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).
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Early life
John Smeallie Youngs was born in Old Bethpage on Long Island, New York on August 25, 1949, to Muriel Vanderveer (née Smeallie) and Floyd-Jones Youngs Jr. 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.
