Jon Voight

His first marriage was to actress Lauri Peters in 1962 which ended in 1967.

In 1971 he married actress Marcheline Bertrand and had two children with her. Both their children—James Haven and Angelina Jolie—went on to make a name for themselves in the Hollywood. Jon Voight and Marcheline divorced in 1980 after years of separation.

Jonathan Vincent "Jon" Voight was born on December 29, 1938, in Yonkers, New York, to Barbara and Elmer Voight. His father was a professional golfer. He has two brothers. He is of mixed ancestry.

Raised a Catholic, he was sent to Archbishop Stepinac High School. It was here that he discovered his love for acting while performing in school plays. He graduated in 1956 and joined The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He completed his B.A. in 1960, majoring in art.

Following his graduation he moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. His initial years were not easy, but he did not give up. He began appearing in television during the early 1960s, acting in several episodes of ‘Gunsmoke’, between 1962 and 1966.

In the mid-1960s his theater career took off and he enjoyed a stint in Broadway. Theater paved the way for films and he made his first film appearance in ‘Fearless Frank’ in 1967.

In 1969, he was cast as Joe Buck, a naive male hustler, in the drama film ‘Midnight Cowboy.’ The film, which explores the poignant friendship between the two main characters, played by Voight and Dustin Hoffman, proved to be a critical success which effectively launched young Voight’s career.

He played Ed Gentry in the dramatic thriller ‘Deliverance’ in 1972. The movie was a critical success and Voight’s performance especially received great critical acclaim and was popular with audiences.

Over the 1970s he appeared in several hit films like ‘Conrack’ (1974), ‘The Odessa File’ (1974), ‘End of the Game’ (1976), and ‘Coming Home’ (1978). In 1979, Voight played the part of an alcoholic ex-heavyweight in the remake of the 1931 film ‘The Champ’ which went on to become an international hit.

His portrayal of Luke Martin, a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran, in the drama film ‘Coming Home’ is one of his most memorable roles. His poignant portrayal of a traumatized war veteran who falls in love with a married woman earned him several accolades including an Academy Award.

He played Howard Cosell, an American sports journalist, in the biographical sports drama film ‘Ali’, which was based on the story of the boxer Muhammad Ali. He was nominated for an academy award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance.