(Cigar Aficionado)
Jon Voight has nothing but kind words for Angelina Jolie in a new interview, despite father and daughter’s sometimes-contentious relationship.
“I love my daughter, and I’m very impressed by her directing. I thought Unbroken was brilliant,” Voight says in his new Cigar Aficionado cover story. He even says, “Now I’d like to be directed by her.” But Voight is also happy just to be part of her family.
He tells the magazine, “I’m crazy about her and my grandchildren.” Voight goes on, “I love to play with my grandchildren, when I see them… I’m not an armchair grandfather — I’m interactive…” In fact, the actor reveals, “The happiest sound for me is sitting in my house and hearing children and their laughter coming from the field.”
Voight’s increased happiness these days can also be attributed to his Catholicism. He explains, “I think when we want to do something for the good — to help other people — we get the help we need. At one point in my career, I made that commitment, and I got help… The hardest lesson is to acknowledge my own weakness and to forgive myself for my mistakes. And to overcome my meaner leanings. But self-forgiveness is a big deal.”
At age 76, Voight remains one of Hollywood’s most vocal conservatives. According to him, he’s far from the only one, but notes that others don’t feel as comfortable speaking out. “There are a lot of conservatives in Hollywood, and they’re not very welcome,” says the “Ray Donovan” star. “It’s a big surprise that we’ve come to this juncture where people with patriotic thoughts could not find a home in Hollywood.”
And while he isn’t mentioned by name, it’s clear Bernie Sanders doesn’t stand a chance at scoring Voight’s vote. “I think the word ‘progressive’ is a very devious term,” he argues. “It was created as a substitute for ‘communist.’ What they propose is the reverse of progress. It’s some that that does taste of communism and Karl Marx’s pernicious philosophy.”
Voight’s full interview in the December issue will hit newsstands on October 27. TELL US: What do you think of Voight’s comments about his family, religion, and politics?
