Originally Published: January 19, 2008

Jonathan Vincent Voight was born on December 29, 1938, in Yonkers, N.Y., a densely populated town just north of the Bronx, and so close in proximity that it is often referred to as the city's sixth borough. Voight attended the all-boys Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains before enrolling at Catholic University. From there, he moved to Manhattan to study acting. In the years since, Voight has distinguished himself as one of Hollywood's most versatile and accomplished talents, garnering four Academy Award nominations, with one win for Best Actor in the 1978 film, Coming Home. Currently, he can be found pressing the flesh for GOP hopeful and former New York City mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. Voight sat down with AventuraUSA.com publisher David Colen over a plate of fried chicken at the food court inside the Stephen P. Clark Center to talk politics, movies, and his cameo in the greatest-television-series-about-nothing that was ever made.

1- Where and when did you first meet Mr. Giuliani?
I met him years ago. I think it was at one of the movie premieres. We just said hello to each other, but I was a big fan of his because I saw what happened in New York. I saw it go downhill very quickly. It was a mess. It was a frightening place to be in the early 1990s. It was a dangerous place. I remember when the cabbies were scared. People were not coming to New York and people in New York wanted to get the heck out. It was a mess and nobody really had any hopes for it. And all of sudden Rudy came in and changed it almost immediately. He changed the tone and gave people hope. He addressed all the problems.

2- That had a profound effect on you?
It was very powerful to me. Very moving to me because it’s the city I love. I saw the changes each time I came back to visit. Everyone talks about the statistics and they are incredible statistics, but I really felt it when I was there. New York became one of the safest large cities in the country, maybe the safest large city in the county, whereas it was very, very dangerous in the early 1990s. That’s one thing that affected me greatly.

3- What best-qualifies Giuliani for the presidency?
The pressure of being president is constant. They are going to have to face many crises and you need a man who can be poised when those moments occur. And there can be no greater test than what Rudy Giuliani went through during 9/11. And what he meant to the United States at that time.

4- Where were you and what were you doing on the morning of 9/11?
I was up in Canada making a movie and somebody called me and said, ‘Look at the television screen.’ I turned it on and saw what was happening. It was unbelievable. You felt like it couldn’t be happening.

5- How did 9/11 change your thinking about the world?
Of course, many things changed. I realized this is a serious time. And the reason I’m out here is because it’s a very serious time in the history world. Once again, we’re facing a totalitarian onslaught that is aimed against America and all democracy. And against respect for human life, and against freedom, and against respect for religions. And they are not only pernicious, but it’s a relentless force and very clever. Their use of propaganda has been very effective. They’re watching our television stations. And on the net, they are watching every move we make. And they’re taking advantage of our good hearts. They know exactly how to reach the hearts of Americans because they know we are a very generous people. They know we root for the underdog. They know all these things about us and they are using those things against us. So we’ve got to have a very strong president for this time. And I don’t think there is anyone more qualified. That’s obvious.

6- What’s your assessment of the job Mr. Giuliani did in the wake of 9/11?
We all looked to Rudy. His was a tremendous portrait of courage, strength, and poise. And we took strength from him and felt things about our country we hadn’t felt in a long time. Like pride. And the strength of our country and the uniting of our country, and that’s what we need now. Someone who can unite us all.

7- How about critics who say he’s relying too heavily on 9/11 during this campaign?
Critics would say whatever they say. But if you look at the debates, he answers every question, in-depth. He doesn’t look to polls to judge his responses. He speaks simple words from the heart, simple words that anyone could understand, brick layers to executives. He speaks a language we understand as Americans. His capacities are quite broad. So I think that’s bologna that he uses 9/11. Certainly that’s as great a credential as one can have. But it’s not like he’s harping on it. He's addressing the problems we face now. Like his tax proposals are for today, he’s not looking backward. And the evil forces that exist on the current horizon. He’s addressing today and the future. When I think about Rudy, I’m thinking about my kids and my grandkids and their kids. I’m thinking about my future. We need a guy like this.

8- Did you really gnarl Kramer’s arm?
I did and I liked it. It tasted very good. It was reminiscent of this chicken.

9- What did you think when you first saw that Seinfeld script?
Now you’re getting into serious territory. It was fun. Someone came into my office, he came in and asked if I would do a Seinfeld. I said, ‘Yeah, that’s a nice show. That’s a talented group.’ I figured they would just want me to walk on or something, and I said that would be fine. Well, it was a walk-on, but what I didn’t realize was that my name was on every page of the script. When I read it, I was shocked. But I was so flattered. It was the nicest thing. And the reason the writer wrote that episode was because he had bought a car on the basis that it was Jon Voight’s. Then he found in the glove compartment a pencil that had been chewed on and he found out that the John Voight who had owned the car was a dentist.

10- Have you ever owned a LeBaron?
No, but my mother did once.

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