Biography for
John Savage (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

25 August 1949, Old Bethpage, Long Island, New York, USA

Birth Name

John Smeallie Youngs

Height

5' 9½" (1.77 m)

Mini Biography

This American film actor also multitasks as a producer, composer and production manager. He rose to fame in the 70s, praised for his range and sensitivity. His blonde rugged looks helped viewers connect even more easily to his powerful performances.

Born John Youngs in Old Bethpage, New York, Savage attended the American Academy of Performing Arts. The Long Island boy debuted on Broadway in the chorus of "Fiddler On the Roof". He ended up playing one of the sons, after another actor fell sick. During this production, Managers Stewart Cohen and Rudy Altobelli discovered Savage. Between 1972 and 1975 Savage did a number of films a TV show and spent three years doing theater in Chicago; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest and Dance on a country Grave.

He subsequently moved to Los Angeles to star in Eric with Patricia Neal and Mark Hamill, then was cast by Dir Ulu Grossbard to play Bobby in the original production of David Mamet's "American Buffalo".

Savage first made a major splash with The Deer Hunter, winner of the 1979 Best Picture Oscar. The film's impact on Hollywood and America remains enormous. Director Michael Cimino cast him as Steven, who returns from Vietnam missing his legs.

The following year, this actor enjoyed leads in two more big pictures: the film adaptation of Joseph Wambaugh's Onion Field and Milos Forman's musical Hair (1979). Savage played the corn-fed recruit Claude Hooper Bukowski, who turns on, tunes in and drops out. Critics and film historians celebrated his performance - both then and now. In fact, John Willis' "Screen World" hailed him as one of the 12 promising new actors of 1979 (Vol. 31).

In another major role, Savage appeared as the suicide-survivor in Richard Donner's Inside Moves (1980). Sensitive and moving, this feel-good film delivers a powerful message about overcoming adversity. He was nominated for Best Actor-Foreign for his work in Amateur (1981). He went on to co-star in Maria's Lovers (1984) with Nastassja Kinski, backed by cinema legend Robert Mitchum.

Later films include Oliver Stone's Salvador and Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather: Part III (1990) in place of Robert Duvall (who refused to appear due to a salary dispute). During the late 80s, Savage threw his star power behind the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. He continues to work despite his activism, including guest appearances in The X Files (1995), Star Trek Voyager (1999), Dark Angel (2000-1) and various Law & Order episodes.

He first collaborated with Director Spike Lee as the bike-riding gentrifier in "Do the Right Thing" (1989), then shifted to the camera's other side for "Malcolm X" (1992) and "Summer of Sam" (1999). He also had a brief, but powerful, role in Terrence Malick's war epic, The Thin Red Line (1998).

Married twice - first to artist Susan Youngs, later to South African TV star Sandi Schultz - Savage is the father of ceramic artist Lachlan Youngs and actress-singer-songwriter Jennifer Youngs.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Amanda Castleman

Mini Biography

John Savage is an American actor who, for about half-a-decade from the late 1970s through the early '80s, remained precariously balanced on the cusp of stardom before his career as a character lead eventually derailed after the failure of Maria's Lovers (1984) in 1984. Perhaps it was for the best, personally, as Savage devoted the rest of the decade to fighting apartheid in South Africa, a far worthier cause than the pursuit of movie stardom.

Born John Youngs on August 25, 1949 in Old Bethpage, New York, Savage first made a major splash on screen nearly 10 years after his 1969 B-movie, big-screen debut in The Master Beater (1969) with The Deer Hunter (1978) (1978), winner of the Best Picture Oscars in 1979, its impact on Hollywood and America in the late 1970s was enormous. The following year, Savage had leads in two more big pictures:Milos Forman's musical Hair (1979) and the film adaptation of Joseph Wambaugh's _Onion Field, The (1979).

Savage's appearance as the suicide-survivor in Richard Donner's Inside Moves (1980) was at least the third major Role for the actor. Then came "Maria's Lovers", with Nastassja Kinski and cinema legend Robert Mitchum. His career as a character lead was over, and by 1986, he was appearing in a supporting role to James Woods' Oscar-nominated lead in Oliver Stone's Salvador. By the end of the decade, when he appeared in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather: Part III (1990) sequel in place of Robert Duvall (who refused to appear in the picture in a salary dispute).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Jon C. Hopwood

Mini Biography

Born John Youngs in Old Bethpage, New York, Savage sang and acted throughout his early school years. At the age of 17, his true passion began to come to fruition once accepted into the prestigious American Academy of Performing Arts.

Upon graduation, he landed his first job on Broadway in the chorus of Fiddler On the Roof as well as the understudy for one of the lead characters. His major debut came during this understudy position, attracting the attention of Los Angeles agents and managers. His theatrical run continued in Chicago, playing Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Shortly after arriving in Los Angeles, the budding Savage found himself cast in the original production of David Mamet's American Buffalo playing the role of Bobby under the direction of the esteemed Ulu Grossbard. It was on this set that his co-star, Robert Duvall, met and later married Savage's younger sister, Gail Youngs.

John's major screen debut came in 1978 with the Oscar-winning Best Picture film, The Deer Hunter, which gained him international attention for his work. The following year, he had leads in two more big pictures, Milos Forman's musical Hair (1979) and the film adaptation of Joseph Wambaugh's Onion Field (1979). His appearance as a suicide survivor in Richard Donner's Inside Moves (1980) continued to garner him praise as an actor of great range and diversity. He was nominated for Best Actor-Foreign for his work in Amateur (1981). He went on to co-star in Maria's Lovers (1984) with Nastassja Kinski, backed by cinema legend Robert Mitchum.

While his film career was blossoming, his TV career was just budding. He landed several series regular roles throughout his years, first being introduced onto TV as Jim Malloy of the NBC series Gibbsville as well as several movies for television.

During the late 80s through mid 90s, Savage threw his star power behind the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. It was here working alongside Nelson Mandela that he found himself back in his "Hollywood" roots working as the assistant production manager of Spike Lee's film Malcolm X. Savage had previously worked with Lee as co-producer and one of the stars of Do The Right Thing, and later showed up again in Lee's Summer of Sam as well as his Showtime TV movie Sucker Free City. Previous to this, he had also helped organize the Manhattan Children's Theatre Group, which continues to encourage the performing arts to at risk inner-city youth.

Since his return back to Los Angeles, John's career remains split between both television and film projects. He was a series regular on James Cameron's Dark Angel, as well as the acclaimed HBO series Carnivale. His silver screen presence remained with roles in American Strays, The Thin Red Line, and Message in a Bottle. In 2009, John will have several projects being released, including Handsome Harry (opposite Steve Buscemi) and The Thacker Case (opposite Eliza Dushku and Gabriel Macht). John is set to star in the upcoming trilogy "Nephilim" which begins production in late 2009.

As a producer, John has several projects in development and is committed to working with up-and-coming writers and directors.

IMDb Mini Biography By: The Chasin Agency

Spouse

Sandi Schultz	(1993 - present)
Susan Youngs	(1967 - 1969) (divorced) 2 children

Trivia

Father of Jennifer Youngs.

Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1979" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 31.

Spent 6 years (1988-1994) in South Africa, working with Nelson Mandela for the anti-Apartheid movement.

Older brother of actor Jim Youngs.

Brother of actress Gail Youngs

Had a son, Lachlan Youngs, and a daughter, Jennifer Youngs, from his first marriage to Susan Youngs.

Younger sister, Gail Youngs, was once married to actor Robert Duvall from 1982-1986.

Was an assistant production manager for certain sequences of Spike Lee's film Malcolm X (1992) that was shot in South Africa where John was living at the time working with Nelson Mandela on the anti-apartheid movement. John had appeared in Lee's Do the Right Thing (1989) a few years back, and later would show up in Lee's Summer of Sam (1999).

Won the Drama Circle Award for his stage portrayal of Billy Bibbitt in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in the early 1970s.

In his early years he organized the Manhattan's Children's Theatre Group which performed in public housing areas.

His present wife actress Sandi Schultz is from S.Africa.

Personal Quotes

I love plays like "Of Mice and Men." Modern classics. They tell you so much about America, how things were. The time it's about wasn't all that long ago, but we often forget times, and things, we should remember.

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