Jon Voight: Isn't it Romantic?

Q: Were there movies you wanted that you couldn't get?

A: Yes. I'd met Milos Forman and I wanted to work with him. When I'd done Midnight Cowboy and Deliverance and had some success, he was going to make One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I tried very hard to get that picture. They'd [already] gone with Jack. I don't know that I could have done nearly as well, but I certainly had good taste.

Q: Is there a film you turned down and later wished you hadn't?

A: There was a lot made of the fact that I turned down Love Story. I didn't see myself as being able to pull that kind of role off. I was that character in some fashion--a college-y, preppy-looking guy--but the movie was a little sentimental. Though I thought it was good.

Q: What do you like most and least about show business?

A: I've had a romance with show business since I was a child. I've never lost it, and I don't think I ever will. What can I say I like least about it? The tendency to give people what they will buy as opposed to something they can celebrate.

Q: You have an activist approach to celebrity, don't you?

A: Activism is not a dirty word to me. It's a good word. It means being active, not being inert. But I would rather be referred to as a humanitarian. It has the aspect of responsibility. Being in the eye of the public puts me in the position to use my name for the right causes. It pains me sometimes to see some celebrities using their popularity for the negative. With our youth constantly seeking heroes, it would be so easy for those who are in the public eye to guide them to more positive thoughts and activities.

Q: I know you've been very active on behalf of American Indians.

A: Not as active as I would like to be. They are a great people and their nations have gone through the most horrible genocide. Some day, hopefully soon, we will answer their cries and fears with a love strong enough for them to really hear. I had this dream that I put into action. Several years ago I found myself in the great halls of our government in Washington, D.C., talking to senators and congressmen about my dream--to compose a circle of the great chiefs of the native people facing the great chiefs of our nation. And around this circle would be spiritual people from around the planet--the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, Elie Wiesel, the great Nobel Peace Prize people. And around that group would be a circle of the most prominent celebrities from all over the world, to call attention to the event. And around that circle would be the international press. The great chiefs of our government would make an apology--and I know they could do it quite eloquently--while looking in the eyes of these old, wrinkled, beautiful faces, and make a treaty signed under God.

Q: That is such a beautiful idea. At least you made the effort.

A: There is so little self-esteem in the Indian communities, but there still exists a connection to their heritage. Each of the tribes has elders that still hold to their holy ways and represent the greatness of this people in a most spectacular way. We recently lost Leon Shenandoah, one of the great chiefs of the Iroquois Confederacy. I am deeply honored to say he was a friend of mine. I hope you can mention that I give my love to the Iroquois people, to his widow, to all his chiefs and to his nation.

Q: You are perceived as a very emotional, dramatic kind of person.

A: [Laughs]

Q: And you seem to have no fear of that. It's as if you can't hold back.

A: I'm not sure where it all comes from. Maybe when I perceive myself expressing a truth, I'm moved. I'm so grateful I'm able to see a truth or two. I don't want to relinquish my sensitivity or my passion.

Q: Has that been there from the beginning or has it blossomed as you got older?

A: I think in the beginning I didn't feel the self-confidence or the responsibility for leadership that I feel now. I'm older, so when I look back I can make an assessment: "I wasn't wrong here; I was the only person saying this at that time and I should have been more forceful." Or, "[It would have been] wiser not to say it here when I could have said it here." Life is not something that one solves. It's a continuous string of challenges. I'm proud of some of the places I've been. As I look back, I have to say that I haven't done too badly.

Q: It doesn't sound like you have much of it these days, but what do you do with your downtime?

A: I have two children, they're 23 and 21, and I humbly say that they are very remarkable young people. There's nothing that gives me more pleasure than spending time with them. My daughter, who goes by the name Angelina Jolie, seems to be making a name for herself in our industry, and since my experiences have been good, I have no doubt that she will thrive and grow and love it as much as I do. My son Jamie shows great promise as a writer, and he directed a short film that was remarkably good. I have great faith in his future as well.

Q: Do you advise your daughter about possible Hollywood pitfalls?

A: Angelina has seen with her own eyes my ups and downs and my struggles to do what I thought was right. Hopefully she's learned from the mistakes I've made. I think she's pretty well equipped.

Q: Does it matter to you what people think about you?

A: It does matter, because I don't want it to get in the way of what I say. If I'm going to help focus some energy toward people who are needy, I want to be read as a sincere and knowing person--as someone who is responsible, compassionate, intelligent and respectable.

Q: I think you've reached that place.

A: At this table, in this restaurant. [Laughs] They respect me here, I pay my bills. [Laughs]

_______________________________

Pamela Des Barres interviewed Christopher Jones for the August '96 issue of Movieline.

Pages: 1 2 3