Actor Jon Voight describes when 'things turned upside down' in Hollywood

October 12, 2015

Editor

Glenn invited "one of the most genuine and nicest guys" and Oscar winning actor Jon Voight onto his radio program Monday, to talk about his participation in the new movie, Woodlawn, and a variety of issues in our society.

"When I see the wanton attacks on Christians throughout the world, it's deeply disheartening and disturbing and angering and all these things," Voight said.

Something he said gives him hope is being able to act in a film like Woodlawn, which tells the true story of a Birmingham high school football team that was going to be closed because of racial tensions in the '70s. When the team decided they would stand for God, stand for good, do the right thing and unite, they ended up in a state championship - the biggest football game in Birmingham history.

"It's a very heartwarming story. So I thought it was the perfect time for it. And I was very grateful for it," Voight said.

Later in the conversation, Glenn asked Voight about some of the changes he's seen in the film industry that have turned our values upside down, and what brought them about.

Watch the segment or read the transcript below.

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Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.

GLENN: A man I admire for many, many reasons. Talent, being least of which. And you can admire him on talent and career. Jon Voight joins us again.

We're just looking at your list of movies that you've made in your life, Jon. Phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. Is there something in all the movies that you've made, is there one thing that you're saying, "That's when I had it? I had it at that moment. That scene or that -- I wish I could be that good all the time?"

JON: Well, I've had a lot of — I've had a lot of success in a variety of films. And they're a little like part of a family. You don't distinguish one from the other in a certain way.

GLENN: Yeah.

JON: But, no, I've been fortunate to work with very, very good directors. The director is the fellow who has the final say in most of this, you know. And the people who — you know, he supervises — not only the shooting of the film, but the editing and the music and the final, you know, mixing of the piece. So I've been very, very fortunate to work with very great directors.

I started out with -- in Midnight Cowboy, I worked with John Boorman on Deliverance. I won an Academy Award for Coming Home. I worked with a great Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky for Runaway Train. And then since then, I've done a lot of interesting films in which I wasn't quite the lead, but I was -- I certainly had an impact. And, you know, I -- I've done very, very well. But always attentive to the directors.

GLENN: Would you remember a time in Hollywood — and I want to get to Israel here in a second. But just one last question on this. Do you remember a time — you know, because 1969, you win your first Oscar. You were living in a time when — when Henry Fonda and John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart were still the men.

JON: Uh-huh.

GLENN: Do you — did you feel a change in Hollywood when those guys passed on?

JON: Well, I did feel a change — and the — the change had happened in the '60s when the values of this country were turned upside down. It was a very disturbing period of time, and it started out, I feel, with the assassination of our president, John Kennedy. And we were in trauma for a number of years. And the left moved in. What I mean, when I say the left, I mean Marxism moved in. And a lot of those people that were in the streets, you know, were being manipulated by communists. I mean, the big marches of the '60s, aside from the civil rights marches, those marches against the war were all orchestrated by communists. People don't realize that, you know. SDS, Students for Democratic Society, which is a big left movement, had a meeting in Cuba with Castro. Anyway, a lot of things happened in the '60s. And I think that's where things turned upside down.

GLENN: I wonder if we're in the same kind of period now, that we recover or don't. Because the same people now in their 60s, are really behind a lot of the things that have turned our values upside down. We have — I've never seen anything like it, Jon. I'm shocked that it happened. And I'm also shocked that there weren't 30,000 pastors, alone, standing in front of the capitol building, standing up against this embrace of Iran over Israel. It's crazy.

JON: Absolutely. I agree with you. People have been kind of stunned by this administration's lawlessness. They don't know what to do. I mean, look what's happening with Boehner leaving. I mean, they think he's finally a part of this recognition that we don't know what to do with this guy, you know. So I'm going to step down. Maybe somebody else stronger can come and replace me and maybe we can do something. Because on a daily basis, we're losing pieces of America.

GLENN: Big time.

Hunter pleads GUILTY, but did he get a pass on these 3 GLARING crimes?

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Last week, Hunter Biden made the shocking decision to suddenly plead guilty to all nine charges of tax-related crimes after claiming innocence since 2018.

Hunter first tried an "Alford plead" in which a defendant maintains their innocence while accepting the sentencing, typically due to the overwhelming evidence against them. Hunter's Alford plead was not accepted after the prosecutors objected to the suggestion, and Hunter quickly pleaded guilty.

Glenn could not believe just how disrespectful this situation was to the justice system and the American people. After years of lying about his innocence, which only served to deepen the divide in our country, Hunter decided to change his tune at the last minute and admit his guilt. Moreover, many expect Joe Biden will swoop in after the election and bail his son out with a presidential pardon.

This isn't the first time Hunter's crimes have turned out to be more than just a "right-wing conspiracy theory," and, odds are, it won't be the last. Here are three crimes Hunter may or may not be guilty of:

Gun charges: Found guilty

This June, Hunter Biden was found guilty of three federal gun charges, which could possibly land him up to 25 years in prison. Hunter purchased a revolver in 2018 while addicted to crack, and lied to the gun dealer about his addiction. While Hunter could face up to 25 years in prison, it's unlikely to be the case as first-time offenders rarely receive the maximum sentence. That's assuming Joe even lets it go that far.

Tax evasion: Plead guilty

Last week, Hunter changed his plea to "guilty" after years of pleading innocent to federal tax evasion charges. Since 2018, Delaware attorneys have been working on Hunter's case, and just before the trial was set to begin, Hunter changed his plea. According to the investigation, Hunter owed upwards of $1.4 million in federal taxes that he avoided by writing them off as fraudulent business deductions. Instead, Hunter spent this money on strippers, escorts, luxury cars, hotels, and, undoubtedly, crack.

Joe's involvement with Hunter's foreign dealings: Yet to be proven

Despite repeated claims against it, there is ample evidence supporting the theory Joe Biden was aware of Hunter's business dealings and even had a hand in them. This includes testimony from Devon Archer, one of Hunter's business partners, confirming Joe joined several business calls. Despite the mounting evidence Joe Biden was involved in Hunter's overseas business dealings and was using his influence to Hunter's benefit, the Bidens still maintain their innocence.

Why do we know so much about the Georgia shooter but NOTHING about Trump's shooter?

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It's only been a few days since the horrific shooting at the Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, and the shooter, Colt Gray, and his father, Colin Gray, have already made their first court appearance. Over the last few days, more and more information has come out about the shooter and his family, including details of Colt's troubled childhood and history of mental health issues. The FBI said Colton had been on their radar.

This situation has Glenn fired up, asking, "Why do we have an FBI?" It seems like every time there is a mass shooting, the FBI unhelpfully admits the shooter was "on the radar," but what good does that do? While it is great we know everything about the Georgia shooter, including what he got for Christmas, why do we still know next to NOTHING about Trump's would-be assassin? Here are three things we know about the Georgia shooter that we stilldon't know about the Trump shooter:

Digital footprint

Just a few days after the shooting, authorities have already released many details of the Georgia shooter, Colt Gray's, digital footprint. This includes extensive conversations and photographs revolving around school shootings that were pulled from Gray's Discord account, a digital messaging platform.

Compared to this, the FBI claims Thomas Crooks, the shooter who almost assassinated Donald Trump, had little to no digital footprint, and outside of an ominous message sent by Crooks on Steam (an online video game platform), we know nothing about his online activities. Doesn't it seem strange that Crooks, a young adult in 2024 who owned a cell phone and a laptop left behind no digital trail of any relevance to his crime?

Home life

The FBI has painted a vivid image of what Colt Gray's home life was like, including his troubling relationship with his parents. They released information about his parents' tumultuous divorce, being evicted from his home, several interactions with law enforcement and CPS, and abuse. Investigators also found written documents of Colt's related to other school shootings, suggesting he had been thinking of this for some time before committing the atrocity.

In contrast, we still know next to nothing about Crooks's home life.

How he got the weapon

Spencer Platt / Staff | Getty Images

Colt Gray was gifted the rifle he used in the shooting from his father for Christmas last year. We also know Colt's father is an avid hunter and would take Colt on hunting trips. In 2023, Colt was the subject of an investigation regarding a threat he made online to shoot up a school. During the interview, Colt stated he did not make the threat. Moreover, his father admitted to owning several firearms, but said Colt was not allowed full access to them. The investigation was later closed after the accusations could not be sustained.

In comparison, all we know is that Crooks stole his father's rifle and did not inform his parents of any part of his plan. We have no clue how Crooks acquired the rest of his equipment, which included nearly a hundred extra rounds of ammunition, a bullet-proof vest, and several homemade bombs. How did Crooks manage to acquire all of his equipment without the FBI taking notice?

It feels like the FBI is either incompetent or hiding important information from the American people. Or both.

Join Glenn TONIGHT for BlazeTV's exclusive debate coverage!

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If you become a BlazeTV+ subscriber today, you can gain access to the live chat with your favorite hosts, including Glenn, Stu, Liz Wheeler, and more as they share their thoughts on the debate. Go to BlazeTV.com/debate and get $40 off of your annual subscription with code DEBATE. This is the largest discount we’ve ever offered, so don’t miss out! See you TONIGHT at 8!

You do NOT want to miss it!

These ‘conservative’ Glenn Beck critics are now supporting Kamala Harris

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There’s a certain irony in how some of the loudest critics of Glenn Beck within the conservative ranks have now thrown their support behind Kamala Harris, a figure whose politics stand in stark contrast to the values they once claimed to uphold. Let's take a look back at these self-proclaimed guardians of conservatism, who once claimed Glenn Beck was a threat to the conservative movement, but are now backing the most far-left, radical candidate the Democrats have ever produced.

Adam Kinzinger

Adam Kinzinger was elected in 2010 as a Tea Party conservative, riding the wave of anti-establishment sentiment that defined the movement. However, by 2013, he was already distancing himself from the principles that got him elected. Criticizing Glenn Beck for labeling him a RINO, Kinzinger said, "The perception is, if you do one thing out of line with what is considered hard-core conservatism, or what Glenn Beck says or what Mark Levin says, then you are a RINO." Now, he’s taken his political shift to the extreme, endorsing Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention and praising her as a defender of democracy—all while claiming to be a Republican and a conservative.

Bill Kristol

Bill Kristol’s flip-flop is even more astounding. Kristol, who once took it upon himself to attack Beck for his warnings about radical Islam and creeping authoritarianism, now finds himself on the same side as Kamala Harris. Kristol’s past criticisms of Beck, comparing him to fringe elements like the John Birch Society, now ring hollow as Kristol himself becomes an apologist for the far left. His endorsement of Harris shows that his commitment was never to conservatism but to whatever political winds would keep him in the spotlight.

Jennifer Rubin

Jennifer Rubin is a prime example of how establishment figures at outlets like The Washington Post have masqueraded as conservatives while working to undermine genuine conservative voices. Rubin, who once criticized Beck by saying, "Rather than reflexively rising to his defense when questioned about Beck, why don’t conservatives call him out and explain that he doesn’t represent the views of mainstream conservatives?" was never truly aligned with conservative values. Her columns have consistently pushed establishment narratives, and now they read like PR pieces for the Democratic Party, especially when it comes to Kamala Harris. Rubin’s journey from supposed conservative commentator to one of the Biden administration’s staunchest defenders shows that her critiques of Beck were always about protecting her place within the Washington elite, not about upholding any real conservative principles.

Kinzinger, Kristol, and Rubin once posed as guardians of conservatism, warning about the supposed dangers of Glenn Beck. Now, they’ve endorsed Kamala Harris, a candidate whose policies are anathema to conservatism. Their criticisms of Beck were never about protecting conservative values—they were about steering the party back under their control. But the real target wasn’t just Beck; it was the audience he represents—everyday conservatives who challenge the status quo. These insiders have always seen that base as the real threat, and their actions make it clear who they were really trying to sideline.

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