One Last Name Just Isn’t Enough
by Rebecca Lewis
A few years ago, you may not have recognized his name. Sure, if you knew who he was, you loved him, but otherwise, the name probably didn’t mean much. But recently, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has really risen in prominence, appearing in many major films in the past few years, several which came out this year alone.
First off, even if the name seems unrecognizable, most people will remember him for his hyphenated last name. He is not Joseph Gordon or Joseph Levitt; he is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gordon being his mother’s maiden name and Levitt being his father’s name. But he is far more than just an unusual name.
You may remember him from early movies like Angels in the Outfield and 10 Things I Hate About You. These were some of his breakthrough roles when he was younger.
Recently though, Gordon-Levitt has begun to appear in many popular movies, catching the eye of the public. In this year alone, he has starred in the blockbuster hit, The Dark Knight Rises, Premium Rush, and Looper, and will be starring in the movie Lincoln later this year with Daniel Day-Lewis. But Gordon-Levitt is also well known for his role in the film (500) Days Of Summer, Inception, and 50/50. That’s a lot of movies over such a short period time, and his talents are prevalent in each of them.
Aside from being an actor, Gordon-Levitt is also the owner of HitRECord, an online collaborative production company that he found in 2005. In the company, he is known by the name RegularJOE. What started simply as a way for people to share videos and music as well as feedback soon became a place that links creative people together through collaborative work. The site uses the contributed work of thousands of artists of all forms of media from around the world. Once a piece has been posted on the site, anyone who is a member can add to the piece or create a desired change. In the end, all contributors get a part of any profit made from that piece.
Gordon-Levitt, who also plays guitars and drums, often posts his own songs and music videos onto the site, where the now 80,000+ members can critique and contribute to his work. Also, he has often been seen wearing a HitRECord pin on his clothes during interviews or in the public eye.
So far, HitRECord has released The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 1, a small book made up of illustrations and (very) short stories of 67 people from a total of about 8,500 contributors. It has also released a CD, called Move on the Sun, a pop/alternative rock album made from several music collaborations. Numerous short films have also been premiered at Sundance Film Festival and are based on videos and stories that are submitted to the site. An anthology of works has been released in the form of RECollection: Volume 1. Additionally, The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 2 will be released on November 13.
With everything Joseph Gordon-Levitt does, it’s no wonder that one last name just isn’t enough.
First off, even if the name seems unrecognizable, most people will remember him for his hyphenated last name. He is not Joseph Gordon or Joseph Levitt; he is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gordon being his mother’s maiden name and Levitt being his father’s name. But he is far more than just an unusual name.
You may remember him from early movies like Angels in the Outfield and 10 Things I Hate About You. These were some of his breakthrough roles when he was younger.
Recently though, Gordon-Levitt has begun to appear in many popular movies, catching the eye of the public. In this year alone, he has starred in the blockbuster hit, The Dark Knight Rises, Premium Rush, and Looper, and will be starring in the movie Lincoln later this year with Daniel Day-Lewis. But Gordon-Levitt is also well known for his role in the film (500) Days Of Summer, Inception, and 50/50. That’s a lot of movies over such a short period time, and his talents are prevalent in each of them.
Aside from being an actor, Gordon-Levitt is also the owner of HitRECord, an online collaborative production company that he found in 2005. In the company, he is known by the name RegularJOE. What started simply as a way for people to share videos and music as well as feedback soon became a place that links creative people together through collaborative work. The site uses the contributed work of thousands of artists of all forms of media from around the world. Once a piece has been posted on the site, anyone who is a member can add to the piece or create a desired change. In the end, all contributors get a part of any profit made from that piece.
Gordon-Levitt, who also plays guitars and drums, often posts his own songs and music videos onto the site, where the now 80,000+ members can critique and contribute to his work. Also, he has often been seen wearing a HitRECord pin on his clothes during interviews or in the public eye.
So far, HitRECord has released The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 1, a small book made up of illustrations and (very) short stories of 67 people from a total of about 8,500 contributors. It has also released a CD, called Move on the Sun, a pop/alternative rock album made from several music collaborations. Numerous short films have also been premiered at Sundance Film Festival and are based on videos and stories that are submitted to the site. An anthology of works has been released in the form of RECollection: Volume 1. Additionally, The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 2 will be released on November 13.
With everything Joseph Gordon-Levitt does, it’s no wonder that one last name just isn’t enough.
