Jon Voight Biography: Age, Children, Net Worth, Height, Parents, Siblings, Movies & TV Shows

Jonathan Vincent Voight, professionally known as Jon Voight, is an acclaimed American actor whose six-decade career has earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor in Coming Home (1978), a BAFTA Award, four Golden Globes, and nominations for four Emmys, alongside the 2019 National Medal of Arts.

Renowned for transformative roles like the naive hustler Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy (1969) and the grizzled Mickey Donovan in Ray Donovan, Voight’s commanding presence spans drama, action, and character work.

In January 2025, President-elect Donald Trump appointed him as a Special Ambassador to Hollywood—alongside Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson—to revive U.S. film production by curbing “runaway” projects to foreign countries, a role he has actively pursued through meetings with unions and executives to advocate for federal incentives.

Profile

• Full Name: Jonathan Vincent Voight
• Stage Name: Jon Voight
• Born: 29 December, 1938
• Age: 0 years old
• Birthplace: Yonkers, New York, U.S.A.
• Nationality: American
• Occupation: Actor, Special Ambassador to Hollywood
• Height: 1.92m
• Parents: Elmer Voight and Barbara Voight
• Siblings: Barry Voight, Chip Taylor
• Spouse: Lauri Peters (m. 1962–1967), Marcheline Bertrand (m. 1971–1980)
• Children: Angelina Jolie, James Haven
• Relationship: Single
• Net Worth: $55 million

Early Life and Education

Jonathan Vincent Voight born on December 29, 1938, in Yonkers, New York. His father, Elmer Voight, immigrated from Czechoslovakia and worked as a professional golfer, while his mother, Barbara Voight, served as a Christian Science practitioner and substitute teacher. He grew up alongside two brothers: Barry, a volcanologist, and James Wesley (Chip Taylor), a singer-songwriter known for hits like “Wild Thing.”

Voight attended Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York, where he discovered his passion for acting through school plays. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1960, before honing his craft at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre under Sanford Meisner in New York City.

He is of Slovak and German heritage, and he was raised Roman Catholic.

Career

Jon Voight dove into acting after moving to New York City in 1960, landing guest spots on television shows like Gunsmoke and Naked City while building stage credentials with an Off-Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge in 1965 and a Broadway debut in That Summer—That Fall. His film breakthrough arrived in 1967 with Fearless Frank, but 1969’s Midnight Cowboy transformed him into a star, earning an Oscar nomination for his raw portrayal of Joe Buck, a wide-eyed Texan hustler navigating New York’s underbelly alongside Dustin Hoffman.

Early acclaim followed with roles in Out of It (1969) and The Revolutionary (1970), showcasing his intensity in counterculture dramas and cementing his reputation as a leading man unafraid of bold choices.

Voight’s 1970s peak brought critical triumphs, including Deliverance (1972) as the urban Ed Gentry facing primal terror in the Georgia wilderness, and Coming Home (1978), where he won the Academy Award for Best Actor as a paralyzed Vietnam veteran finding love and purpose. He explored international intrigue in The Odessa File (1974) and family tragedy in Conrack (1974), while his 1980s resurgence featured the desperate convict Manny Lopez in Runaway Train (1985), earning another Oscar nod.

Television drew him in with miniseries like Return to Lonesome Dove (1993), and he balanced blockbusters such as Anaconda (1997) with character depth in Mission: Impossible (1996) and Enemy of the State (1998), adapting seamlessly across genres.

Jon Voight thrives as a character powerhouse, delivering Emmy-nominated grit as Mickey Donovan in Ray Donovan (2013–2020), a Golden Globe-winning turn that captured a mob fixer’s cunning and vulnerability. He portrayed Pope John Paul II in a 2005 miniseries and Howard Cosell in Ali (2001), while recent films like Reagan (2024) as the Gipper himself highlight his enduring draw.

Appointed Special Ambassador to Hollywood in January 2025 by President-elect Trump, Voight has led efforts to repatriate production through tax incentives and tariffs, meeting with studios and unions to foster a “Golden Age” revival. His influence spans mentorship of young talent and conservative commentary, ensuring his legacy as a bridge between Hollywood’s past and future.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: Unknown
• Facebook Handle: Jon Voight
• Twitter Handle: Unknown

Personal Life

Jon Voight married actress Lauri Peters in 1962, a union that lasted until their 1967 divorce with no children. He wed actress and model Marcheline Bertrand in 1971, welcoming daughter Angelina Jolie in 1975 and son James Haven in 1973 before separating in 1976 and divorcing in 1980; their estrangement with Jolie over his public life and politics has eased in recent years, with reconciliation efforts noted.

Voight maintains a private yet principled existence in Los Angeles, embracing Roman Catholicism and Republican activism, including vocal support for Donald Trump since 2016.

Filmography

• Midnight Cowboy (1969)
• Deliverance (1972)
• Coming Home (1978)
• Runaway Train (1985)
• Anaconda (1997)
• Enemy of the State (1998)
• Ali (2001)
• Ray Donovan (2013–2020)
• Reagan (2024)

Net Worth

Jon Voight has an estimated net worth of $55 million. His fortune builds from iconic films like Midnight Cowboy and Deliverance, generating ongoing residuals, alongside salaries from Ray Donovan and blockbusters such as Transformers (2007).

Endorsements, real estate investments, and his role as Special Ambassador to Hollywood, involving production incentives, further enhanced his earnings, underscoring a career of consistent excellence.