Jon Voight Comments on Being Hollywood’s Most Outspoken Trump Supporter

Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight is speaking out about his support for former President Donald Trump, a political stance that puts him at odds with most of his Hollywood colleagues. In a new interview with Variety, the acting legend discussed his political beliefs, and criticized his daughter Angelina Jolie for her recent anti-Israel comments. He also discussed his recent acting roles, including Francis Ford Coppola’s much-anticipated cinematic opus Megalopolis.

While most of Hollywood has vocally united behind Vice President Kamala Harris, Voight has been steadfast in his support for Trump. Leaning to the political right in the entertainment industry often means offers for roles will dry up, but Voight is a rare exception.

Despite His Support for Trump, Voight Appears in Numerous Films This Year

He’s appearing in no less than four films this year, including Shadow Land, Reagan, and Coppola’s Megalopolis, in which he plays the leader of New York City in a dystopian future. His personal reputation has taken a hit over his political views, but after the recent assassination attempt on the former President, he tells Variety he hopes attitudes toward him will improve:

“I’ve been the most outspoken supporter of Donald Trump in Hollywood. I’ve been saying he’s the answer, the only answer. Now, after this, maybe they will look at Jon Voight in a different way. If Donald Trump is being revealed in this way, maybe they will see a supporter like me in a different light.

Megalopolis (2024)

Megalopolis, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is a visionary 2024 film exploring the ambitious dream of reconstructing New York City into a utopia, following a devastating disaster. The narrative delves into the clash between the architect’s utopian vision and the political and personal turmoil that ensues. With a star-studded cast, the film examines themes of ambition, power, and the human spirit’s resilience against the backdrop of a futuristic metropolis.

Voight also didn’t shy away from discussing his daughter Angelina Jolie, even though the two have reconciled after years of being estranged, they still disagree on politics.

Voight has been particularly vocal in his support of Israel after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel killed 1,100 civilians, including 38 children, and took hundreds of hostages into Gaza. Israel’s resulting military action to free them in urban areas has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths, leading Jolie to criticize Israel’s actions. Voight says Jolie, who has worked with numerous humanitarian causes, is being influenced by “antisemitic” activists:

Variety noted that the 85-year-old is reluctant to mix his politics with his acting career, and says he never discusses politics while on the set. He isn’t afraid to discuss it when asked, however, and often posts videos to his Instagram account discussing politics.

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How Jon Voight Became an Acting Legend

Jon Voight first broke into acting in the early 1960s with small roles in television shows including Naked City and The Defenders. After a couple of small film roles, his breakthrough role as the gigolo Joe Buck in 1969’s Midnight Cowboy earned Voight an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. In 1972, he starred in another hit film, the Best Picture nominee Deliverance, with Burt Reynolds. In 1978, he won the Oscar for Best Actor playing paraplegic Vietnam veteran Luke Martin in Coming Home. He earned yet another Best Actor nod for 1985’s Runaway Train, but soon took a break from acting for several years.

By the mid-1990s, Voight was acting again, with a role in the first Mission: Impossible film opposite Tom Cruise. His level of celebrity also allowed him to poke fun at himself, when he appeared in a classic 1994 episode of Seinfeld, in which he played himself and famously bit Kramer (Michael Richards). Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he appeared in a number of mainstream hits and blockbusters, including Enemy of the State, Pearl Harbor, Transformers, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, with his daughter Angelina in the lead. In 2002, he earned his fourth Oscar nomination (for Best Supporting Actor) for Ali.

In recent years, Voight has remained active, playing the villain in the seventh season of 24, and a role in the Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and a substantial role in the series Ray Donovan, which won him a Golden Globe. In all, he has one Academy Award from four nominations, a BAFTA Award, four Primetime Emmy nominations, and four Golden Globes from 11 nominations.