Jason Beghe Bio
Jason Deneen Beghe, born on March 12, 1960, in New York City, is an American actor and producer whose career has spanned film and television for nearly four decades. He is best known for his long-running role as Sergeant Hank Voight on the NBC drama Chicago P.D., a part he has held since 2014 and which also led to his work as an executive producer on the series. Beyond Chicago P.D., Beghe is recognized for his performances in Monkey Shines, G.I. Jane, and Thelma & Louise, along with memorable recurring roles on series such as Picket Fences, Melrose Place, and Californication. He is also noted for his distinctive gravelly voice and for his well-documented past involvement with the Church of Scientology, which he left in 2007.
Outside of acting, Beghe has drawn public attention for his outspoken criticism of Scientology, his close friendship with actor David Duchovny, and his family ties to American political history. He resides in Nichols Canyon, a neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles, California.
Early Life and Background
Jason Deneen Beghe was born in New York City on March 12, 1960, the son of Renato Beghe, a tax court judge. He grew up in a family of Italian, German, English, and French Canadian heritage and has three siblings, including his sister Francesca Beghe, a singer-songwriter who released a self-titled album in 1991. His great-grandfather, Charles S. Deneen, served as a two-term governor of Illinois and as a U.S. Senator in the late 1920s, giving the family a notable place in American political history.
Beghe attended the Collegiate School, a private preparatory school for boys in New York City, where he formed friendships that would shape much of his adult life. While there, he became best friends with John F. Kennedy Jr., whose Secret Service detail often monitored the two during their time together around the Metropolitan Museum of Art and in Central Park. Another classmate was actor David Duchovny, whom Beghe later encouraged to pursue acting. Beghe went on to attend Pomona College in California, graduating in 1982.
Path to Acting
Before turning to acting, Jason Beghe worked as a model in Europe, an experience that helped him grow comfortable in front of cameras and on professional sets. He made his feature film debut in the 1985 Susan Sarandon drama Compromising Positions, which marked his first step into the Hollywood film industry. The following year, he landed his first recurring television role on the HBO sports comedy 1st & Ten, appearing alongside O. J. Simpson and Sam J. Jones.
Beghe’s early career was shaped by a steady stream of supporting roles across film and television, allowing him to build a reputation as a reliable, intense performer. His 1988 leading role as quadriplegic law student Allan Mann in George A. Romero’s Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear earned him strong reviews and established his ability to anchor a film. Critics praised his work in that role, with The Philadelphia Inquirer noting that he conveyed the mounting anger and rage of an active man made passive using only his face and voice. These formative projects laid the foundation for the more prominent work that followed.
Jason Beghe Career
Early Career (1985-1991)
Jason Beghe’s early career was marked by a series of small but steady roles that allowed him to develop a reputation across both film and television. After his debut in Compromising Positions, he appeared in the HBO sports comedy 1st & Ten and its sequel Training Camp: The Bulls Are Back, where his performance was singled out as a sign of a promising newcomer. He followed these television appearances with supporting parts in projects that introduced him to wider audiences.
In 1988, Beghe took on the demanding lead role of Allan Mann in George A. Romero’s Monkey Shines, a performance that earned widespread critical praise. He soon added further credits to his filmography, including a role as an ice hockey star in the 1989 Perry Mason television film The Case of the All-Star Assassin and a part as a State Trooper in Ridley Scott’s 1991 road film Thelma & Louise, reuniting him with Susan Sarandon. These projects helped establish Beghe as a versatile supporting actor willing to take on varied genres.
Breakthrough (1993-2014)
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Jason Beghe built his career through a steady run of television work, including recurring roles on Picket Fences and Melrose Place, where he played a closeted military officer with feelings for Doug Savant’s character Matt. He joined the cast of the medical drama Chicago Hope in 1997, portraying electrician Danny Blaines opposite Christine Lahti’s Dr. Austin, a role that showcased his ability to anchor romantic storylines. He also appeared in the 1993 drama series Matlock and the 1997 feature film G.I. Jane, playing Demi Moore’s love interest.
Beghe continued to expand his television footprint with a starring role opposite Moira Kelly in the 1998 CBS drama To Have & to Hold, where critics praised the on-screen chemistry between the two leads. He followed that with recurring roles on shows including Numb3rs, CSI: NY, Everwood, Criminal Minds, Veronica Mars, JAG, Cane, and Californication, in which he portrayed novelist Richard Bates, a friend of David Duchovny’s Hank Moody. In 2010, he appeared in the Paul Haggis film The Next Three Days, sharing the screen with Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks. These varied performances prepared him for the most significant role of his career.
Chicago P.D. and Continued Success (2014-Present)
Since 2014, Jason Beghe has starred as Sergeant Hank Voight on the NBC police drama Chicago P.D., a spin-off of the network’s Chicago Fire, on which he previously had a recurring role. Voight leads the Intelligence Unit, a team of detectives tackling organized crime, drug trafficking, and high-profile murders in Chicago. The role has become the signature part of Beghe’s career, cementing his image as a tough, uncompromising performer and earning him a long-term place at the center of Dick Wolf’s interconnected Chicago franchise.
As of 2022, Beghe has served as an executive producer on Chicago P.D., reflecting his growing influence behind the camera as well as in front of it. His performance on the show has been a defining chapter of his career and continues to introduce him to new audiences around the world.
Notable Works and Milestones
Jason Beghe’s most celebrated performance remains his role as Sergeant Hank Voight on Chicago P.D., the role that has defined his career since 2014. His earlier work in Monkey Shines remains a critical highlight, while his supporting parts in G.I. Jane and Thelma & Louise have given him a lasting presence in major Hollywood films. A signature moment in his television career came with his 2009 appearance on Californication, where his portrayal of novelist Richard Bates was memorable for being the first instance of a mangina appearing on television.
Jason Beghe Family
Jason Beghe was raised in New York City as the son of Renato Beghe, a tax court judge, and grew up alongside three siblings, including his sister, singer-songwriter Francesca Beghe. His great-grandfather, Charles S. Deneen, served as a two-term governor of Illinois and as a U.S. Senator in the late 1920s, giving the family a notable place in American political history.
Beghe has long shared a close friendship with actor David Duchovny, a bond that dates back to their school days at the Collegiate School in New York. He served as the best man at Duchovny’s 1997 wedding to actress Téa Leoni, a relationship that later became strained during Beghe’s years in Scientology before being repaired after he left the organization.
Personal Life
Jason Beghe married Angie Janu in 2000, and the couple have two sons together. The family lives in Nichols Canyon, a neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles, California. In December 2017, Beghe filed for divorce, and the divorce was granted in September 2020.
Beghe is also known for his distinctive gravelly voice, which he attributes to a 1999 car accident in which he was intubated and repeatedly pulled the breathing tube out of his throat. He is a former member of the Church of Scientology, having first taken courses through the organization in 1994 before leaving in 2007 and going on to become one of its most prominent public critics. In recent years he has appeared in documentaries including the BBC’s The Secrets of Scientology and the 2015 HBO film Going Clear.