Joss Whedon's Real Name: Joss Whedon

Quick answer: The writer and director is known professionally as Joss Whedon. Encyclopedia.com gives the name Joseph Hill Whedon and dates the birth to June 23, 1964, in New York, New York. That longer form and date appear in Encyclopedia.com. This page titles him under the public name.

Real name and early life

Independent publishers identify him under the professional name Joss Whedon. Encyclopedia.com says he was born Joseph Hill Whedon on June 23, 1964, in New York, New York, grew up in Manhattan, and is the son of television writer Tom Whedon and teacher Lee Stearns. The same account says he later studied film at Wesleyan University, graduating in 1987. BBC News and The Guardian discuss him under the professional name in later career and interview coverage.

Career highlights

Encyclopedia.com says he wrote for television, including Roseanne, and for films including the 1992 feature Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Speed (1994), and Toy Story (1995), for which it records a 1996 Annie Award, and that he wrote and produced Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), Angel (1999-2004), and Firefly (2002), then made his feature directorial debut with Serenity (2005). The Guardian independently identifies him as the Buffy creator and as a director of The Avengers and Justice League, the latter after Zack Snyder's departure. BBC News independently discusses that Justice League work after Snyder withdrew.

Workplace allegations

The Guardian reported in January 2022 that Whedon had responded to multiple allegations of misconduct, denying claims from actors including Gal Gadot and Ray Fisher that he threatened and belittled them on the Justice League set. BBC News independently reported the same New York magazine interview, including Fisher's earlier description of Whedon's behavior on the film as gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable, and Whedon's denial that Fisher's allegations were "true or merited discussing." Both accounts record Charisma Carpenter's claims that, while working on Buffy and Angel, Whedon had abused his power and created a hostile work environment. Whedon denied a claim that he had called her fat, while saying he had been "not mannerly" when she told him she was pregnant. The Guardian also reported that in 2020 Warner launched an internal investigation into the Justice League set and announced that remedial action had been taken, and that HBO dropped him as showrunner of The Nevers.

Name notes for searchers

People looking up Joss Whedon or Joseph Hill Whedon are looking for the same writer and director, including the Buffy work most often associated with his name. This page uses the public professional name.