John Smeallie Youngs (born August 25, 1949), known professionally as John Savage, is an American actor. 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) 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,Wagner, Amy (November 3, 2009). "It Happened on Long Island – 1949: John Savage Is Born". Newsday. p. B11. Retrieved June 20, 2025. "Actor John Savage was born John Youngs in Old Bethpage on August 25, 1949, where he was raised. [...] The brother of media personality Robin Young and of actor Jim Youngs, he is the father of actress and singer Jennifer Youngs." to Muriel Vanderveer (née Smeallie) and Floyd-Jones Youngs Jr."Death Notices". Newsday. January 5, 2006. p. A57. Retrieved June 20, 2025. "YOUNGS- Muriel Vanderveer Smeallie died in Manhasset, NY on December 28, 2005 at 81. Also known as Jhan Smeallie, Muriel was born in Amsterdam, New York in 1924, to John Vanderveer Smeallie and Madge Robie Smeallie. [...] She is survived and will always be missed by her children, John Smeallie Youngs (the actor John Savage), Robin Caldwell Youngs, Gail MacLachlan Youngs Dwyer, and James Vanderveer Youngs. She and her husband Floyd-Jones Youngs were founding residents of the Long Island town of Old Bethpage.""The Balance Wheel: Marriages". Newsday. September 17, 1948. p. 78. Retrieved June 20, 2025. "YOUNGS-SMEALLIE -Jones Ycungs Jr., 24, Adelphi College, Garden City, and Muriel Smeallie, 24, Forest Hills." Savage's younger siblings, Gail (b. 1952) and Jim Youngs (b. 1956), are also actors. His younger sister, Robin Young, is a Peabody Award-winning journalist and news broadcaster.
After graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, 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. His first major film role was as Steven Pushkov in the multiple Oscar-winning 1978 war drama film The Deer Hunter. He also had a lead role in the 1979 film The Onion Field. Savage received widespread critical acclaim for his early cinematic performances in the three films.
In the late 1970s, he performed in the Broadway production of David Mamet's play American Buffalo.
In 1991, he starred in Italian director Lucio Fulci's final film Door to Silence. He then had a brief role in the 1998 war film The Thin Red Line, portrayed Captain Ransom in the two part episode "Equinox" of the television series Star Trek: Voyager in 1999, and appeared in the recurring role of Donald Lydecker in the first and second seasons of the 2000 television series Dark Angel.
Savage appeared in the recurring role of Henry Scudder in the HBO television series Carnivàle between 2003 and 2005. 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.
In 2014, Savage appeared in the thriller Awakened. His performance was heavily criticized by mainstream film critics, with New York Times critic Jeannette Catsoulis calling his character dynamics awkward and forced. He received positive critical feedback for his supporting performance in the military drama Fort Bliss (2014). Savage appeared in the 2015 horror film Tales of Halloween, the 2017 drama film In Dubious Battle, and on the 2017 continuation of the horror drama television show Twin Peaks.
In 2017, Savage spoke at a tribute honoring director Richard Donner, held by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
In 2018, he appeared on the legal drama television show Goliath. 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.
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.
Savage's former brother-in-law was actor Robert Duvall, who was married to his sister Gail Youngs, from 1982 to 1986.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1969The Master BeaterRocco1971Love is a CarouselBoy Friend1972Bad CompanyLoney1973Steelyard BluesKidThe Killing KindTerry Lambert1974The Sister in LawRobert Strong1975EricEric Swensen1978The Deer HunterCorporal Steven Pushkov1979HairClaude Hooper BukowskiThe Onion FieldDet. Karl Francis Hettinger1980Inside MovesRoary1981Cattle Annie and Little BritchesBittercreek NewcombThe AmateurCharles Heller1983Brady's EscapeJ.W. Brady1984Maria's LoversIvan Bibic1986Vengeance of a SoldierFrank MorganSalvadorJohn CassadyThe Little SisterTim Donovan1987Hotel ColonialMarco VenieriBeauty and the BeastBeast / PrinceCaribeJeff Richardson1988The BeatFrank Ellsworth1989Point of ViewAmnon YehoshuaDo the Right ThingClifton1990Any Man's DeathLeon AbrahamsVoice in the DarkDan MontgomeryThe Godfather Part IIIFather Andrew HagenOttobre rosa all'ArbatBoris1991Dark TaleRoy KramerHuntingMichael BergmanMountain of DiamondsBlaineBuck ai confini del cieloWintropNotti di pauraPaola1992Door to SilenceMelvin DovereuxPrimary MotiveWallace Roberts1993Berlin '39WielandCIA II: Target AlexaFrank Kluge1994Killing ObsessionAlbertRed Scorpion 2Andrew KendrickDeadly WeaponSanders1995The DangerousEmile LautrecCarnosaur 2 Jack ReedThe Crossing GuardBobbyThe TakeoverGregFatal ChoiceDruryWhite SquallMcCreaOne Good TurnSantapietroWhere Truth LiesDr. Ian LazarreAmerican StraysDwayneFlynnJoe StrombergFirestormBrinkman1997The MouseBruce StraussLittle Boy BlueRay WestAmnesiaTim BishopHollywood SafariDeputy RogersHostile IntentBearEt hjørne af ParadisPadre LouisManaguaDennisUltimo taglioLeo Kimball1998Club Vampire ZeroThe Thin Red LineSgt. Jack McCron1999FrontlineCaptain Wolfgang MuellerMessage in a BottleJohnny LandSummer of SamSimon2000Christina's HouseJames TarlingThey NestJack Wald2001Dead Man's RunCarverBurning Down the HouseJake Seiling2002Redemption of the GhostSheriff Rollie BurnsThe Anarchist CookbookJohnny Red2003IntoxicatingWilliam ShanleyEasy SexFrank Iverson2004FallacyHeathcliffAdmissionsHarry BrightonDowntown: A Street TaleH2O2005IowaIrv HuffmanConfessions of a Pit Fighter McGeeThe New WorldThomas Savage2006Kill Your DarlingsRockThe DropMr. ZeroShut Up and Shoot!Marty Pearlheimer2007Shortcut to HappinessJohnnyuncreditedThe AtticGraham Callan2008The GriftWilliam BenderFrom a Place of DarknessVicBoiler MakerJJThe CoverupThomas ThackerThe Golden Boys Web SaundersThe Violent KindGeorge Malloy2009AnytownNews ProducerWild About HarryHorace WhiteHandsome HarryPeter RheemsQi chuan xu xuFrank DreibelbisBuffalo BushidoVendettiRemembering NigelHimselfThe Red CanvasHarbin Rask2010Dreamkiller Agent BarnesBereavement TedA Small Town Called Descent Father ScullyBed & BreakfastMr. Harvey2011Colombian InterviewsJamesThe Last GambleJohnNichirin no isan Douglas MacArthurThe Orphan KillerDetective WalkerHit List Walter MurphyAssassins' CodeArlo2012The Jonas ProjectCalvin KabralThe Black DoveJake WilliamsSins ExpiationFather KarlMoney FightHarbin RaskOpen RoadCarl2013Real GangstersTed RobertsGemini RisingManningAwakenedJack WinstonA Star for Rose Mort7EPaulDiscardedJay2014BulletGovernor JohnsonFort BlissMike SwannSee How They RunThe CodgerThe LookalikeWilliam SpinksCry of the ButterflyWilliam BermanThe Big Fat StoneRobert Tanninger2015The Sparrows: NestingMarvinWe Will Be the World ChampionsWilliam JonesTales of HalloweenCapt. J.G. Zimmermansegment "Bad Seed"Beverly Hills ChristmasMr. Winters2016Last Call at Murray'sBennettTexas HeartCarlIn Dubious BattleDanAmerican RomanceEmery ReedDead SouthStokes2017NephilimFather Samuelvoice roleThe ReturnCovek u crnom odeluThe NeighborhoodVito BelloSpreading DarknessBrettFake NewsPresident Wayne WalkerGoing VerticalHenry "Hank" Iba2018BetrayedMayor AldermanEasy Way Out MartinFollowed Wallace Fleischer2019Sensory Perception President of United EarthGates of DarknessJosephHold OnDr. SiedhoffThe IslandsHenry ThorntonThe Last Full MeasureKepperDown's Revenge Dr. SorkinHeavenly DepositDonaldSpinning DryFrank Manghetti2020A Medicine for the MindDr. Ernest Brownshort film2021TorchAugust LewinLockdownThe NarratorInsightFrankThe Dog of ChristmasRon2022The Right to Bear ArmsBrutal Magnus2023Showdown at the GrandLucky
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1974All the Kind StrangersPeterTelevision film1975GibbsvilleJim MalloyTelevision film1982Coming Out of the IceVictor HermanTelevision film1984Nairobi AffairRick CahillTelevision film1985Silent WitnessKevin DunneTelevision film1993DaybreakPresidentTelevision film1994Tales from the CryptBennySeason 6 Episode 5 "Revenge is the Nuts"1995Tom Clancy's Op CenterBob Herbert, National Intelligence OfficerTelevision filmThe X-FilesHenry TrondheimSeason 2 Episode 19 "Død Kalm"The Outer LimitsLucasSeason 1 Episode 12 "The Conversion"1996Walker, Texas RangerSergeant Major Bart HawkinsSeason 4 Episode 2 "Patriot"1997Before Women Had WingsBilly JacksonTelevision film1998Lost SoulsVictor RobinsonTelevision film1999The Jack BullSlaterTelevision filmStar Trek: VoyagerCaptain Rudy RansomTwo-part episode "Equinox"2000The VirginianSteveTelevision filmDark AngelDonald LydeckerMain cast season 1, recurring season 22003CarnivàleHenry "Hack" ScudderRecurring role2004Law and Order: Criminal Intent Mark FarrellAlien LockdownDr. Alan WoodmanTelevision FilmSucker Free CityAnderson WadeTelevision Film2005Love's Long JourneyTrentTelevision Film2009FringeAndre HughesSeason 2 Episode 2 "Night of Desirable Objects"2013Defending SantaJudge WillisTelevision FilmCleanersMarcus WalkerRecurring season 22014Bermuda TentaclesPresident DeStenoTelevision Film2017Teen Star AcademyBurtTelevision FilmTwin PeaksDetective ClarkEmpire of the SharksIan FeinTelevision Film201840 and SingleStewart TempleMission Possible Captain Ted NapoleonTelevision FilmGoliathMickeyRecurring season 2TorqueAgent Curtis6 Children & 1 GrandfatherDavid McDollTelevision Film2019Ovid and the Art of LoveAugustusTelevision Film
Awards Throughout his career, Savage received numerous award nominations and wins across film festivals and ceremonies with recognition for best performance, best supporting actor, and genre-specific achievements.
Special Achievement Award for Outstanding Motion Picture Ensemble in The Thin Red Line, shared among cast members (1999) Bronze Wrangler for The Virginian, shared among cast members (2001) AOF/WAB Award for Best Supporting Actor – Feature in Money Fight (2008) Claw Award for Best Supporting Actor in From a Place of Darkness (2009) Houston Film Society – Critics' Choice Award for Best Actor for The Black Dove (2012) Festival Award for Best Ensemble Cast in Last Call at Murray's, shared among cast members (2016) Sofia Award for outstanding achievements in world cinema (2017) IIFC Award for Best Ensemble in Last Call at Murray's, shared among cast members (2017) July Award for Best Actor in Betrayed (2018) Leading Actor – Best Lead Actor in Betrayed (2018)
References
External links