Joss Whedon began his career as a staff writer in the entertainment sector. Since then, his career has only progressed upwards, with him appearing in a number of award-winning films such as ‘Toy Story’ and ‘Serenity.’ However, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ which he produced and directed under his production name Mutant Enemy Productions, was and continues to be important to his heart. He has produced a number of films, including the horror thriller ‘The Cabin in the Woods,’ and directed blockbuster smashes like ‘Marvel’s The Avengers,’ in addition to his lucrative work as a television writer. Whedon, a cheery, ambitious individual, also wears the hat of a comic book author, writing in his spare time. ‘Astonishing X-Men,’ ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ ‘Angel: After the Fall,’ and ‘Runaways’ all have comic adaptations by him. He was always artistically oriented and aspired to be an actor since he was a child. But fate had other ideas for him, and now he is known as a celebrated director, screenwriter, and playwright whose prodigious work has earned him cult status. However, Whedon, like every other celebrity in the entertainment world, has had his share of setbacks. Several of his initiatives, including a Wonder Woman remake and an animated show based on the ‘Buffy’ series, never took off as planned. Whedon’s works usually have a single protagonist who collaborates with a number of other characters in the film or show to achieve a goal.
Childhood and Adolescence
In New York City, Joseph Hill ‘Joss’ Whedon was born to Tom Whedon and Lee Stearns. He is the couple’s third kid out of a total of five. His mother was a history teacher at Riverdale Country School, where he attended. He was impressed by the works of William Shakespeare, Monty Python, Ray Bradbury, Steven Spielberg, and James Cameron from an early age, and is thought to have been influenced by them. He attended Wesleyan University and received his bachelor’s degree in 1987. He subsequently proceeded to Winchester College in England for a number of years.
Career of Joss
He began his career as a staff writer on the sitcom ‘Roseanne,’ which he wrote and produced from 1989 to 1990. He also directed and wrote for the show ‘Parenthood’ in the same year. He developed the script for ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ which starred Kristy Swanson, Hilary Swank, and Donald Sutherland and was released in 1992. The same was yet to be transformed into a television adaption.
He created the screenplays for two films in 1994: ‘Speed’ and ‘The Getaway,’ both of which became box office hits and won numerous awards. The next year, when he was asked to write the scripts for the films ‘Waterworld’ and ‘Toy Story,’ his career took off. In 1997, he wrote and directed a television series based on his most cherished work, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer.’ The sitcom, which starred Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendan, and Alyson Hannigan, had a successful run of 144 episodes. He wrote the script for ‘Alien Resurrection’ the same year.
In 1999, he wrote, directed, and even co-produced ‘Angel,’ another of his pet projects, which received critical acclaim. The show was a spin-off of the original ‘Buffy’ series, and it aired on the ‘WB’ network. He worked on a number of projects in the new millennium, including ‘Titan A.E.’ and ‘X-Men.’ He wrote the screenplay for ‘Atlantis: The Lost Empire’ in 2001. He developed, directed, and co-produced the television series ‘Firefly’ the following year, which became a cult hit.
He was working on an animated series for ‘Buffy’ in 2004, but it never got off the ground. The next year, he wrote the screenplay for the film ‘Serenity,’ which he also directed. In New Scientist magazine’s poll, ‘The World’s Best Space Sci-Fi Ever,’ both ‘Firefly’ and ‘Serenity’ took the top two rankings. ‘R. Tam Sessions,’ a series of internet shorts, was also launched. In 2005, he produced the three-issue comic miniseries ‘Serenity: Those Left Behind,’ and three years later, he released the second comic book series, ‘Serenity: Better Days.’
He developed, directed, and co-produced the American sci-fi television series ‘Dollhouse’ in 2009, which only lasted two seasons but was a hit at the time. The screenwriter/director had a very busy year in 2010-2011, as he helmed one episode of the hit musical ‘Glee.’ He went on to create the script for ‘Captain America: The First Avenger,’ based on the ‘The Avengers’ comics, which was one of the year’s biggest blockbusters.
He wrote the script for and produced the suspense film ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ in 2012. He also created and directed the picture ‘The Avengers,’ which became a box office success. In 2013, he wrote, directed, and co-produced the television show ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ as well as the films ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and ‘In Your Eyes.’
Major Projects of Joss
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ which aired from March 10, 1997, to May 20, 2003, is widely recognized as his magnum achievement. The plot revolves around a young woman who chooses to fight demons, vampires, and other dark forces. The show has spawned a comic book adaption, ‘Buff the Vampire Slayer,’ as well as a spin-off series, ‘Angel.’ The series drew a global audience of 4-6 million viewers and was named one of the ’50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.’
Achievements & Awards
In 2006, he won the Eisner Award for ‘Best Continuing Series’ for ‘Amazing X-Men.’ For ‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,’ he earned an Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Special Class- Short-format Live-action Entertainment Program’ in 2009. In 2009, Harvard University honored him with the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in ‘Cultural Humanism.’ In 2013, he received the Volta Award for ‘Contribution to Film.’ In 2013, he and Drew Goddard split the Bram Stoker Award for ‘Superior Achievement in Screenplay’ for ‘The Cabin in the Woods.’ In 2013, he won the 13th Belfast Film Festival Audience Award for his performance in ‘Much Ado About Nothing.’
Personal History and Legacy
Kai Cole, the co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, is his wife. The couple currently resides in Los Angeles with their two children. He considers himself a humanist and a strong advocate of LGBT rights.
Estimated Net Worth
Joss Whedon’s net worth is estimated to be in the millions of dollars. Joss Whedon is a $100 million-plus screenwriter and filmmaker from the United States. Whedon is a prolific writer, director, and producer, as well as the creator of television shows.
Trivia
This well-known screenwriter/director is known for his strong supernatural or sci-fi elements, and his films almost always have a strong female lead.