Jon Voight’s name is #10 on the list of charters in the first episode. Yet, he’s the first character on the screen as he’s being released from prison.

Triggering Incident

He then provides the triggering incident for the entire series by sticking a gun in a priest’s mouth and blowing his brains out. Plus he’s one of only five characters to appear in all 82 episodes.

The series ran for 7 seasons – 2013-2020 – on Showtime.

His character, Mickey Donovan, is one of the most underhanded, evil, manipulating characters ever created – and Jon Voight plays him masterfully. He’s racked up 99 acting credits – and still going.

His break-through role came as Joe Buck in 1969’s Midnight Cowboy.

I really enjoyed the movie because I was living in Manhattan at the time and saw freaks like him and Ratso running around town.

He’s a versatile actor with great range. Besides Ray Donovan and Midnight Cowboy, I enjoyed his performances in 10 other movies:

• Catch 22 (1970)
• Deliverance (1972)
• Coming Home (1978)
• The Champ (1979)
• Anaconda (1997)
• The Rainmaker (1997)
• Enemy of the State (1999)
• Pearl Harbor (2001)
• Howard Cosell in Ali (2001)
• The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

I musta watched the entire Ray Donovan series at least 10 times. But it’s no longer free on any of my streaming channels. I miss it.