Award-winning actor Jon Voight was born on December 29, 1938 in Yonkers, New York. His interest in acting, cultivated in high school, led to him pursuing an art degree at the Catholic University of America in the nation’s capital, before moving to New York to pursue an acting career. His first work in the 1960s initially comprised of television stints. He only began acting for films in 1967, taking small roles until Midnight Cowboy two years later. The film established him as one of the best actors of his generation, and earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Voight’s works in the 1970s were diverse and equally acclaimed—these included the films Catch-22, Deliverance, The All American Boy and Coming Home, a Vietnam-era film which earned him an Oscar Best Actor statuette in 1978, as well as the same honors from that year’s Cannes Film Festival. During the time, he had a six-year marriage with actress Marcheline Bertrand, and spawned two children, one of which is equally-acclaimed actress Angelina Jolie.
Voight’s career slowed down in the 1980s, with him appeared in only five films throughout the decade. However, he picked up a Golden Globe in 1986 for his role in the preceding year’s film, Runaway Train. His career picked up again in the following decade, beginning with roles in television movies and later appearing in several films, such as Heat, Anaconda, Mission Impossible and The General. The following decade was equally prolific for Voight, with a mix of mainstream successes and critically-acclaimed films such as Pearl Harbor, Zoolander, Ali, The Manchurian Candidate, National Treasure, Transformers and Pride and Glory brought under his belt. His television projects weren’t as many, but he still took roles in several television movies, such as 24: Redemption—and, later, the television series which preceded it. After a role on Four Christmases and his stint on the series 24, he was then cast as Clint Thatcher on the FOX television series Lonestar in 2010.
In 2009, he received the Marquee Award of CineVegas.
In 2007, he received the Grand Prix Special des Ameriques of Montreal World Film Festival for exceptional contribution to the cinematographic art.
In 2001, he received the Career Achievement Award of National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.
In 1995, he received the Francois Truffaut Award of Giffoni Film Festival.
In 1979, he received the ShoWes Award for Male Star of the Year of ShoWest Convention.
In 1967, he received the Theatre World Award for the play in Broadway That Summer.