Joss Whedon

Joseph Hill “Joss” Whedon was born on June 23, 1964, in New York City. Raised on the Upper West Side, he is a third-generation TV writer, following in the footsteps of his father, Tom Whedon, and grandfather, John Whedon, both successful television writers. His mother, Lee Stearns, was a history teacher and novelist. Whedon attended Riverdale Country School in New York and spent three years at Winchester College in England. He graduated with a film degree from Wesleyan University in 1987.

Whedon began his career in the late 1980s as a staff writer on sitcoms such as “Roseanne” (1989-1990) and “Parenthood.” He also worked as an uncredited script doctor on various films including “Speed” (1994), “Waterworld,” and “Twister.” In 1995, he co-wrote the animated film “Toy Story,” earning him a shared Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. This early work in film was followed by screenwriting credits for “Alien: Resurrection” (1997).

A significant turning point in Whedon’s career was the creation of his television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997–2003) and its spin-off “Angel” (1999–2004), where he served as showrunner and executive producer. He continued to create acclaimed genre shows, including the space Western “Firefly” (2002), the internet musical miniseries “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” (2008), and “Dollhouse” (2009–2010). Whedon made a substantial impact in the superhero genre by writing and directing Marvel’s “The Avengers” (2012) and “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015), and co-created the Marvel TV series “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (2013–2020). He also established Bellwether Pictures, through which he produced and directed films like “Much Ado About Nothing” (2012) and executive produced “In Your Eyes” (2014).