Birthdate
June 23, 1964
Birthplace
New York City, New York, United States
Nationality
United States
Professions
Producer, Screenwriter, Director, Songwriter, Story editor, Video store clerk
A third-generation television writer, it came as little surprise when scripter Joss Whedon followed in his relatives' footsteps, although his astonishing success as series creator, producer, screenwriter and feature film director surely impressed even his formidable family. Receiving his start as a writer on the sitcom "Roseanne" (ABC, 1988-1997) and serving as a script doctor on several noted studio films, Whedon later created the cult hit "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (The WB, 1997-2001; UPN, 2001-03), developed from a campy horror comedy of the same name he had also written years earlier. With "Buffy," Whedon used the horror genre, combined with deft comedic touches, to explore the theme that life as an American teen could be pure hell. An instant cult favorite, it spurred Whedon on to create the "Buffy" spin-off, "Angel" (The WB, 1999-2004). While his critically acclaimed sci-fi opus "Firefly" (Fox, 2002-03) and its feature film sequel "Serenity" (2005) were poorly promoted by the studios, Whedon had plenty of other ideas to explore. Following another TV disappointment with the short-lived sci-fi adventure "Dollhouse" (Fox, 2009-2010), Whedon returned to film with a bang as a co-writer of the mind-bending horror movie, "Cabin in the Woods" (2012) and as the writer-director of the superhero blockbuster, "The Avengers" (2012) and its sequel "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015). In between, his small-scale reimagining of William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" (2012) was an imaginative busman's holiday filmed at his own home on digital video. Brilliantly combining genres like science fiction, fantasy, horror and Westerns, Whedon achieved his own level of cult status, even as he grew in stature as one of Hollywood's most innovative purveyors of popular entertainment.Born on June 23, 1964 in New York City, Whedon was the son of Tom Whedon, an Emmy-winning television writer and producer on shows like "Benson" (ABC, 1979-1986) and "The Golden Girls" (NBC, 1985-1992), and Lee Stearns, a high school teacher and unpublished novelist. Also in his family was another television writer, his grandfather John Whedon, who wrote for "The Donna Reed Show" (ABC, 1958-1966) and "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (CBS, 1961-66). When he was nine, his parents divorced and he went to live with his dad while spending summers with his mom and stepfather on an artists' commune in upstate New York. After attending the Riverdale Country School in Riverdale, NY, Whedon went to Winchester College, a boarding school in Hampshire, England, where he first became obsessed with comic books. Upon returning to the states, he matriculated at Wesleyan University, where he majored in film and became interested in women's studies. It was at Wesleyan that he began to contemplate transforming genre movies - namely science fiction and horror - from mere entertainment into launching pads for complex sociopolitical ideas.After graduating Wesleyan in 1987, Whedon moved to Los Angeles to launch his screenwriting career. He had a rocky start despite his father's connections, but he eventually landed a staff writing job on the hit sitcom "Rosanne" (ABC, 1988-1997) during its second season. Whedon left the show after a year and spent a season on the short-lived comedy "Parenthood" (NBC, 1990-91). Done with television for the time being, Whedon decided to take his ideas for popular feminism and put them to use in a script designed to create a female hero in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1992). But as often happens in Hollywood, Whedon's script was taken out of his hands and turned into a campy horror comedy about a bubble-headed cheerleader (Kristy Swanson) who learns that she is actually a reincarnation of a female warrior destined to protect the world from hordes of marauding vampires. Embarrassed by the final results and stung by the film's harsh reception, Whedon rightfully feared for his career. Meanwhile, he spent the a few years working as a well-paid script doctor on several stu
