Origins & Early Life

Jonathan Paul Voight ( VOYT; born December 29, 1938) is an American actor. Throughout his career, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and four Golden Globe Awards as well as nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2019, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts. Films in which Voight has appeared have grossed more than $5.2 billion worldwide.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Associated with the angst and unruliness that typified the late 1960s counterculture, Voight won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of a paraplegic Vietnam veteran in Coming Home (1978). His other Oscar nominations are for playing Joe Buck, a would-be gigolo, in Midnight Cowboy (1969); ruthless bank robber Oscar "Manny" Manheim in Runaway Train (1985); and sportscaster Howard Cosell in Ali (2001). His other notable 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), National Treasure (2004), Glory Road (2006), Transformers, National Treasure: Book of Secrets (both 2007), and Pride and Glory (2008). Voight is also known for his...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alan Bond — Contemporary (Born in 1938) (1938): Australian businessman known for high-profile dealings, the America's Cup, and founding Bond University.
• Albert Fert — Contemporary (Born in 1938) (1938): Pioneering physicist known for the discovery of giant magnetoresistance.
• Anthony Leggett — Contemporary (Born in 1938) (1938): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for work on superfluidity and low-temperature quantum systems.
• Andrei Tarkovsky — Shared historical date (12-29 · Died) (1986): Master of metaphysical cinema, known for slow pacing and spiritual depth.
• Billy Mitchell — Shared historical date (12-29 · Born) (1879): Pioneering US Army officer instrumental in the conceptualization of the modern Air Force.
• Axel Paulsen — Historical peer (Died in 1938) (1938): Pioneering Norwegian figure and speed skater, inventor of the Axel jump.
• Béla Kun — Historical peer (Died in 1938) (1938): Hungarian communist revolutionary who governed the Hungarian Soviet Republic in 1919.
• Agnès Varda — Historical peer (Died in 2019) (2019): Pioneering French filmmaker, artist, and documentarian celebrated for her unique vision.
• Akihito — Historical peer (Died in 2019) (2019): 125th Emperor of Japan; reigned during the Heisei era (1989-2019).
• Adolf Dassler — Historical peer (Died in 1978) (1978): Pioneering German cobbler and inventor who founded the sportswear giant Adidas.
• 1938 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1938
• December 29 (12-29) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on December 29