Jon Voight: “I can play many things now that I couldn’t play before”

Jon Voight (b. 1938), who gained worldwide stardom when portraying the character of Joe Buck in John Schlesinger’s screen classic “Midnight Cowboy” (1969), has had a long and very productive screen career to this day. Almost fifty years after his screen debut in Philip Kaufman’s second feature, “Fearless Frank” (1967), he still has several new film projects coming up. In this interview from 1998, when he was on location in Belgium for Kevin Brodie’s “A Dog of Flanders,” Mr. Voight talked about his craft as an actor and he also mentioned—very proudly—his daughter Angelina Jolie as an extremely talented and upcoming actress, only shortly before she became the Angelina Jolie. “A Dog of Flanders,” based on Marie Louise de la Ramée’s 1872 short novel published under her pseudonym Ouida, was filmed earlier in the U.S. in 1914, 1924, 1935, and 1959. This was the fifth U.S. version of the story about a Flemish boy Nello and his dog Patrasche, with Mr. Voight in one of the leading roles as a talented painter. He is a four-time Academy Award nominee and Academy Award winner for his leading role in the mature and powerful drama “Coming Home” (1978), who also won four Golden Globes out of eleven nominations.

Mr. Voight, after appearing in Franco Zeffirelli’s version of “The Champ” [1979], “A Dog of Flanders” is the second time you appear in a remake. Isn’t it a dangerous move to appear in remakes?

I haven’t really repeated myself in my career. I’ve done very few things one like the other, so this is a departure again for me. I’m glad to be doing this; it’s a lovely film for children, and it’s nice to have this generation’s children see it. There are many lessons in it, it gives people hope. It’s a very beautiful film.

When “Midnight Cowboy” [1969] was released, you became a star instantly. Yet you preferred character studies instead of star roles. Was that by choice?

It was my taste to do the films I did. Those were the films, for the most part, that I thought I understood, and the stories I wanted to be part of. So it’s just my taste, I have no way of explaining other than that. I don’t know what would have made me more popular than what I did, but the roles that I played were the roles that I was interested in as the years went by. But I certainly know the heroic parts, the parts the so-called movie stars play, and I was raised with love for those heroic actors and parts, but for some reason, I play more character work.

After “Midnight Cowboy,” you appeared in films as “Catch-22” and “The Revolutionary” [both 1970], sort of anti-establishment films. Is that correct?

Those are words from the sixties, anti-establishment. I really always feel it’s interesting to tell the stories that are happening in our time. Every artist is marked by his time because he’s really trying to speak to the people about his time, and I think that’s what I did too. I was trying to speak to the people about my time. So those pieces that you mentioned represent aspects of what I feel is happening, and they are useful to reflect on. Maybe sometimes they are warnings in a way what’s happening, or they’re stories of compassion about what’s going on, an attempt for healing. These are all different ideas, but they’re stories of our time. I’m not trying to make stories that are popular in our time, but rather stories that have relevance in our time, a meaning of our time.

Jon Voight 6 poster The Grapes of WrathIt’s very striking that you very often play enriching parts, parts which make you feel proud to be a member of the human race, parts such as Henry Fonda’s role in John Ford’s “The Grapes of Wrath” [1940].

I have a great fondness for that piece, like the ones of Frank Capra, anything that gives us a little hope, but sometimes I made films that are in another genre too, but all of them have meaning to me, for instance, “Runaway Train” [1985]. It’s about no matter how desperate a person becomes; there’s still that spark of goodness within him which can reignite that person. And it’s an important statement.

Wasn’t that film a risk, career-wise?

All films are a risk, career-wise. I think you do the parts that you find interesting, sometimes you may change your mind about those pieces, I learned from that, and I won’t visit that terrain. Still, I’ve been very fortunate; I’ve done films that were maybe unusual, but I understood what they were saying, and I’ve been rewarded most of the time with appreciation from the critics and a good-size audience. “Conrack” [1974], for instance, was not a film that was a success initially in the theaters, but it has a tremendous following. It continues to be shown; people come up to me, and often talk about it.

You are one of the very few actors to portray interesting in-depth roles and who’s popular and well-known to the audience as well, right?

In my generation, there are many character actors that have had influence, like Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, De Niro, Jack Nicholson. My generation had really good character actors, but then I have been able to sustain some popularity which is unusual in a very small group of people. However big it is, it’s a small group of people that can sustain a rather large career doing these kinds of things. So I’m very fortunate.

Several films you made are, on the surface, not very commercial, at least not as commercial as several of the actors you mentioned. Is that correct?

Perhaps, but those people try to maintain themselves in the public eye by doing the kinds of pieces they’re popular for; I’ve done mostly the things that were offered me and that I was drawn to.

What is the most gratifying response you ever got? The critics, the audience, someone who comes up to you to thank you?

I think the most gratifying is my own judgment, when I look at it and can say: ‘This has meaning, this will be good for people, I’m proud of this.’ When I feel that way, audiences usually will follow. They will respond the way I did. I go to a film, and I look at it, and I like it if I get something from it. I’m sure that it has value for others. I usually have been right. I never had a film that I was really in love with in its final form that wasn’t stirring to audiences.

Are you still able to judge your own work objectively after being involved with it so closely?

Oh yes. At first, it’s like yes, I know where I was when I shot that and that, but it’s the way your contribution has been used by the editor, the musicians, by the final shape of it. I know what I intended and what I gave. If they use it wisely, then it’s another level; it’s somebody using my work to bring the story to me. Therefore it’s almost like looking at somebody else’s work instead of my own. So it’s the storytelling that I’m following, and if they make mistakes, I see those, but if they don’t and if they sometimes help it, they make it richer. That’s a wonderful feeling.

Have you ever considered directing a film yourself?

Yes, I have, and I will. But I have a couple more years of good acting to do; I directed one little film, “The Tin Soldier” [1995], for television in the States, and it got a lot of success at the film festivals. It was a popular little piece, so I know I can do that. I did that on a very small budget, on a very short schedule, so it was a good test for me. I was very pleased.

Looking at the list of films you made, there are sometimes periods of a few years in between. Was that due to your stage work?

I did some stage work at that time, but there also have been many things that happened to me in my life, many life changes. My mother passed away, and I had been spending a lot of time with her. I mean, we all pass away at one point or another; after a long illness, sometimes you’re grateful when the moment comes that the person can be at peace, that the labor is done, and that the reward should come. She was very ill for a while, and I spent a lot of time with her and my two brothers. We all took turns taking care of her.

Jon Voight 3 poster Coming HomeWhat do you consider the highlights of your career so far? The Oscar, the Cannes Film Festival [both for “Coming Home,” 1978],…?

I think the awards are wonderful because they give a tension to good work. I’m very grateful for the awards. I have a film, “The General” [1998], that’s going to the Cannes Film Festival this year. I have a small part in it, but it’s a good part. John Boorman directed the film; it’s the first time we worked together since “Deliverance” [1972]. I’m very grateful that Cannes was excited to take it and I know that it will help the film. I hope that it is awarded there; I think it’s a wonderful film [the film was nominated for the Golden Palm and John Boorman won the Best Director award at the Festival]. So the rewards I received have been supporting the films I believed in. The personal stuff is of a different nature. The Academy Award meant that people wanted me to come back; they loved me, and they wanted to give me that tension. Of course, “Coming Home” was a beautiful film, done by a wonderful director [Hal Ashby], with wonderful actors, and it was a labor of great love for us all. So that was a very satisfying moment.

Have you ever considered doing comedy?

Yes, I have. I love comedy, and I was really raised on the best comedy. I loved comic films of all kinds, great television performers who were splendid, and the old comedies, Laurel and Hardy, and I’ve been successful on stage with comedy. In film, I haven’t done very much comedy, and yet, all the characters that I do have some humor based to me. You know, lots of the choices I make, are worn of comedy. Lots of the stuff in “Midnight Cowboy” [1969] is very comedic. That was a joy to play. I try to put humor in all the films that I do, but I don’t think about it. It’s natural for me to always do things that make me giggle a little bit. Sometimes when you giggle about something, or you laugh about it, it’s usually pretty close to life. You’re usually on to something. Life is very… alive, with amazing, crazy things. Like in “Runaway Train,” I found a lot of comedy. I enjoyed playing the character because he was so audacious, I can remember the scenes very well, what the character said, what he did. It was funny to me, but not funny in the way you would laugh almost from the grotesqueness of from the strangeness, you know. It’s just the organic choices that happen. So I love a good comedy. And I would like to take the time, it’s almost like I don’t have the time for it—these pieces that I feel strongly about, not necessarily for my character, but for the story. If it’s an important story, I’m happy to do it, to see if we can bring it as closely as we can be. If it’s a beautiful story, let’s see how close we can get, that’s the idea.

“Midnight Cowboy” (1969, trailer)

What do you consider your strongest assets as an actor?

It’s funny. I can’t be too objective, I’m not analytic about myself that way, about my contribution or what it is. But I seem to know when something is in my range. So what is that range? What does that mean? I don’t know exactly. But I know that I’m starting to gain a certain kind of weight as I’m getting older, in terms of the things that I can play—like maturity, which is kind of appealing to me. I can play many things now that I couldn’t play before. All my roles have to be intelligent—no, that’s not true, I’ve been playing people without intelligence—it’s almost like, I suppose there’s a certain sensibility I have, this is true for every artist that brings a certain emotion to a role. It’s carved out of my intelligence, and what’s the strength of it? I don’t know; maybe it’s that I’m always a storyteller. That’s my main strength. I want people to go on a journey, so if I do a character that is very authentic, but the story isn’t told, I wouldn’t be satisfied. The story itself is what I’m focused at. When that happens, when the audience goes on a journey, it’s a story that’s being told, and then I’m happy. I seem to have a good intelligence about storytelling, and I think maybe that’s my greatest gift.

Along with your voice?

Really? Well, I debuted on the stage with “Sound of Music” in 1962. I consider to return to Broadway, but it’s the same as with comedy. For me, the things that I need to say are not in that genre. I know that I have to do this work; I know that I just have to bring these stories, sometimes disturbing, sometimes brave stories—stories that have a focus to make people aware, to stir them, to change, whatever the point is. Those stories are mine to do, and while I love comedy, there are other people who are doing comedies that are making people laugh. They’re doing a wonderful job. In this life, I feel that my strengths are in drama and the dramatic area, and I can bring joy to those dramatic areas. It’s like when I saw Laurence Olivier do “Othello” [1965], which was stunning. Although the film is a filmed play, it doesn’t have the cinematic qualities that we enjoy of film, but criticize it is insane because it’s a brilliant, brilliant performance of that role. And anybody who does Othello would better go and look Olivier’s Othello. Not that they should do it the same, but they should know what the journey is about, so they can make their own choices. They should know what he carved the shape of the role for. Some of the things that he chose to do in that performance—I remember vividly seeing that performance on film—I was trying to see it in different places in the world on stage and I’ve missed it several times. And finally, the film came out, and I was able to see it on film; I watched it, and many scenes, almost all the way through it, I was laughing. I wasn’t laughing because it was comedic, I was laughing because it was so right. It was such a proper thing to do, such a proper interpretation. That’s where I find my fun, when I can find the answer in the role. If I could tell a story in a role to bring people on this journey, then I feel the happiness about that. I love the stage; the nervousness before going on stage, that anxious feeling, and the worrying that takes place right prior to your stepping in front of the footlights for a big audience, I love it, and I love the idea of every night trying to make it better. Each night, finding a new aspect to try, it’s an indulgence for me because I should be spending my time doing as many film stories and contributing in that way. Aside from that, I have a lot of interest in causes, and I’m very watchful about what’s happening this time. I’m very concerned about the children, the new generations of children that we’re passing the world on to, and those are my concerns as well. I feel that I have a lot of things that I have to attend to. Aside from being an artist, I have other aspects of responsibility.

Ever considered running for office?

No, I have not considered that, although I’m very interested in the way leadership marks our world. We do need leadership when we see people make a difference for the positive, it’s a wonderful thing. Because it’s very easy to see the human side and all of the mistakes we can make, but somehow good people can rally together and overcome any problem. When you think of it, so many problems in the world have been overcome, even in my lifetime. There’s been a great battle for racial justice in our country, and many major battles have been won in my lifetime. There are other aspects where negative forces have been prevalent and unable to diffuse, but there is always hope, and there are individual people and groups of good people who can solve any problem, it seems. So there’s hope. Individual people have made a difference. And there are always villains as well. So I’m interested in politics, but I don’t know that I will be very helpful in that capacity. I’m more helpful as an artist.

So you’re not only a great actor, a great philosopher, but also a great painter?

You said that, I didn’t say that! [laughs.] A great painter? Well, in this role, I am. Of course, it’s about Rubens—one of the nice things about my character is, it has nice aspects. I like this character. He talks about art, and the boy asks him, ‘Are you a great artist?’ And he says, ‘Well, certainly I strive to be, but unfortunately I think I’m probably not.’ Then the boy talks about Rubens and he says, ‘Well, Rubens had a talent like an eternal flame.’ He says, ‘Well, I just have to be satisfied with occasional flickers—like a firefly.’ It’s a beautiful thing to say because Rubens certainly was a titanic, quite amazing talent and he had all the things you just said. He was authentically a great philosopher, a great politician, and he was a great artist.

The character you played in Martin Ritt’s “Conrack” [1974], is that a character you can identify with closely?

Yes, I agree with that. The humor, his charm, yeah, that’s close. A good choice.

Mechelen, Belgium
May 1998

“Coming Home” (1978, trailer)

FILMS

FEARLESS FRANK (1967) DIR – PROD – SCR Philip Kaufman CAM Bill Butler ED Luke Bennett, Aram Boyajian MUS Meyer Kupferman CAST Jon Voight (Fearless Frank), Monique Van Vooren, Severn Darden, Joan Darling, Lou Gilbert, Ben Carruthers, Ken Nordine, Nelson Algren

HOUR OF THE GUN (1967) DIR – PROD John Sturges SCR Edward Anhalt CAM Lucien Ballard ED Ferris Webster MUS Jerry Goldsmith CAST James Garner, Jason Robards, Robert Ryan, Albert Salmi, William Windom, Monte Markham, Jon Voight (Curly Bill Brocius), Edward Anhalt

MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969) DIR John Schlesinger PROD Jerome Hellman SCR Waldo Salt (novel ‘Midnight Cowboy’ [1965] by James Leo Herlihy) CAM Adam Holender ED Hugh A. Robertson MUS John Barry CAST Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight (Joe Buck), Brenda Vaccaro, John McGiver, Sylvia Miles, Barnard Hughes, Ruth White, Jennifer Salt, Bob Balaban, Viva, International Velvet, Paul Morrissey, Sandy Duncan, Waldo Salt, M. Emmet Walsh

OUT OF IT (1969) DIR – SCR Paul Williams PROD Edward Pressman CAM John G. Avildsen ED Ed Orshan MUS Michael Small CAST Barry Gordon, Jon Voight (Russ), Lada Edmund, Jr., Gretchen Corbett, Peter Grad, Martin Gray, Leonard Gelber, Michael V. Gazzo

CATCH-22 (1970) DIR Mike Nichols PROD Martin Ransohoff, John Calley SCR Buck Henry (novel ‘Catch-22’ [1961] by Joseph Heller) CAM David Watkin ED Sam O’Steen CAST Alan Arkin, Martin Balsam, Richard Benjamin, Art Garfunkel, Jack Gilford, Buck Henry, Bob Newhart, Anthony Perkins, Paula Prentiss, Martin Sheen, Jon Voight (First Lieutenant Milo Minderbinder), Orson Welles, Bob Balaban, Norman Fell, Charles Grodin, Marcel Dalio, Elizabeth Wilson

THE REVOLUTIONARY (1970) DIR Paul Williams PROD Edward Rambach Pressman SCR Hans Koningsberger (also novel ‘The Revolutionary: A Novel’ [1967]) CAM Brian Probyn ED Henry Richardson MUS Michael Small CAST Jon Voight (A), Seymour Cassel, Robert Duvall, Collin Wilcox Paxton, Jennifer Salt, Elliott Sullivan, Julie Garfield,

DELIVERANCE (1972) DIR – PROD John Boorman SCR James Dickey (also novel ‘Deliverance’ [1970]) CAM Vilmos Zsigmond ED Tom Priestley CAST Jon Voight (Ed), Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, Ed Ramsey, Billy Redden, Seamon Glass, Randall Deal, Charley Boorman

THE ALL-AMERICAN BOY (1973) DIR – SCR Charles Eastman PROD Joseph T. Naar, Saul J. Krugman CAM Philip H. Lathrop ED Christopher Holmes, Ralph Winters, William Neel CAST Jon Voight (Vic Bealer), Nancie Phillips, Art Metrano, Kathy Mahoney, Carole Androsky, Jeanne Cooper, Anne Archer, Jamie Farr, Ken Norton, Tony Randall

CONRACK (1974) DIR Martin Ritt PROD Martin Ritt, Harriet Frank, Jr. SCR Irving Ravetch, Harriet Frank, Jr. (novel ‘The Water Is Wide’ [1972] by Pat Conroy) CAM John A. Alonzo ED Frank Bracht MUS John Williams CAST Jon Voight (Pat Conroy), Paul Winfield, Madge Sinclair, Tina Andrews, Antonio Fargas, James O’Rear, Gracia Lee, C.P. MacDonald, Hume Cronyn

THE ODESSA FILE (1974) DIR Ronald Neame PROD John Woolf SCR Kenneth Ross, George Markstein (novel ‘The Odessa File’ [1972] by Frederick Forsyth) CAM Oswald Morris ED Ralph Kemplen MUS Andrew Lloyd Webber CAST Jon Voight (Peter Miller), Maximillian Schell, Maria Schell, Mary Tamm, Derek Jacobi, Peter Jeffrey, Klaus Löwitz

DER RICHTER UND SEIN HENKER, a.k.a. END OF THE GAME (1975) DIR Maximillian Schell PROD Maximillian Schell, Arlene Sellers SCR Maximillian Schell, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Roberto De Leonardis (novella ‘Der Richter und Sein Henker’ [1950], a.k.a. ‘The Judge and His Hangman,’ by Friedrich Dürrenmatt) CAM Roberto Gerardi, Ennio Guarnieri, Klaus König ED Dagmar Hirtz MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Jon Voight (Walter Tschanz), Jacqueline Bisset, Martin Ritt, Robert Shaw, Helmut Qualtinger, Gabriele Ferzetti, Rita Calderoni, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Lil Dagover, Donald Sutherland

COMING HOME (1978) DIR Hal Ashby PROD Jerome Hellman SCR Waldo Salt, Robert C. Jones (story by Nancy Dowd) CAM Haskell Wexler ED Don Zimmerman CAST Jane Fonda, Jon Voight (Luke Martin), Bruce Dern, Penelope Milford, Robert Carradine, Robert Ginty, Mary Gregory, Kathleen Miller, Hal Ashby

THE CHAMP (1979) DIR Franco Zeffirelli PROD Dyson Lovell SCR Walter Newman (story by Frances Marion) CAM Fred J. Koenekamp ED Michael J. Sheridan MUS Dave Grusin CAST Jon Voight (Billy), Faye Dunaway, Ricky Schroder, Jack Warden, Arthur Hill, Strother Martin, Joan Blondell, Mary Jo Catlett, Elisha Cook, Jr.

LOOKIN’ TO GET OUT (1982) DIR Hal Ashby PROD Andrew Braunsberg, Edward Teets, Robert Schaffel SCR Jon Voight, Al Schwartz CAM Haskell Wexler ED Eva Gardos, Walton Dornisch, Janice Hampton, Wayne Wahrman, Robert C. Jones MUS Miles Goodman, Johnny Mandel CAST Jon Voight (Alex Kovan), Ann-Margret, Burt Young, Bert Remsen, Jude Ferrese, Allen Keller, Richard Bradford, Angelina Jolie

TABLE FOR FIVE (1983) DIR Robert Lieberman PROD Robert Schaffel SCR David Seltzer CAM Vilmos Zsigmond ED Michael Kahn MUS Miles Goodman, John Morris CAST Jon Voight (J.P. Tannen), Richard Crenna, Marie-Christine Barrault, Millie Perkins, Roxana Zal, Robby Kiger, Kevin Costner

RUNAWAY TRAIN (1985) DIR Andrei Konchalovsky PROD Yoram Globus, Menahem Golan SCR Djordje Milicevic, Paul Zindel, Edward Bunker (story by Ryûzô Kikushima, Hideo Oguni; original screenplay by Akira Kurosawa) CAM Alan Hume ED Henry Richardson MUS Trevor Jones CAST Jon Voight (Oscar ‘Manny’ Manheim), Eric Roberts, Rebecca De Mornay, Kyle T. Heffner, John P. Ryan, Kenneth McMillan

DESERT BLOOM (1986) DIR Eugene Corr PROD Michael Hausman SCR (story by Eugene Corr, Linda Remy) CAM Reynaldo Villalobos ED Cari Coughlin, David Garfield, John Currin MUS Brad Fiedel CAST Jon Voight (), JoBeth Williams, Annabeth Gish, Ellen Barkin, Jay Underwood, Allen Garfield, Desiree Joseph, Christine Lahti (voice only)

ETERNITY (1990) DIR – PROD Steven Paul SCR Jon Voight, Steven Paul, Dorothy Koster Paul CAM John Lambert ED Peter Zinner, Michael J. Sheridan MUS Michel Legrand CAST Jon Voight (Edward / James), Armand Assante, Wilford Brimley, Eileen Davidson, Frankie Valli, Kaye Ballard, Eugene Roche, Steven Paul, Lainie Kazan

HEAT (1995) DIR – SCR Michael Mann PROD Michael Mann, Art Linson CAM Dante Spinotti ED Pasquale Buba, William Goldenberg, Dov Hoenig, Tom Rolf MUS Elliot Goldenthal CAST Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight (Nate), Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Natalie Portman, Bud Cort

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (1996) DIR Brian De Palma PROD Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner SCR Robert Towne, David Koepp (story by David Koepp, Steven Zaillian) CAM Stephen H. Burum ED Paul Hirsch MUS Danny Elfman CAST Tom Cruise, Jon Voight (Jim Phelps), Emmanuelle Béart, Henry Czerny, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Vanessa Redgrave, Emilio Estevez

ROSEWOOD (1997) DIR John Singleton PROD Jon Peters SCR Gregory Poirier CAM Johnny E. Jensen ED Bruce Cannon MUS John Williams CAST Jon Voight (John Wright), Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Bruce McGill, Loren Dean, Esther Rolle, Elise Neal, Robert Patrick

ANACONDA (1997) DIR Luis Llosa PROD Carole Little, Verna Harrah, Leonard Rabinowitz, Jack Epps, Jr. SCR Hans Bauer, Jim Cash, Jack Epps, Jr. CAM Bill Butler ED Michael R. Miller MUS Randy Edelman CAST Jon Voight (Paul Serone), Jennifer Lopez, Eric Stoltz, Ice Cube, Owen Wilson, Jonathan Hyde, Kari Wuhrer, Danny Trejo

U-TURN (1997) DIR Oliver Stone PROD Clayton Townsend, Dan Halsted SCR John Ridley (also book ‘Stray Dogs’ [1997]) CAM Robert Richazrdson ED Hank Corwin, Thomas J. Nordberg MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte, Billy Bob Thornton, Powers Boothe, Jon Voight (Blind man), Bo Hopkins, Julie Haggerty, Claire Danes, Joaquin Phoenix, Laurie Metcalf

MOST WANTED (1997) DIR David Glenn Hogan PROD Eric L. Gold SCR Keenen Ivory Wayans CAM Marc Reshovsky ED Michael J. Duthie, Mark Helfrich MUS Paul Buckmaster CAST Keenen Ivory Wayans, Jon Voight (General Adam Woodward / Lieutenant Colonel Grant Casey), Robert Kotecki, Wolfgang Bodison, Jill Hennessy, Eric Roberts, Robert Culp, Paul Sorvino

THE RAINMAKER (1997) DIR Francis Ford Coppola PROD Michael Douglas, Fred Fuchs, Steven Reuther SCR Francis Ford Coppola (novel ‘The Rainmaker’ [1995] by John Grisham) CAM John Toll ED Barry Malkin, Melissa Kent MUS Elmer Bernstein CAST Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, Claire Danes, Jon Voight (Leo F. Drummond), Mary Kay Place, Dean Stockwell, Teresa Wright, Virginia Madsen, Mickey Rourke, Roy Scheider, Danny Glover

THE GENERAL (1998) DIR – PROD John Boorman SCR John Boorman (novel ‘The General’ by Paul Williams) CAM Seamus Deasy ED Ron Davis MUS Richie Buckley CAST Brendan Gleeson, Jon Voight (Inspector Ned Kenny), Adrian Dunbar, Sean McGinley, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Angeline Ball, Eamonn Ewens

ENEMY OF THE STATE (1998) DIR Tony Scott PROD Jerry Bruckheimer SCR David Marconi CAM Daniel Mindel ED Chris Lebenzon MUS Trevor Rabin, Harry Gregson-Williams CAST Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight (Thomas Brian Reynolds), Lisa Bonet, Regina King, Stuart Wilson, Laura Cayouette, Loren Dean, Scott Caan, Jack Black, Larry King, Philip Baker Hall, Tom Sizemore

VARSITY BLUES (1999) DIR Brian Robbins PROD Brian Robbins, Tova Laiter SCR W. Peter Iliff CAM Chuck Cohen ED Ned Bastille MUS Mark Isham CAST James Van Der Beek, Jon Voight (Coach Kilmer), Paul Walker, Ron Lester, Scott Caan, Richard Lineback, Tiffany C. Love, Amy Smart

A DOG OF FLANDERS (1999) DIR Kevin Brodie PROD Frank Yablans SCR Kevin Brodie, Robert Singer (novel ‘A Dog of Flanders’ [1872] by Ouida) CAM Walther Vanden Ende ED Annamaria Szanto MUS Richard Friedman CAST Jon Voight (Michel), Cheryll Ladd, Jack Warden, Jeremy James Kissner, Jesse James, Bruce McGill, Farren Monet, Steven Hartley, Andrew Bicknell

THE PRINCE AND THE SURFER (1999) DIR Arye Gross, Gregory Gieras PROD Steven Paul SCR Gregory Poppen (book ‘The Prince and the Pauper’ [1881] by Mark Twain) CAM Thomas Harding ED Dennis O’Connor MUS Erik Lundmark CAST Sean Kellman, Robert Englund, Vincent Schiavelli, Jennifer O’Neill, C. Thomas Howell, Gregory Poppen, Jon Voight (Presenter)

PEARL HARBOR (2001) DIR Michael Bay PROD Michael Bay, Jerry Bruckheimer SCR Randall Wallace CAM John Schwartzman ED Roger Barton, Mark Goldblatt, Chris Ledenzon, Steven Rosenblum MUS Hans Zimmer CAST Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsdale, Josh Hartnett, Alec Baldwin, Jon Voight (President Franklin Delano Roosevelt), Jennifer Garner, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Dan Aykroyd, Jesse James, Peter Firth, Tom Sizemore, Leland Orser

LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER (2001) DIR Simon West PROD Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin SCR Patrick Massett, John Zinman (story by Sara B. Cooper, Mike Werb, Michael Colleary; adaptation by Simon West) CAM Peter Menzies, Jr. ED Dallas S. Puett, Glen Scantlebury, Eric Strand, Mark Warner MUS Graeme Levell CAST Angelina Jolie, Jon Voight (Lord Richard Croft), Iain Glen, Noah Taylor, Daniel Craig, Richard Johnson, Christopher Barrie, Leslie Phillips

ZOOLANDER (2001) DIR Ben Stiller PROD Ben Stiller, Scott Rudin, Stuart Cornfeld SCR Ben Stiller, John Hamburg, Drake Sather (story by Ben Stiller, Drake Sather) CAM Barry Peterson ED Greg Hayden MUS David Arnold CAST Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor, Will Ferrell, Milla Jovovich, Jerry Stiller, Jon Voight (Larry Zoolander), Donald Trump, Christian Slater, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Natalie Portman, Gwen Stefani, Heidi Klum, Paris Hilton, David Bowie, Claudia Schiffer, Justin Theroux, James Marsden, Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Winona Ryder, Vince Vaughn, Donatella Versace, Billy Zane

ALI (2001) DIR Michael Mann PROD Michael Mann, Paul Ardaji, A. Kitman Ho, James Lassiter, Jon Peters SCR Michael Mann, Eric Roth, Stephen J. Revele, Christopher Wilkinson (story by Gregory Allen Howard) CAM Emmanuel Lubezki ED William Goldenberg, Lynzee Klingman, Stephen Rivkin, Stuart Waks MUS Peter Bourke, Lisa Gerrard CAST Will Smithy, Jamie Fox, Jon Voight (Howard Cosell), Mario Van Peebles, Ron Silver, Jeffrey Wright, Mykelta Williamson, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bruce McGill

HOLES (2003) DIR Andrew Davis PROD Andrew Davis, Lowell D. Blank, Mike Medavoy, Teresa-Tucker Davies SCR Louis Sachar (also novel ‘Holes’ [1998]) CAM Stephen St. John ED Jeffrey Wolf, Thomas J. Nordberg MUS Joel McNeely CAST Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight (Mr. Sir), Patricia Arquette, Shia LaBeouf, Tim Blake Nelson, Khleo Thomas, Jake M. Smith, Byron Cotton, Brenden Jefferson, Henry Winkler, Eartha Kitt

THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (2004) DIR Jonathan Demme PROD Jonathan Demme, Tina Sinatra, Scott Ridin, Ilona Herzberg SCR Daniel Pyne, Dean Georgaris (novel ‘The Manchrian Candidate’ by Richard Condon; screenplay of THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE [1962] by George Axelrol) CAM Tak Fujimoto ED Carol Littleton, Craig McKay MUS Rachel Portman CAST Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Liev Schreiber, Jon Voight (Senator Thomas Jordan), Kimberly Elise, Jeffrey Wright, Ted Levine, Bruno Ganz, Miguel Ferrer, Dean Stockwell, Roger Corman

SUPERBABIES: BABY GENIUSES 2 (2004) DIR Bob Clark PROD Steven Paul SCR Steven Paul, Gregory Poppen CAM Maher Maleh ED Stan Cole MUS Paul Zaza CAST Jon Voight (Bill Biscane / Kane), Scott Baio, Vanessa Angel, Skyler Shaye, Justin Chatwin, Peter Wingfield, Gerry Fitzgerald, Leo Fitzgerald, Whoopi Goldberg

NATIONAL TREASURE (2004) DIR Jon Turteltaub PROD Jon Turteltaub, Jerry Bruckheimer SCR Jim Kouf, Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Wibberley (story by Jim Kouf, Oren Aviv, Charles Segars) CAM Caleb Deschanel ED William Goldenberg MUS Trevor Rabin CAST Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bertha, Sean Bean, Jon Voight (Patrick Gates), Harvey Keitel, Christopher Plummer, David Dayan Fisher

GLORY ROAD (2006) DIR James Gartner PROD Jerry Bruckheimer SCR Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois CAM Jeffrey L. Kimball, John Toon ED Jason Hellmann, John Wright MUS Trevor Rabin CAST Josh Lucas, Derek Luke, Austin Nichols, Jon Voight (Adolph Rupp), Evan Jones, Schin A.S. Kerr, Alphonso McAuley, Emily Deschanel

THE LEGEND OF SIMON CONJURER (2007) DIR Q. Mark [Stuart Paul] PROD Steven Paul, Eric M. Breiman CAM Howard Atherton, Douglas Milsome ED Ed Marx MUS Michel Legrand CAST Jon Voight (Dr. Crazx), Marcus Shirock, Skyler Shayne, Germaine De Leon, Kennon Sisco, Shane Allen, Kaylin Arason

TRANSFORMERS (2007) DIR Michael Bay PROD Don Murphy, Ian Bryce, Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura SCR Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtman (story by John Rogers, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman) CAM Mitchell Amundsen ED Thomas A. Muldoon, Paul Rubell, Glen Scantlebury MUS Steve Jablonsky CAST Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rachael taylor, Anthony Anderson, Jon Voight (Defense Secretary John Keller), John Torturro, Michael Bay

BRATZ (2007) DIR Sean McNamara PROD Steven Paul, Isaac Larian, Avi Arad SCR Susan Estelle Jansen (story by Adam De La Peña, David Eilenberg) CAM Christian Sebeldt ED Jeff Canavan MUS John Coda CAST Natalia Ramos, Janel Parrish, Logan Browning, Skyler Shaye, Chelsea Staub, Jon Voight (Principal Dimly), Lainie Kazan, Kadeem Hardison

SEPTEMBER DAWN (2007) DIR Christopher Cain PROD Christopher Cain, Scott Duthie, Kevin Matossian SCR Christopher Cain, Carole Whang Schutter CAM Juan Ruiz Anchia ED Jack Hofstra MUS William Ross CAST Jon Voight (Jacob Samuelson), Trent Ford, Tamara Hope, Terence Stamp, Lolita Davidovich, Taylor Hendley

NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS (2007) DIR Jon Turteltaub PROD Jon Turteltaub, Jerry Bruckheimer SCR Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Wibberley (story by Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Wibberley, Gregory Poirier, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio; characters created by Jim Kouf, Oren Aviv, Charles Segars) CAM Amir Mokri, John Schwartzman ED William Goldenberg, David Rennie MUS Trevor Rabin CAST Nicholas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bertha, Jon Voight (Patrick Gates), Hellen Mirren, Ed Harris, Harvey Keitel, Bruce Greenwood, Ty Burrell, Michael Maize, Alicia Coppola

PRIDE AND GLORY (2008) DIR Gavin O’Connor PROD Greg O’Connor SCR Gavin O’Connor, Joe Carnahan (story by Gavin O’Connor, Greg O’Connor, Robert Hopes) CAM Declan Quinn ED John Gilroy, Lisa Zeno Churgin MUS Mark Isham CAST Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight (Francis Tierney, Sr.), Noah Emmerich, Jennifer Ehlre, John Ortiz, Shea Whingham, Frank Grillo, Lake Bell, Rick Gonzales

AN AMERICAN CAROL (2008) DIR David Zucker PROD David Zucker, Stephen McEveety, John Shepherd SCR David Zucker, Myrna Solokoff, Lewis Friedman CAM Brian Baugh ED Vashi Nedomansky MUS James L. Venable CAST Kevin Farley, Kelsey Grammer, Trace Adkins, Robert Davi, Jon Voight (George Washington), Chriss Anglin, Geoffrey Arend, Leslie Nielsen, James Woods, Dennis Hopper, Gary Coleman, Paris Hilton

FOUR CHRISTMASES (2008) DIR Seth Gordon PROD Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jonathan Glickman SCR Matt R. Allen, Caleb Wilson, Jon Lucas, Scott Moore (story by Matt R. Allen, Caleb Wilson) CAM Jeffrey L. Kimball ED Mark Helfrich, Melissa Kent MUS Alex Wurman CAST Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight (Creighton), John Favreau, Mary Steenburgen, Colleen Camp

BEYOND (2012) DIR Josef Rusnak PROD Steven Paul SCR Greg Gieras CAM Eric Maddison ED David Checel MUS Mario Grigorov CAST Jon Voight (John Koski), Teri Polo, Ben Crowley, Chloe Lesslie, Dermont Mulroney, Julian Morris, Brett Baker

GETAWAY (2013) DIR Courtney Solomon PROD Courtney Solomon, Allan Zeman, Moshe Diamant, Christopher Milburn SCR Sean Finnegan, Gregg Maxwell Parker CAM Yaron Levy ED Ryan Dufrene MUS Justin Caine Burnett, Mikel Hurwitz CAST Ethan Hawke, Selena Gomez, Jon Voight (The Voice), Rebecca Buding, Paul Freeman, Bruce Payne, Ivaylo Geraskov, Dimo Axeliev

DRACULA: THE DARK PRINCE (2013) DIR Pearry Reginald Teo PROD Steven Paul SCR Pearry Reginald Teo, Steven Paul, Nicole Jones-Dion CAM Viorel Sergovici, Jr. ED Stephen Eckelberry, Robert A. Ferretti MUS Mario Grigorov CAST Luke Roberts, Jon Voight (Van Helsing), Kelly Wenham, Ben Robson, Holly Earl, Stephen Hogan, Richard Ashton, Poppy Corby-Tuech

DEADLY LESSONS (2014) DIR Stuart Paul PROD SCR Stuart Paul, Simon Paul CAST Jon Voight (Dr. Crazx), Danielle Kremeniuk, Marcus Shirock, Skyler Shaye, Germaine De Leon, John O. Nelson, Stuart Paul

BABY GENIUSES AND THE SPACE BABY (2015) DIR Seam McNamara PROD Steven Paul SCR Steven Paul CAM Robert Hayes ED Stephen Eckelberry, Robert A. Ferretti MUS CAST Jon Voight (Mriarty), Skyler Shaye, Casey Graf, Andy Pandini, Rob Bruner, Jaime Andrews, Beth Payne

TV MOVIES

CHERNOBYL: THE FINAL WARNING (1991) DIR Anthony Page PROD Phillip Barry, Jr. TELEPLAY Ernest Kinoy (book ‘Final Warning: The Legacy of Chernobyl’ [1988] by Robert Peter Gale and Thomas Hauser) CAM Ray Coode ED Chris Wimble MUS Billy Goldenberg CAST Jon Voight (Dr. Robert Gale), Jason Robards, Sammi Davis, Annette Crosbie, Ian McDiarmid, Vincent Riotta, Steven Hartley

THE LAST OF HIS TRIBE (1991) DIR Harry Hook PROD Robert Lovenheim, John Levoff TELEPLAY Stephen Harrigan CAM Martin Fuhrer ED Bill Yahraus MUS John E. Keane CAST Jon Voight (Professor Alfred Kroeber), Graham Greene, David Ogden Stiers, Jack Blessing, Anne Archer, Daniel Benzali

THE RAINBOW WARRIOR (1993) DIR Michael Tuchner PROD Sam Strangis TELEPLAY Martin Copeland, Scott Busby CAM Warrick Attewell ED Noel Rogers MUS Paul Buckmaster, Steve Tyrell CAST Jon Voight (Peter Willcox), Sam Neill, Bruno Lawrence, Kerry Fox, Jophn Callen, Stacey Pickren

THE TIN SOLDIER (1995) DIR Jon Voight, Gregory Gieras PROD Steven Paul TELEPLAY Patrick J. Clifton (story by Hans Christian Anderson) CAM Samuel Ameen ED Richard Fields MUS Benedikt Brydern CAST Trenton Knight, Jon Voight (Yarik), Ally Sheedy, Dom DeLuise, Bethany Richards, Aeryk Egan, Pablo Irlando, Brandon Harper, Steven Paul

CONVICT COWBOY (1995) DIR Rob Holcomb PROD Norman S. Powell TELEPLAY Rick Way, Jim Lindsay CAM James L. Carter ED Christopher Nelson MUS David Bell CAST Jon Voight (Ry Weston), Kyle Chandler, Marcia Gay Harden, Ben Gazzara, Glenn Plummer, Stephen McHattie, Dean Wray, Tom Heaton

THE FIXER (1999) DIR – TELEPLAY Charles Robert Carner PROD Charles Robert Carner, Tony Bill CAM Michael Goi ED Marc Leif MUS Lennie Niehaus CAST Jon Voight (Jack Killoran), Brenda Bakke, J.J. Johnston, Miguel Sandoval, Jack Wallace, Barbara Gordon, Sara Botsford, Karl Pruner

BOYS WILL BE BOYS (1999) DIR Dom DeLuise PROD Steven Paul TELEPLAY Mark Dubas, Gregory Poppen CAM Leonard Schway ED Heidi Scharfe MUS Kristopher Carter CAST James Williams, Drew Winget, Julie Hagerty, Randy Travis, Mickey Rooney, Dom DeLuise, Jon Voight (Lieutenant Palladino), Charles Nelson Reilly

UPRISING (2001) DIR Jon Avnet PROD Jon Avnet, Raffaella De Laurentiis TELEPLAY Jon Avnet, Paul Brickman CAM Denis Lenoir ED Sabrina Plisco MUS Maurice Jarre CAST Leelee Sobieski, Hank Azaria, David Schwimmer, Jon Voight (Major-General Jurgen Stroop), Donald Sutherland, Stephen Moyer, Sadie Frost, Radha Mitchell

SECOND STRING (2002) DIR Robert Lieberman PROD Bob Roe TELEPLAY Tom Flynn (story by Tom Flynn, Jere Cunningham) CAM David Hennings ED Alan L. Shefland MUS Mark Mothersbaugh CAST Van Miller, Doug Flutie, Mike Ditka, Jon Voight (Coach Chuck Dichter), Gil Bellows, Teri Polo, Richard T. Jones, Garcelle Beauvais

JASPER, TEXAS (2003) DIR Jeffrey W. Byrd TELEPLAY Jonathan Estrin CAM Ousama Rawi ED Jeffrey Cooper MUS Richard Werbowenko, Asche & Spencer CAST Roy T. Anderson, Demore Barnes, John Bayliss, James Bearden, Louis Gossett, Jr., Jon Voight (Billy Rowles)

THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN (2004) DIR Lloyd Kramer PROD Howard Ellis TELEPLAY Mitch Albom (also book ‘The Five People You Meet in Heaven’ [2003]) CAM Kramer Morgenthau ED Igor Kovalik, Stuart Waks, Gillian McCarthy MUS David Hirschfelder CAST Jon Voight (Eddie), Ellen Burstyn, Jeff Daniels, Dagmara Dominczyk, Steven Grayhm, Michael Imperioli, Callum Keith Rennie

THE KARATE DOG (2005) DIR Bob Clark PROD Steven Paul TELEPLAY Steven Paul, Gregory Poppen CAM Maher Maleh, Brian Pearson ED Stan Cole, Lenka Svab MUS Paul Zaza, Helmut Zerlatt CAST Jon Voight (Hamilton Cage), Simon Rex, Jaime Pressly, Pat Morita, Thomas Kretschmann, Ron Lester, Bonnie Paul, Nicolette Sheridan, Chevy Chase

POPE JOHN PAUL II (2005) DIR – TELEPLAY John Kent Harrison PROD Luca Bernabei, Marcial Cuquerella, Stephen Davies CAM Fabrizio Lucci ED Henk Van Eeghen MUS Marco Frisina CAST Jon Voight (Karol Wojtyla / Pope John Paul II), Cary Elwes, James Cromwell, Christopher Lee, Ben Gazzara, Daniele Pecci, Vittorio Belvedere, Giuliano Gemma

24 (2008) DIR Jon Cassar PROD Paul Gadd, Michael Klick TELEPLAY Howard Gordon (created by Robert Cochran, Joel Surnow) CAM Rodney Charters ED Scott Powell MUS Sean Callery CAST Kiefer Sutherland, Cherry Jones, Bob Gunton, Jon Voight (Jonas Hodges), Colm Feore, Powers Boothe, Robert Carlyle