James Haven Bio
James Haven Voight (born May 11, 1973) is an American former actor and filmmaker who worked in film and television during the 1990s and 2000s. He is widely known as the older brother of actress Angelina Jolie and the son of Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight and actress Marcheline Bertrand. Beyond acting, Haven built a parallel career as a producer and later a director, while also serving as a board director for a Los Angeles-based film festival. He retired from acting in 2013 to focus on filmmaking and humanitarian work behind the camera.
Early Life and Background
James Haven Voight was born in Los Angeles, California, on May 11, 1973. He is the son of actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, and he grew up in a household deeply rooted in the entertainment industry. His younger sister, Angelina Jolie, went on to become one of the most recognizable actresses in Hollywood. On his father’s side, Haven is of German and Slovak descent, while on his mother’s side, he is of French-Canadian, Dutch, Polish, and German ancestry. His uncles include singer-songwriter Chip Taylor and geologist and volcanologist Barry Voight.
After their parents separated in 1976, Haven and his sister were raised by their mother, who moved the family to Palisades, New York, and stepped away from acting. When Haven was 13 years old, the family returned to Los Angeles, where he attended Beverly Hills High School. The household was Catholic, and faith remained part of his upbringing throughout his early years.
Path to Acting
Haven’s path into the film industry began in the classroom. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television, one of the most respected film programs in the United States. While studying there, he directed a student film starring his younger sister, Angelina Jolie, and received the George Lucas Award for the project. The award marked one of his first formal recognitions and helped confirm his interest in working both in front of and behind the camera.
His time at USC gave Haven access to professional mentors, equipment, and a network of emerging filmmakers in Los Angeles. The student film experience also strengthened his working relationship with his sister, which would shape his earliest professional roles. By the time he finished his studies, Haven had the training and connections needed to begin taking on small acting parts in major Hollywood productions.
James Haven Career
Early Career (1998–2001)
James Haven began his professional acting career in 1998, when he was in his mid-twenties. His first credited roles were small parts in films that featured his sister, Angelina Jolie, including Gia (1998) and Hell’s Kitchen (1998). Both projects gave Haven a foothold in the industry and allowed him to learn on set alongside more experienced actors and crew members.
He continued appearing in supporting roles over the next several years. In 2001, he acted in Original Sin, which again starred his sister, and in Monster’s Ball, a drama that featured Billy Bob Thornton, Jolie’s then-husband. These early credits helped him build a résumé that mixed independent work with larger studio productions.
Breakthrough (2001–2007)
Although Haven never landed a single breakout leading role, his on-screen work between 2001 and 2007 included appearances in high-profile projects that broadened his visibility. He appeared in Monster’s Ball (2001), a film that earned critical attention and several major award nominations for its cast. He also began transitioning into television during this period.
In 2004, Haven appeared in an episode of the long-running procedural drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, expanding his résumé into prime-time network television. He followed that with a 2007 guest role in The Game, the comedy series created by Mara Brock Akil. These appearances marked the height of his on-screen activity before he stepped back from acting.
Notable Works and Milestones
His most recognized works include his early roles in Gia (1998), Hell’s Kitchen (1998), Original Sin (2001), and Monster’s Ball (2001), along with his television credits on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2004) and The Game (2007). A major milestone outside of acting came in 2005, when Haven served as executive producer of the documentary Trudell, a film about Santee Sioux musician and activist John Trudell. The documentary was an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival and the Tribeca Festival, and it won the Special Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival. He later produced the short comedy film That’s Our Mary (2011) and directed the short Court of Conscience (2015), which featured his father Jon Voight and actor Anton Yelchin.
James Haven Award Nominations
No verified award nominations for James Haven are recorded in the available sources. As a result, no detailed nominations list is provided for this section.
James Haven Awards Won
No individual acting awards or personal honors for James Haven are recorded in the available sources. His confirmed recognition includes the George Lucas Award, a student film prize he received at the USC School of Cinema-Television for a project he directed that starred his sister, Angelina Jolie. As a producer, he was part of the team behind the documentary Trudell (2005), which won the Special Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival.
James Haven Family
James Haven was born into a family with deep ties to the entertainment industry. His father, Jon Voight, is an Academy Award-winning actor known for films such as Midnight Cowboy and Coming Home. His mother, Marcheline Bertrand, was an actress who stepped away from the industry to raise her children before returning in her later years. He is the older brother of actress Angelina Jolie, and his paternal uncles include singer-songwriter Chip Taylor and geologist and volcanologist Barry Voight.
Personal Life
During a period of estrangement from his father, James Haven legally dropped Voight as his surname, and he was publicly known as James Haven for several years. Following the death of his mother, Marcheline Bertrand, from ovarian cancer on January 27, 2007, he reconciled with his father after about six years apart. Raised Catholic, Haven became a born-again Christian in 2009. He is also associated with humanitarian causes and has served as the executive board director of Artivist, a Los Angeles festival that highlights films focused on human rights, animal rights, and environmental issues.