John Savage (actor)
{{Short description|American actor (born 1949)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = John Savage
| image = AV0A6718 John Savage (crop).jpg
| caption = Savage in 2017
| birth_name = John Smeallie Youngs
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|08|25}}{{cite book|title=Screen World: 2005 Film Annual|
editor1-last=Willis|editor1-first=John|editor2-first=Barry|editor2-last=Monush|page=373|year=2006|volume=56|publisher=Applause Books|location=New York|isbn= 978-1-557-83668-7}}
| birth_place = Old Bethpage, New York, U.S.
| death_date =
| alma_mater = American Academy of Dramatic Arts
| occupation = Actor
| yearsactive = 1969–present
| spouse = {{ubl|
{{marriage|Susan Youngs|1967|1969|reason=divorced}}|
{{marriage|Sandi Schultz|1993|2002|reason=divorced}}|
}}
| partner =
| relatives = {{ubl|
- Jim Youngs (brother)
- Robin Young (sister)
- Robert Duvall (ex-brother-in-law)
}}
}}
John Smeallie Youngs (born August 25, 1949), known professionally as John Savage, is an American actor.{{Cite web |date=2020-06-19 |title=An Interview With Actor John Savage |url=https://fox5sandiego.com/entertainment/at-the-movies-blog/an-interview-with-actor-john-savage/ |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=FOX 5 San Diego |language=en-US}} He first rose to prominence in the late 1970s for his portrayals of troubled-but-sensitive characters in films like The Deer Hunter (1978), The Onion Field (1979) and Hair (1979). His television roles include Donald Lydecker on Dark Angel (2000–2002){{cite news |date=2014 |title=John Savage |work=The New York Times |department=Movies & TV Dept. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/337353/John-Savage/filmography |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410161226/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/337353/John-Savage/filmography |archive-date=2014-04-10}}{{cite news |date=February 28, 1988 |title=John Savage Uses Film To Help His Neighbors |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/28/movies/john-savage-uses-film-to-help-his-neighbors.html}} and Hack Scudder on Carnivàle (2003–2005).
Early life
John Smeallie Youngs was born in Old Bethpage on Long Island, New York on August 25, 1949, to Floyd and Muriel Youngs. Savage's younger siblings, Gail (b. 1952){{Cite web |date=2022-10-18 |title=Robert Duvall Has Been Married 4 Times: Meet His Ex-Wives and Current Wife Luciana |url=https://www.yahoo.com/now/robert-duvall-married-4-times-154946006.html |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=www.yahoo.com |language=en-US}} and Jim Youngs (b. 1956),{{Cite web |last=says |first=Jim |date=2020-04-03 |title=John Savage Draws Strength from Fan Recognition, Military Veterans – Hollywood in Toto |url=https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/john-savage-interview-seal-team/,%20https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/john-savage-interview-seal-team/ |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=www.hollywoodintoto.com |language=en-US}} are also actors. His younger sister, Robin Young, is a Peabody Award-winning journalist and news broadcaster.{{Cite web |title=The Tribe From 'Hair' Reunites After 40 Years |url=https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2019/12/31/hair-film-cast-40th-anniversary |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=www.wbur.org |language=en}}
After graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts,{{Cite web |title=John Savage |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/170548%7C0/John-Savage/ |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=Turner Classic Movies |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=John Savage |url=http://www.lamusicawards.com/act/john-savage/ |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=LA Music Awards |language=en-US}} Savage worked for the Manhattan's Children's Theatre Group.
Career
Savage has appeared in more than 200 feature films, short films, recurring roles in television series and guest appearances in episodes of television series. One of Savage's first notable roles is as Claude Hooper Bukowski in the 1979 film Hair.{{cite journal| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-uACAAAAMBAJ&q=%22John+Savage%22+%22Hair%22&pg=PA62| title='Hair' Transplanted| last=Denby| first=David| journal=New York| date=March 19, 1979| access-date=February 7, 2019}}{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AHoTII8bSu4C&q=%22John+Savage%22+%22Hair%22&pg=PA132| title=The Rock & Roll Film Encyclopedia| last=Muir| first=John Kenneth| year=2007| publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation| isbn=978-1557836939| language=en}} His first major film role was as Steven Pushkov in the multiple Oscar-winning 1978 film The Deer Hunter.{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ilzBgAAQBAJ&q=%22John+Savage%22+%22The+Deer+Hunter%22&pg=PA5| title=Television Fright Films of the 1970s| last=Deal| first=David| date=October 18, 2011| publisher=McFarland| isbn=978-0786455140}} He also had a lead role in the 1979 film The Onion Field.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vfie60kGGuAC&q=%22John+Savage%22+%22The+Onion+Field%22&pg=PA171|title=American Literature on Stage and Screen: 525 Works and Their Adaptations|last=Hischak|first=Thomas S.|date=July 9, 2012|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=9780786492794|language=en}}
File:John_Savage_-_Sofia,_Bulgaria.jpg, March 2017]]
In the late 1970s, he performed in the Broadway production of David Mamet's play American Buffalo.{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4D09BAAAQBAJ&q=%22John+Savage%22+%22American+Buffalo%22&pg=PT6| title=American Buffalo| last=Mamet| first=David| authorlink=David Mamet|date=July 22, 2014| publisher=Grove/Atlantic, Inc.|location=New York City| isbn=978-0802191809}}
In 1991, he starred in Italian director Lucio Fulci's final film Door to Silence.{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RAUIAQAAMAAJ&q=%22John+Savage%22+%22Door+to+Silence%22| title=Spaghetti Nightmares: Italian Fantasy-horrors as Seen Through the Eyes of Their Protagonists| last=Winick| first=Margot| date=January 1, 1996| publisher=Fantasma Books| isbn=978-0963498274}} He then had a brief role in the 1998 war film The Thin Red Line,{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VeA-AwAAQBAJ&q=%22John+Savage%22+%22The+Thin+Red+Line%22&pg=PA223| title=The Cinema of Terrence Malick: Poetic Visions of America| last=Patterson| first=Hannah| date=November 19, 2007| publisher=Columbia University Press| isbn=978-0231850117}} portrayed Captain Ransom in the two part episode "Equinox" of the television series Star Trek: Voyager in 1999,{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oEPl84FQpxgC&q=%22John+Savage%22+%22star+Trek+Voyager%22&pg=PA320| title=Star Trek Voyager Companion| last=Ruditis| first=Paul| year=2003| publisher=Simon and Schuster| isbn=978-0743417518}} and appeared in the recurring role of Donald Lydecker in the first and second seasons of the 2000 television series Dark Angel.{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pQIDAQAAQBAJ&q=%22John+Savage%22+%22Dark+Angel%22&pg=PA64| title=Science Fiction Television Series, 1990–2004: Histories, Casts and Credits for 58 Shows| last1=Garcia| first1=Frank| last2=Phillips| first2=Mark| date=September 27, 2013| publisher=McFarland| location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=978-0786491834}}
Savage appeared in the recurring role of Henry Scudder in the HBO television series Carnivàle between 2003 and 2005.{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YX_daEhlnbsC&q=%22John+Savage%22+%22Carnivale%22&pg=PA164| title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010| edition=2d| last=Terrace| first=Vincent| date=November 12, 2012| publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, North Carolina| isbn=978-0786486410}} He appeared in unrelated roles in two of the series in the Law & Order franchise: the 2004 Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "Conscience" as a man who put his wife in a permanent coma, and the 2005 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Quarry" as a child molester on death row for murdering one of his victims.{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k7AmwE7i4HIC&q=%22John+Savage%22+%22SVU%22&pg=PA97| title=Media and Criminal Justice: The CSI Effect| last=Stevens| first=Dennis J.| date=April 19, 2011| publisher=Jones & Bartlett Publishers| isbn=978-1449658120}}
Savage appeared in the 2015 horror film Tales of Halloween,{{cite news| url=https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/tales-of-halloween-review-1201617199/| title=Film Review: 'Tales of Halloween'| last=Harvey| first=Dennis| date=October 20, 2015| newspaper=Variety| access-date=July 11, 2018}} the 2017 film In Dubious Battle,{{cite news| url=https://www.indiewire.com/2016/08/in-dubious-battle-trailer-james-franco-john-steinbeck-selena-gomez-1201721340/| title='In Dubious Battle' Trailer: James Franco Takes on John Steinbeck in His Latest Literary Adaptation| last=Nordine| first=Michael| date=August 29, 2016| journal=IndieWire| access-date=July 11, 2018}} and on the 2017 continuation of the television show Twin Peaks.{{cite news| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-recaps/twin-peaks-recap-in-arms-way-195812/|title='Twin Peaks' Recap: In Arms' Way| last=Collins| first=Sean T.| date=August 7, 2017| magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=July 11, 2018}}
In 2017, Savage spoke at a tribute honoring director Richard Donner, held by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.{{cite news| url=http://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2017/06/goonies-superman-filmmaker-richard-donner-gets-tribute-academy-june-7/| title=THE GOONIES, SUPERMAN, LETHAL WEAPON Filmmaker Richard Donner Gets Tribute By The Academy June 7| last=Thompson| first=Melissa| date=June 2, 2017| journal=We Are Movie Geeks| access-date=February 7, 2019}}
In 2018, he appeared on the television show Goliath.{{cite news| url=https://art19.com/shows/industry-standard-with-barry-katz/episodes/46a280e3-ba89-4737-aba4-5715c53957c5| title=235: John Savage| work=ART19| access-date=July 11, 2018}} In the same year, Savage lent his voice to a monologue on the title track of the album This Town by Steve Smith of Dirty Vegas.{{cite news| url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/08/19/an_unlikely_trip_from_dirty_vegas_to_the_south_shore/| title=An unlikely trip from Dirty Vegas to the South Shore| newspaper=The Boston Globe| date=August 19, 2007| access-date=July 11, 2018}}
Personal life
Savage has two children with his first wife, Susan (divorced 1969), including actress Jennifer Youngs (b. 1969). He was married to South African actress Sandi Schultz between 1993 and 2002.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Savage was an anti-apartheid activist in South Africa, and became acquainted with Nelson Mandela. He helped secure Mandela's involvement in the 1992 film Malcolm X, directed by Spike Lee, on which he was the assistant production manager for the South Africa unit.{{Cite web |title=John Savage |url=http://www.lamusicawards.com/act/john-savage/ |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=LA Music Awards |language=en-US}}
Savage's former brother-in-law was actor Robert Duvall, who was married to his sister Gail Youngs, from 1982 to 1986.
Filmography
= Film =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 1969
|The Master Beater |Rocco | |
| 1971
|Love is a Carousel |Boy Friend | |
| 1972
|Loney | |
| rowspan="2" |1973
|Kid | |
| The Killing Kind
|Terry Lambert | |
| 1974
|Robert Strong | |
| 1975
|Eric |Eric Swensen | |
| 1978
|Corporal Steven Pushkov | |
| rowspan="2" |1979
|Hair |Claude Hooper Bukowski | |
| The Onion Field
|Det. Karl Francis Hettinger | |
| 1980
|Roary | |
| rowspan="2" |1981
|Cattle Annie and Little Britches |Bittercreek Newcomb | |
| The Amateur
|Charles Heller | |
| 1983
|J.W. Brady | |
| 1984
|Ivan Bibic | |
| rowspan="3" |1986
|Vengeance of a Soldier |Frank Morgan | |
| Salvador
|John Cassady | |
| The Little Sister
|Tim Donovan | |
| rowspan="3" |1987
|Marco Venieri | |
| Beauty and the Beast
|Beast / Prince | |
| Caribe
|Jeff Richardson | |
| 1988
|Frank Ellsworth | |
| rowspan="2" |1989
|Point of View |Amnon Yehoshua | |
| Do the Right Thing
|Clifton | |
| rowspan="4" |1990
|Leon Abrahams | |
| Voice in the Dark
|Dan Montgomery | |
| The Godfather Part III
|Father Andrew Hagen | |
| Ottobre rosa all'Arbat
|Boris | |
| rowspan="5" |1991
|Roy Kramer | |
| Hunting
|Michael Bergman | |
| Mountain of Diamonds
|Blaine | |
| Buck ai confini del cielo
|Wintrop | |
| Notti di paura
|Paola | |
| rowspan="2" |1992
|Melvin Dovereux | |
| Primary Motive
|Wallace Roberts | |
| rowspan="2" |1993
|Berlin '39 |Wieland | |
| CIA II: Target Alexa
|Frank Kluge | |
| rowspan="3" |1994
|Killing Obsession |Albert | |
| Red Scorpion 2
|Andrew Kendrick | |
| Deadly Weapon
|Sanders | |
| rowspan="11" |1995
|The Dangerous |Emile Lautrec | |
| Carnosaur 2
|Jack Reed | |
| The Crossing Guard
|Bobby | |
| The Takeover
|Greg | |
| Fatal Choice
|Drury | |
| White Squall
|McCrea | |
| One Good Turn
|Santapietro | |
| Where Truth Lies
|Dr. Ian Lazarre | |
| American Strays
|Dwayne | |
| Flynn
|Joe Stromberg | |
| Firestorm
|Brinkman | |
| rowspan="8" |1997
| |
| Little Boy Blue
|Ray West | |
| Amnesia
|Tim Bishop | |
| Hollywood Safari
|Deputy Rogers | |
| Hostile Intent
|Bear | |
| Et hjørne af Paradis
|Padre Louis | |
| Managua
|Dennis | |
| Ultimo taglio
|Leo Kimball | |
| rowspan="2" |1998
|Club Vampire |Zero | |
| The Thin Red Line
|Sgt. Jack McCron | |
| rowspan="3" |1999
|Frontline |Captain Wolfgang Mueller | |
| Message in a Bottle
|Johnny Land | |
| Summer of Sam
|Simon | |
| rowspan="2" |2000
|James Tarling | |
| They Nest
|Jack Wald | |
| rowspan="2" |2001
|Dead Man's Run |Carver | |
| Burning Down the House
|Jake Seiling | |
| rowspan="2" |2002
|Redemption of the Ghost |Sheriff Rollie Burns | |
| The Anarchist Cookbook
|Johnny Red | |
| rowspan="2" |2003
|Intoxicating |William Shanley | |
| Easy Sex
|Frank Iverson | |
| rowspan="3" |2004
|Fallacy |Heathcliff | |
| Admissions
|Harry Brighton | |
| Downtown: A Street Tale
|H2O | |
| rowspan="3" |2005
|Iowa |Irv Huffman | |
| Confessions of a Pit Fighter
|McGee | |
| The New World
|Thomas Savage | |
| rowspan="3" |2006
|Rock | |
| The Drop
|Mr. Zero | |
| Shut Up and Shoot!
|Marty Pearlheimer | |
| rowspan="2" |2007
|Johnny |uncredited |
| The Attic
|Graham Callan | |
| rowspan="6" |2008
|The Grift |William Bender | |
| From a Place of Darkness
|Vic | |
| Boiler Maker
|JJ | |
| The Coverup
|Thomas Thacker | |
| The Golden Boys
|Web Saunders | |
| The Violent Kind
|George Malloy | |
| rowspan="7" |2009
|News Producer | |
| Wild About Harry
|Horace White | |
| Handsome Harry
|Peter Rheems | |
| Qi chuan xu xu
|Frank Dreibelbis | |
| Buffalo Bushido
|Vendetti | |
| Remembering Nigel
|Himself | |
| The Red Canvas
|Harbin Rask | |
| rowspan="4" |2010
|Agent Barnes | |
| Bereavement
|Ted | |
| A Small Town Called Descent
|Father Scully | |
| Bed & Breakfast
|Mr. Harvey | |
| rowspan="6" |2011
|Colombian Interviews |James | |
| The Last Gamble
|John | |
| Nichirin no isan
|Douglas MacArthur | |
| The Orphan Killer
|Detective Walker | |
| Hit List
|Walter Murphy | |
| Assassins' Code
|Arlo | |
| rowspan="5" |2012
|The Jonas Project |Calvin Kabral | |
| The Black Dove
|Jake Williams | |
| Sins Expiation
|Father Karl | |
| Money Fight
|Harbin Rask | |
| Open Road
|Carl | |
| rowspan="6" |2013
|Real Gangsters |Ted Roberts | |
| Gemini Rising
|Manning | |
| Awakened
|Jack Winston | |
| A Star for Rose
|Mort | |
| 7E
|Paul | |
| Discarded
|Jay | |
| rowspan="6" |2014
|Governor Johnson | |
| Fort Bliss
|Mike Swann | |
| See How They Run
|The Codger | |
| The Lookalike
|William Spinks | |
| Cry of the Butterfly
|William Berman | |
| The Big Fat Stone
|Robert Tanninger | |
| rowspan="4" |2015
|The Sparrows: Nesting |Marvin | |
| We Will Be the World Champions
|William Jones | |
| Tales of Halloween
|Capt. J.G. Zimmerman |segment "Bad Seed" |
| Beverly Hills Christmas
|Mr. Winters | |
| rowspan="5" |2016
|Last Call at Murray's |Bennett | |
| Texas Heart
|Carl | |
| In Dubious Battle
|Dan | |
| American Romance
|Emery Reed | |
| Dead South
|Stokes | |
| rowspan="6" |2017
|Nephilim |Father Samuel |voice role |
| The Return
|Covek u crnom odelu | |
| The Neighborhood
|Vito Bello | |
| Spreading Darkness
|Brett | |
| Fake News
|President Wayne Walker | |
| Going Vertical
| |
| rowspan="3" |2018
|Betrayed |Mayor Alderman | |
| Easy Way Out
|Martin | |
| Followed
|Wallace Fleischer | |
| rowspan="8" |2019
|Sensory Perception |President of United Earth | |
| Gates of Darkness
|Joseph | |
| Hold On
|Dr. Siedhoff | |
| The Islands
|Henry Thornton | |
| The Last Full Measure
|Kepper | |
| Down's Revenge
|Dr. Sorkin | |
| Heavenly Deposit
|Donald | |
| Spinning Dry
|Frank Manghetti | |
| 2020
|A Medicine for the Mind |Dr. Ernest Brown |short film |
| rowspan="4" |2021
|Torch |August Lewin | |
| Lockdown
|The Narrator | |
| Insight
|Frank | |
| The Dog of Christmas
|Ron | |
| 2022
|The Right to Bear Arms |Brutal Magnus | |
| 2023
|Lucky | |
= Television =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 1974
|Peter |Television film |
| 1975
|Jim Malloy |Television film |
| 1982
|Victor Herman |Television film |
| 1985
|Kevin Dunne |Television film |
| 1993
|President |Television film |
| 1994
|Benny |Season 6 Episode 5 "Revenge is the Nuts" |
| rowspan="3" |1995
|Bob Herbert, National Intelligence Officer |Television film |
| The X-Files
|Henry Trondheim |Season 2 Episode 19 "Død Kalm" |
| The Outer Limits
|Lucas |Season 1 Episode 12 "The Conversion" |
| 1996
|Sergeant Major Tom Hawkins |Season 4 Episode 2 "Patriot" |
| 1997
|Billy Jackson |Television film |
| 1998
|Victor Robinson |Television film |
| rowspan="2" |1999
|Slater |Television film |
| Star Trek: Voyager
|Captain Rudy Ransom |Two-part episode "Equinox" |
| rowspan="2" |2000
|The Virginian |Steve |Television film |
| Dark Angel
|Donald Lydecker |Main cast season 1, recurring season 2 |
| 2003
|Henry "Hack" Scudder |Recurring role |
| rowspan="3" |2004
|Law and Order: Criminal Intent |Mark Farrell | |
| Alien Lockdown
|Dr. Alan Woodman |Television Film |
| Sucker Free City
|Anderson Wade |Television Film |
| 2005
|Trent |Television Film |
| 2009
|Andre Hughes |Season 2 Episode 2 "Night of Desirable Objects" |
| rowspan="2" |2013
|Defending Santa |Judge Willis |Television Film |
| Cleaners
|Marcus Walker |Recurring season 2 |
| 2014
|President DeSteno |Television Film |
| rowspan="3" |2017
|Teen Star Academy |Burt |Television Film |
| Twin Peaks
|Detective Clark | |
| Empire of the Sharks
|Ian Fein |Television Film |
| rowspan="5" |2018
|40 and Single |Stewart Temple | |
| Mission Possible
|Captain Ted Napoleon |Television Film |
| Goliath
|Mickey |Recurring season 2 |
| Torque
|Agent Curtis | |
| 6 Children & 1 Grandfather
|David McDoll |Television Film |
| 2019
|Ovid and the Art of Love |Augustus |Television Film |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons and category|John Savage (actor)}}
- {{IMDb name|1698}}
- {{IBDB name|85228}}
- {{iobdb name|13203}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Savage, John}}
Category:Male actors from New York (state)
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:American male stage actors
Category:American expatriates in South Africa
Category:American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni
Category:People from Old Bethpage, New York
Category:20th-century American male actors