Gordon-Levitt, the youngest of two sons, was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood. He is Jewish. His father, Dennis Levitt, was once the news director for the Pacifica Radio station, KPFK-FM. His mother, Jane Gordon (daughter of director Michael Gordon), studied French, ran for the United States Congress in California during the 1970s for the Peace and Freedom Read more...

Gordon-Levitt began his acting career at the age of six, appearing in several late 1980s made-for-television films and two episodes of the series Family Ties. After having a lead role on the short-lived 1991 revival of the television series Dark Shadows as David Collins, he made his feature-film debut with a background role in 1992's Beethoven. Later that same year, he played a young version of Read more...

Gordon-Levitt left 3rd Rock from the Sun during its final season, becoming a recurring character and appearing in only half of the season's episodes. For the two years following, he quit acting and attended Columbia University (the only university he had applied to). He entered in 2000 and attended from 2001 to 2004, studying history, literature, and French poetry in GS. Since his study at Columbia, Read more...