Jon Voight facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Colonel
Jon Voight
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Voight in 2012
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| Special Ambassador to Hollywood | |
| Assumed office January 20, 2025 Serving with Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jonathan Vincent Voight
December 29, 1938 Yonkers, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Relations | Barry Voight (brother) Chip Taylor (brother) |
| Children | James Haven Angelina Jolie |
| Alma mater | Catholic University of America (BA) Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Awards | Full list |
| Years active | 1961–present |
Jonathan Vincent Voight (born December 29, 1938) is an American actor. He has won many awards, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and four Golden Globe Awards. He has also been nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2019, he received the National Medal of Arts. His movies have earned over $5.2 billion worldwide.
Voight became famous for his roles in movies that reflected the changing times of the late 1960s. He won an Oscar for Best Actor for playing a paraplegic Vietnam veteran in Coming Home (1978). He was also nominated for an Oscar for his roles in Midnight Cowboy (1969), Runaway Train (1985), and Ali (2001). Other well-known films include Deliverance (1972), The Champ (1979), Heat (1995), Mission: Impossible (1996), The Rainmaker (1997), Enemy of the State (1998), Pearl Harbor, Zoolander (both 2001), Holes (2003), Glory Road (2006), Transformers (2007), and Pride and Glory (2008). He is also known for the National Treasure film series.
Voight has also had important roles on television. He played Nazi officer Jürgen Stroop in Uprising (2001). He also played Pope John Paul II in the miniseries Pope John Paul II (2005). His role as Mickey Donovan in the TV series Ray Donovan brought him new praise. He won his fourth Golden Globe in 2014 for this role. He also appeared in the thriller series 24 in its seventh season.
In his later years, Voight has become known for his strong conservative and religious beliefs. He is the father of actress Angelina Jolie and actor James Haven.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jonathan Vincent Voight was born on December 29, 1938. His birthplace was Yonkers, New York. His mother was Barbara Kamp, and his father was Elmer Voight. Elmer was a professional golfer. Jon has two brothers. One is Barry Voight, a former volcanologist. The other is James Wesley Voight, known as Chip Taylor. Chip is a singer-songwriter who wrote "Wild Thing".
Voight's family background includes Slovak and German immigrants. His great-uncle, Joseph P. Kamp, was a political activist. Voight was raised as a Catholic. He went to Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York. There, he first became interested in acting. After graduating in 1956, he attended Catholic University of America. He studied art and earned a degree in 1960. After college, Voight moved to New York City. He wanted to become an actor. He studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.
Career Highlights
Early Roles and Breakthrough
Voight began his acting career in 1961. He first appeared in an off-Broadway show called O Oysters. Later that year, he made his Broadway debut in The Sound of Music. In the early 1960s, Voight worked in television. He appeared in shows like Gunsmoke and Naked City. His theater career grew in 1965. He played Rodolfo in A View from the Bridge.
Voight's first film role was in 1967. He appeared in Fearless Frank. He also had a small part in the western Hour of the Gun. In 1968, he was in Out of It.
In 1969, Voight starred in Midnight Cowboy. This film made him famous. He played Joe Buck, a young man from Texas trying to make a living in New York City. He meets Ratso Rizzo, played by Dustin Hoffman. The film showed their unusual friendship. It was directed by John Schlesinger. The movie was very popular with critics and audiences. Both Voight and Hoffman were nominated for Best Actor. The film won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
Stardom and Acclaim
In 1970, Voight appeared in Catch-22. He also starred in The Revolutionary. In 1972, Voight starred in Deliverance. This film was directed by John Boorman. It tells the story of a canoe trip in a wild, remote area. The film and the actors, including Voight, Burt Reynolds, and Ned Beatty, received great reviews. Voight also performed in the play A Streetcar Named Desire from 1973 to 1974.
Voight played a young boxer in The All American Boy (1973). In 1974, he appeared in Conrack. He played an idealistic teacher helping children on a remote island. That same year, he was in The Odessa File. He played a German journalist looking into a conspiracy.
In 1978, Voight played Luke Martin in Coming Home. He won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for this role. He played a veteran with a disability. His character falls in love with Jane Fonda's character. Voight won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance. In 1979, Voight starred as a former boxer in The Champ. This film was a success around the world.
He worked with director Hal Ashby again in Lookin' to Get Out (1982). Voight also helped write and produce this film. He also produced and acted in Table for Five (1983). In 1985, Voight starred in Runaway Train. He played an escaped character named Oscar "Manny" Manheim. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He also won a Golden Globe award. Voight then appeared in Desert Bloom (1986). In 1989, Voight starred in and helped write Eternity.
Established Actor
In the 1990s, Voight began acting in television films. These included Chernobyl: The Final Warning (1991) and The Last of his Tribe (1992). He also appeared in The Rainbow Warrior (1992). In 1993, he starred in the miniseries Return to Lonesome Dove. He played Captain Woodrow F. Call. Voight also made a guest appearance as himself on the TV show Seinfeld in 1994.
In 1995, Voight played "Nate" in the crime drama Heat. He also appeared in TV films Convict Cowboy and The Tin Soldier. He directed The Tin Soldier as well. In 1996, Voight was in the blockbuster film Mission: Impossible. He played spymaster James Phelps.
In 1997, Voight appeared in six films. These included Rosewood, where he played a storeowner protecting black customers. He also starred in Anaconda. He played a snake hunter in the Amazon. He had supporting roles in U Turn and The Rainmaker. His last film of 1997 was Boys Will Be Boys.
The next year, Voight had the main role in the TV film The Fixer. He also played an important role in Enemy of the State (1998). Voight worked with director Boorman again in The General. He played Inspector Ned Kenny. In 1999, he appeared in Varsity Blues. He played a football coach. This film was a surprise hit. Voight also played Noah in the TV production Noah's Ark. He was in Second String and A Dog of Flanders.
In 2001, Voight played President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Pearl Harbor. He also appeared as Lord Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. His real-life daughter, Angelina Jolie, played Lara Croft. That year, he was also in Zoolander. He played Zoolander's coal-miner father. Also in 2001, Voight was in the TV film Uprising. He played Major-General Juergen Stroop, a German officer. He received an Emmy nomination for this role.
Director Michael Mann cast Voight in Ali (2001). Voight played sports broadcaster Howard Cosell. He looked very different with his make-up. Voight received his fourth Academy Award nomination for this role. In 2003, he played Marion Seville/Mr. Sir in Holes. In 2004, Voight joined Nicolas Cage in National Treasure. He played Patrick Gates, Cage's character's father. In 2005, he played the main role in the miniseries Pope John Paul II.
In 2006, he played coach Adolph Rupp in Glory Road. In 2007, he played United States Secretary of Defense John Keller in Transformers. He also returned as Patrick Gates in National Treasure: Book of Secrets. He appeared in Bratz. In 2008, he was in Four Christmases. In 2009, Voight played Jonas Hodges in the seventh season of 24. He also voiced Abraham in The Word of Promise audio Bible.
Recent Work
In 2013, Voight began his role as Mickey Donovan in Ray Donovan. This role earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 2014. He was also nominated for two Emmy Awards. He returned for Ray Donovan: The Movie in 2022. He played Henry Shaw Sr. in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016). The next year, he acted in the Christian drama Same Kind of Different as Me.
On March 26, 2019, Voight was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Kennedy Center. He played Supreme Court Justice Warren E. Burger in the film Roe v. Wade (2020). In 2022, he was in the documentary film Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy. This film was nominated for an Academy Award. In 2022, Voight was cast in the science fiction film Megalopolis. He also plays Viktor Ivanov in Reagan, released in August 2024.
On January 16, 2025, Donald Trump announced that Voight would be a Special Ambassador to Hollywood. He shares this role with Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone. Trump said he wants these actors to help Hollywood grow. By May 2025, Voight had met with Hollywood groups and leaders.
Political Views
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When he was younger, Voight had liberal political views. He supported President John F. Kennedy. He also worked with Jane Fonda to help people register to vote. Voight spoke out against the Vietnam War.
Later in his life, Voight's views changed. In 2008, he wrote that he regretted his anti-war actions. He also criticized the Democratic Party and Barack Obama.
Voight supported Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney in 2012 and Donald Trump in 2016. At a rally for Trump in 2017, Voight said that Trump's election was an answer to prayers. In May 2019, Voight posted videos supporting Trump's policies. He called Trump "the greatest president since Abraham Lincoln."
In November 2020, after the United States presidential election, Voight expressed strong feelings about the results. He urged his followers not to accept the election results without checking them. After the January 6 United States Capitol attack, Voight asked his followers to stop protesting.
In 2022, after a school shooting in Texas, Voight supported gun control. He said that gun ownership should require "proper qualifications" and "testing." In November 2023, Voight expressed disappointment in his daughter Angelina Jolie. He criticized her views on the conflict in Gaza. Voight supported Donald Trump's candidacy for president in 2024.
Personal Life
In 1962, Voight married actress Lauri Peters. They met while performing in The Sound of Music. They divorced in 1967. In 1971, he married actress Marcheline Bertrand. They separated in 1976 and divorced in 1980. Their children are James Haven (born 1973) and Angelina Jolie (born 1975). Both became actors and producers. Through Angelina, he has six grandchildren.
Voight has not remarried since his second divorce. He has dated several famous people over the years. Voight holds the honorary title of Kentucky Colonel.
Acting Credits and Awards
Throughout his career, Voight has received many awards. These include an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and four Golden Globe Awards. He has also been nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2019, he received the National Medal of Arts.
See also
In Spanish: Jon Voight para niños
- List of actors with Academy Award nominations
- List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories
