Biography

Jon Voight is an American actor of German and Slovak descent. He has won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role as paraplegic Vietnam War veteran Luke Martin in the war film "Coming Home" (1978). He has also been nominated for the same award other two times. He was first nominated for his role as aspiring gigolo Joe Buck in "Midnight Cowboy" (1969), He was last nominated for the award for his role as escaped convict Oscar "Manny" Manheim in "Runaway Train" (1985). He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, for his role as sports journalist Howard Cosell (1918-1995) in "Ali" (2001).

In 1938, Voight was born in Yonkers, New York. His parents were professional golfer Elmer Samuel Voight (original name Elemír Vojtka) and his wife Barbara Agnes (Kamp). His paternal grandfather was a Slovak immigrant, as were the parents of his paternal grandmother. His maternal grandfather was a German immigrant, as were the parents of his maternal grandmother. His maternal great-uncle was political activist Joseph P. Kamp (1900-1993), a leader of the anti-communist organization "Constitutional Educational League".

Voight has two siblings: volcanologist Barry Voight (1937-) and singer-songwriter James Wesley Voight (pseudonym Chip Taylor, 1940-). Barry is most famous for first predicting and then investigating the eruption of Mount St. Helens (1980). James is most famous for writing the hit songs "Wild Thing" (1965) and "Angel of the Morning" (1967).

Voight was educated at Archbishop Stepinac High School, an all-boys Roman Catholic high school located at White Plains, New York. At the time, the school was operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. He took an interest in acting in his high school years, performing a comedic role in the school's annual musical, "The Song of Norway". He graduated in 1956, at the age of 18.

Voight continued his education at The Catholic University of America, located in Washington, D.C.. He majored in art, and graduated in 1960. He was 22-years-old at the time of graduation. He then moved to New York City, having decided to pursue an acting career.

In the early 1960s, Voight primarily worked as a television actor. He guest starred in episodes of then-popular television series, such as "Naked City", "The Defenders", "NET Playhouse", "12 O'Clock High", and "Gunsmoke". His first notable theatrical role was playing the illegal immigrant Rodolfo in a 1965 Off-Broadway production of the play "A View from the Bridge" (1955) by Arthur Miller (1915-2005). In the play, Rodolfo is the love interest of the American girl Catherine, and disliked by her uncle and guardian Eddie Carbone (who is in love with his niece).

Voight made his film debut in the superhero comedy "Fearless Frank" (1967), playing the role of the eponymous superhero. Frank was depicted as a murder victim who gets resurrected and granted superpowers by a scientist. Voiight's second film role was playing historical gunman and outlaw Curly Bill Brocius (1845-1882) in the Western film "Hour of the Gun" (1967). The historical Brocius was an an enemy of the Esrp family, and was killed by Wyatt Earp (1848-1929).

Voigh't third film appearance was "Midnight Cowboy" (1969), his first great success. He played the role of a naive hustler from Texas who tries to become a gigolo in New York City. The film was critically acclaimed, and became the only X-rated feature to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Voight was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, but the award was instead won by rival actor John Wayne (1907-1979).

Voight's first role in the 1970s was playing lieutenant Milo Minderbinder in the black comedy "Catch-22" (1970). The film was based on a 1961 satirical novel by Joseph Heller (1923-1999), and offered a satirical view on war and bureaucracy. Voight's next role was playing the left-wing student A in the political drama "The Revolutionary" (1970).

Voight found further critical acclaim with the thriller film "Deliverance" (1972), playing Atlanta businessman Ed Gentry. In the film, Gentry and his first are targeted by villainous mountain men in the northern Georgia wilderness. The film earned about 46 million dollars at the domestic box office, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

His subsequent roles included idealistic schoolteacher Pat Conroy in "Conrack" (1974), journalist Peter Miller in "The Odessa File" (1974). His next great success was playing paraplegic war veteran Luke Martin in "Coming Home" (1978), in a role inspired by the life of war veteran and anti-war activist Ron Kovic (1976-). He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for this film. His co-star Jane Fonda (1937-) won her second Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in this film.

Voight's early 1980s roles included conman Alex Kovac in "Lookin' to Get Out" (1982) and widowed father J. P. Tannen in "Table for Five" (1983). His next big success was the role of escaped convict Oscar "Manny" Manheim in "Runaway Train" (1985). He was again nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, but the Award was instead won by rival actor William Hurt (1950-).

Voight's next role was that of Jack Chismore in the drama film "Desert Bloom" (1986). Chismore is depicted as a war veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), who is trying to raise three stepdaughters. He frequently abuses his stepdaughter Rose Chismore (played by Annabeth Gish), but is genuinely concerned for her safety when Rose runs away from home. This film was Voigh's last film role for several years, as he took a hiatus from acting.

Voight returned to acting with the drama film "Eternity" (1990), where he was also the screenwriter. The film deals with reincarnation, as a medieval war within brothers continues in modern American politics. Following his return to acting, Voight started appearing frequently in television films and miniseries. He also guest-starred in a 1994 episode of "Seinfeld", playing himself.

Voight returned to film acting with the crime drama "Heat" (1995), where he had a minor role as a fence. He had a more substantial role in the spy film "Mission: Impossible" (1996), where he played spymaster James Phelps. The film was an adaptation of the popular television series "Mission: Impossible" (1966-1973), about the adventures of a group of secret agents. The role of James Phelps was previously played by actor Peter Graves (1926-2010). The film was a great commercial success, earning about 458 million dollars at the worldwide box office.

Voight appeared in six different films in 1997, one of the busiest years of his career. The most notable among them was the horror film "Anaconda" (1997), where he played obsessive hunter Paul Serone, the film's main antagonist. The film won about 137 million dollars at the box office, despite a mostly negative critical reception. For this role, Voight was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor. He lost the award to rival actor Kevin Costner (1955-).

His next notable role was that Thomas Brian Reynolds, agent of the National Security Agency (NSA) in the action thriller "Enemy of the State" (1998). In the film, the NSA conspires to expand the surveillance powers of intelligence agencies over individuals and groups, at the cost of American citizens' right to privacy. The film was another box office success in Voight's career, earning about 251 million dollars at the box office.

In the same year, Voight played inspector Ned Kenny in the crime film "The General" (1998). The film was loosely based on the career of Irish crime boss Martin Cahill (1949-1994), who was nicknamed "the General". The film was critically acclaimed and director John Boorman won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director.

Voight's next notable role was that of domineering coach Bud Kilmer in the sports film "Varsity Blues" (1999). The film dealt with the difficulties in the life of the players of a Texas-based high school football team, and was not expected to attract much attention by audiences. It earned about 54 million dollars at the box office, making it a modest box office hit. It is credited with introducing Voight to a next generation of fans.

Voight's final film in the 1990s was "A Dog of Flanders" (1999), based on a 1872 novel by Ouida (1839-1908). He played the role of artist Michel La Grande, the mentor of Nello (played by Jeremy James Kissner), who is eventually revealed to be Nello's biological father. The film failed at the box office, failing to earn as much as its modest budget.

Voight appeared in no film released in 2000, but had a busy year in 2001. He appeared in several box office hits of the year. He played President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945, term 1933-1945) in the war drama "Pearl Harbor", Lara Croft's father Lord Richard Croft in the action film "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider", coal-miner and working class father Larry Zoolander in action comedy "Zoolander", and sports journalist Howard Cosell in the biographical film "Ali". For his role in "Ali", Voight was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The award was instead won by rival actor Jim Broadbent (1949-). It was Voight's fourth and (so far) last nomination for an Academy Award.

Voight had a notable role playing Pope John Paul II (1920-2005, term 1978-2005) in the miniseries "Pope John Paul II" (2005). He was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, but the award was instead won by rival actor Andre Braugher (1962-).

Voight had a supporting role as John Keller, United States Secretary of Defense in the science fiction film "Transformers" (2007). The film was based on the Transformers toy line by Hasbro.It earned about 710 million dollars at the box office, one of the most commercially successful films in Voight's career.

In 2009, Voight had a notable television role, playing Jonas Hodges, the CEO of a Virginia-based private military company in the then-popular television series "24" (2001-2010, 2014). He was a main antagonist in the seventh season of the series. His role was inspired by the careers of Hessian colonel Johann Rall (c. 1726-1776), German industrialist Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach (1907-1967), and private military company CEO Erik Prince (1969-).

His 2010s notable film roles include the role of Dracula's enemy Loonardo Van Helsing in the horror film "Dracula: The Dark Prince" (2013), football coach Paul William "Bear" Bryant (1913-1983) in the sports drama "Woodlawn" (2015), and newspaper owner Henry Shaw Sr. in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" (2016). "Fantastic Beasts" earned about 814 million dollars at the worldwide box office, being one of the most commercially successful films that Voight ever appeared in.

In 2020, was 82-years-old, and he is still working as an actor.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Dimos I

Models a unique voice and accent for each role

His younger brother is songwriter Wes Voight who, under the alias Chip Taylor, wrote The Troggs' 1966 smash hit "Wild Thing". His other songs include "Angel of the Morning" (Merrilee Rush) and "I Can't Let Go" (The Hollies).

Attended Archbishop Stepinac High School, an all-boy school in White Plains, NY.

His father Elmer Voytka, later Voight (born 29 October 1909 and died June 1973), was a professional golfer.

Attended and graduated from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC in 1960. Changed his major after his freshman year from Speech and Drama to Art. Fellow classmate was Henry Gibson.

Has played father to Ricky Schroder twice: The first time in The Champ (1979) and the second time in Return to Lonesome Dove (1993).

In 1970 he accepted the Oscar for Best Director on behalf of John Schlesinger, who was not present at the awards ceremony. Schlesinger directed Voight in Midnight Cowboy (1969).

In 1993 he took over the role of Woodrow F. Call from Tommy Lee Jones in Return to Lonesome Dove (1993). Three years later he was succeeded by Jonny Lee Miller, who played the younger version of Call in Dead Man's Walk (1996). That same year Miller married Voight's daughter, Angelina Jolie, making Voight a short-term father-in-law to his own successor.

Has played a coach in three films: Varsity Blues (1999), Glory Road (2006) and Woodlawn (2015).

His eldest brother Barry Voight, a volcanologist, was a geology professor at Penn State University.

On December 9, 2001, he appeared as a surprise guest on Muppets Tonight (1996) dressed as a giant chicken with Gonzo the Great. The event was part of the first annual MuppetFest fan convention and a fundraiser for Save the Children.

Godparents of his daughter Angelina Jolie are Maximilian Schell and Jacqueline Bisset.

A hawk on the war on terror, he voted for George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election. He actively supported Rudy Giuliani's campaign to win the Republican nomination in 2008, but later endorsed eventual nominee Sen. John McCain. He also attended the Republican National Convention in 2008. He also endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 US presidential election. He was one of the very few American celebrities to declare his support for Donald Trump as president and spoke at his inauguration in 2017.

In 2000 he became involved with the Florida Holocaust Museum and worked very closely with then-Executive Director Larry Wasser (deceased 2003) and President John Loftus, famous U.S. Justice Department official, author and former prosecutor. Voight serves today as an advisory member of the organization's board.

Became a father for the first time at age 34 when his Marcheline Bertrand (his second ex-wife) gave birth to their son James Haven Voight, aka James Haven, on May 11, 1973.

As of 2015 has appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Midnight Cowboy (1969), Deliverance (1972) and Coming Home (1978). Of those, Midnight Cowboy (1969) is a winner in the category.

The ringtone on his phone plays "Everybody's Talkin'" (from Midnight Cowboy (1969)).

Dated Linda Morand, Stacey Pickren, Rebecca De Mornay, Eileen Davidson, Barbra Streisand, Nastassja Kinski and Diana Ross.

He has appeared in two films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Deliverance (1972).

In most ways it was a damn good picture. But if we remade Midnight Cowboy (1969) today, the whole relationship between Buck and Ratso would have to be sexualized or at least made, you know, like in love... to be sexually or erotically honest.

[on Barack Obama] He's really extreme, but he's always trying to say something to cover it. He's like a Leftist from the Sixties. I was on the Left, that's why I know who he is. He says he'll talk to everybody like Hamas and Iran, but it's simple-minded candy he's throwing to the extreme left wing. He'd be the biggest disaster for Israel - and all democracies - that I can think of.

I was caught up in the hysteria during the Vietnam era, which was brought about through Marxist propaganda underlying the so-called peace movement. The radicals of that era were successful in giving the communists power to bring forth the killing fields and slaughter 2.5 million people in Cambodia and South Vietnam. Did they stop the war, or did they bring the war to those innocent people? In the end, they turned their backs on all the horror and suffering they helped create and walked away.. the left have blood on their hands and I do too.

[on media comparisons between Megan Fox and his daughter Angelina Jolie] They're both very beautiful and they're both kind of sexy girls. Maybe Megan will start doing the things that Angie is so well known for. Angie is known for helping with kids and for her concern for others. I think that would be wonderful for all of the kids if Megan were to do the same.

I went to Russia in 1991, right in the middle of glasnost.It was an amazing experience, to see what socialism and communism does to people. People have no enthusiasm. Guys in hotels would not look up, they would not look at you. Once you see that, you can't forget it. I don't want people to have the feeling of hopelessness I witnessed there, when you're working for the government and you don't have the freedom to do the things that you love.

I'm interested in knowing about the truth and acting on it. That's it.

If people disagree with me, that's no big deal to me, except that it is a very important disagreement.

And now I hear Obama trying to convince the American people that if we give up our nuclear weapons, this will set a fine example and all other countries will follow suit. What a dangerous and naive notion that is. If President Reagan wasn't such a powerful force of strength, we never would have seen Premier Gorbachev take down the Berlin Wall.

We were traumatized in the Sixties and all of that behavior-the dancing in circles, the smoking pot and saying "all we need is love"-it was because we couldn't identify evil; we couldn't believe in evil-we didn't want to believe in evil so we just hid from it. It was a very disturbing time. Some of it-let everybody do their thing and all that stuff-was OK in terms of getting to the truth of things and that was a nice energy. But, really, overwhelmingly, it was a very bizarre, selfish and hedonistic philosophy that wasn't very helpful. It attacked the family-the attack on the family was very severe because not only was there this idea of indiscriminate love and that would solve the world's problems, which gave rise to teen pregnancy, but also this idea not to trust anyone over 30. This was from people who were over 30 and bombed out of their minds with every kind of drug they could put into their system. Then there was the romanticization of the drugs-there were people coming out with pseudo scientific evidence that drugs increase your enlightenment-it was devastating. Today, I find that people look back at that time in a romantic way and that's as dangerous as anything is. It wasn't a romantic time. It was a time of great distortion.

Initially, when they said, "Would you come and do something on 'Seinfeld,'" I said, "Well, there's a very good team of actors. That's a good ensemble, sure. Sure, I'd do something for you guys. I thought it was just a walk-on and that would be it. But then I read the script and my name was all over the script. It was quite shocking, but fun. It was a big compliment, so I was delighted with it and very honored by it actually.

[on Deliverance (1972)] We shot some of the movie in one take. We didn't shoot a lot of extra footage. I had one moment where I didn't think I could maneuver the canoe. We were on the rapids and we couldn't hesitate. And I told director John Boorman this and he said, "Give me the damn oar!" He had less training that we had, and he jumped in and grabbed the oar, went down the river, went over the thing and under the thing, and turned around, came back to us and said, "Do it!" After that, everybody did it.

I'm a character actor, and I've always been a character actor.