NEW YORK – It was Jon Voight’s portrayal of male prostitute Joe Buck in the 1969 film “Midnight Cowboy” that put him on the path to becoming an acting legend. Now he says he was paid a pittance for the part.

Voight said that he wanted the role so badly he told his agent, “I said, ‘Tell them I’ll do this part for nothing.’” The actor said to his surprise, “they took me at my word and they gave me minimum for ‘Midnight Cowboy.’

Voight spoke Wednesday as he was promoting his film “Getaway” co-starring Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez that opens Friday and “Ray Donovan,” the Showtime series he appears in opposite Liev Schreiber.

The Oscar- and Emmy-winning actor said the studio United Artists “even sent me a $14.73 coffee shop charge” for meals his last day of shooting for the film in Texas. Voight also said he persuaded co-star Dustin Hoffman to try out for the role of Enrico “Ratso” Rizzo after the two became friends doing an off-Broadway show and that they auditioned for the movie together.

Looking back, Voight said, “It was the worst.” But he says he has no regrets. “I knew what it meant. It was going to give me a career, and I was right.”

Fan of Liberace pays $500,000 for Vegas home

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LAS VEGAS – A 15,000-square-foot Las Vegas mansion once owned by Liberace was sold for $500,000 in cash to a British businessman who said he learned to play the piano after being inspired by the flamboyant performer.

Martyn Ravenhill closed the deal Aug. 23 for $29,000 below the list price and about $3 million less than the place sold for seven years ago.

“I grew up thinking Liberace was wonderful,” Ravenhill said. “I thought he was much more than just a camp figure. He set trends that continue today.”

The two-bedroom, 10-bathroom home was built in 1962 and sits on a half-acre lot in an aging neighborhood near the University of Nevada.

 


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