James Haven, born James Haven Voight, was born on May 11, 1973, in Los Angeles, California. He is the son of actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand. Haven has a diverse heritage, with German and Slovak ancestry on his father's side, and Canadian, Dutch, French, and German roots on his mother's side. He is the older brother of acclaimed actress Angelina Jolie. His maternal uncle is Chip Taylor, a singer and songwriter known for hits like "Wild Thing" and "Angel of the Morning." Following the separation of their parents in 1976, James and Angelina were primarily raised by their mother.

Education

James Haven attended Beverly Hills High School before enrolling in the USC School of Cinema-Television at the University of Southern California. During his time at USC, he directed a student film featuring his sister Angelina Jolie, which earned him the George Lucas Award for excellence in cinematography.

Acting and Film Career

James Haven began his acting career in the late 1990s. He appeared in a number of minor roles in films, some of which featured his sister, Angelina Jolie. In 1998, he played a supporting role in the biographical HBO film Gia, followed by appearances in Hell’s Kitchen (1998) as Boyle’s bartender and Scrapbook (1999) as Jamie Park. In 2001, he portrayed small roles in Original Sin and Monster’s Ball. He played Youngblood in Ocean Park (2002) and later appeared as Lazarus Kane in a 2004 episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Haven transitioned into production and was the executive producer of the documentary Trudell, which follows the life and activism of Native American John Trudell. He also executive produced the short comedy film That’s Our Mary. Since 2006, James has served as the executive director of the Los Angeles-based Artivist Film Festival, which focuses on films centered on human rights, animal advocacy, and environmental issues.