as The Doctor / Rex

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
  • 500 Days of Summer(2009)

    as Tom

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • The Brothers Bloom(2008)

    as Bar Patron

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
  • Sparks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Big Breaks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Todd Sterling

  • Killshot(2008)

    as Richie Nix

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
  • Miracle at St. Anna(2008)

    as Tim Boyle

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
  • Stop-Loss(2008)

    as Tommy Burgess

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
  • The Lookout(2007)

    as Chris Pratt

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
  • Brick(2005)

    as Brendan Frye

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
  • Escargots (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Actor

  • Havoc(2005)

    as Sam

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
  • Shadowboxer(2005)

    as Dr. Don

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
  • Mysterious Skin(2004)

    as Neil McCormick

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
  • Numb3rs(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Scott Reynolds

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows
  • Latter Days(2003)

    as Elder Paul Ryder

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
  • Treasure Planet(2002)

    as Jim Hawkins (voice)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
  • Manic(2001)

    as Lyle

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
  • Nudes in the News (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Tommy Solomon (archive footage)

  • Forever Lulu(2000)

    as Martin Ellsworth

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
  • Picking Up the Pieces(2000)

    as Flaco

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
  • 10 Things I Hate About You(1999)

    as Cameron James

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • That '70s Show(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Buddy

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
  • Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
  • Sweet Jane(1998)

    as Tony

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
  • The Juror(1996)

    as Oliver

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
  • 3rd Rock from the Sun(1996)

    Show 139 episodes · as Tommy Solomon

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows
  • The Outer Limits(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Teenage Boy · as Zach Henniger

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows
  • The Great Elephant Escape(1995)

    as Matthew „Matt“ Cunningham

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
  • The Road Killers(1994)

    as Rich

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
  • Holy Matrimony(1994)

    as Zeke

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
  • Gregory K(1993)

    as Gregory Kingsley

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
  • Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Zack Lawson

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
  • A River Runs Through It(1992)

    as Young Norman

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
  • Beethoven(1992)

    as Student #1

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
  • The Powers That Be (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 20 episodes · as Pierce Van Horne

  • Plymouth(1991)

    as Simon

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
  • Hi Honey - I'm Dead(1991)

    as Josh Stadler

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
  • Changes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Matt Hallam

  • Dark Shadows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 7 episodes · as Daniel Collins · as David Collins · as David Collins / Daniel Collins

  • Quantum Leap(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Kyle

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
  • Roseanne(1988)

    Show 3 episodes · as George

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows
  • China Beach(1988)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
  • Stranger on My Land(1988)

    as Rounder

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
  • L.A. Law(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Ricky Berg

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows
  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Boy #1

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
  • Family Ties(1982)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dougie

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows
  • 2034 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • Nobody Nothing Nowhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer · Actor

  • Seductive Poison (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Sovereign (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer

  • Weezer: Security Threat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • White Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as James Jones

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 107 titles, 100 of them dated from 1982 to 2025; peak year 2011.

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
19822025

Peak 2011 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 43 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

Show 4 more milestones

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting97 of 107: 88 only acting, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score60thDirecting11 of 107: 1 only directing, 10 with another roleWriting5 of 107: 0 only writing, 5 with another roleProducing11 of 107: 2 only producing, 9 with another roleEditing1 of 107: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew4 of 107: 2 only other crew, 2 with another role

107 titles, 14 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1980s7 · acting1990s20 · acting2000s23 · 22 acting · 2 crew2010s31 · 25 acting · 10 crew2020s19 · 18 acting · 4 crew

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 38% of 48 roles
9499040914

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

2 Primetime Emmys and a Screen Actors Guild Award from 14 major nominations, 1997–2021.

WinNomination
  1. 2021
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Interactive Program
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
  2. 2020
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Programming
  3. 2014
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media - Social TV Experience
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best First Screenplay
  4. 2013
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Actor in an Action Movie
  5. 2012
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
  6. 2010
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Male Lead
  7. 2009
    • Sundance award, nominated
  8. 1999
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Show 2 earlier years
  1. 1998
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  2. 1997
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Joseph Gordon-Levitt's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 61; across their 48 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 56th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 48

Approval · how many liked their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 48

Reach · how many have seen their films

93rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 48

Midcredits score across 80 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up33
  • 50th to 74th19
  • 25th to 49th17
  • Below 25th11

Shape of the crowd

38 of their 80 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved13
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser38
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed20

Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 45 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's work okay for kids?

Across up to 40 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore34 titles23–79 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity40 titles14–67 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity35 titles36–89 · median 67 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs32 titles24–71 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense31 titles10–74 · median 49 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Joseph Gordon-Levitt work with?

People who share at least 2 of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Christopher Nolan shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles