BEVERLY HILLS — Oscar-award winning actor Jon Voight was the guest of honor on Sunday evening at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s Summer Gala, where he was given the unprecedented honor of the “Hollywood Visionary Award.”

Voight’s humility was on full display on the red carpet at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. “Many of my heroes are here [tonight],” he told Breitbart News in an interview.

In fact, it is Voight who has long been looked up to as a hero by many of his colleagues in Hollywood. Among them is actor Steven Bauer, known for his roles in the film Scarface and the Showtime series Ray Donovan. “He’s just such an inspiration. He’s always been to me,” Bauer told Breitbart News at the gala.

Actors Raquel Welch, Sam Sorbo, Angie Harmon, and Nick Searcy were also among those invited.

Voight has been a beacon of conservative politics in Hollywood’s thickly liberal atmosphere, where conservatives are often ostracized and punished by being blacklisted, or deprived of work, for their political views.

“We should be patriotic. Because we are blessed to live in a democratic republic, which means that the people are responsible for the way that government works,” Voight told Breitbart News.

He emphasized the need to seek alternatives to the mainstream media. “We all have a responsibility to educate ourselves so that we will be able to make a responsible vote and so that we will be able to participate in a proper way. And unfortunately, we’ve come a long way from that,” he said.

Voight has not hidden his disdain for what he sees as Obama’s failed leadership with regard to foreign policy. He recently criticized fellow actors Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem for their antisemitic comments last summer as they condemned the Israeli military for defending civilians against Hamas during Operation Protective Edge.

With the 2016 presidential elections looming, Voight emphasized how critical it is for voters to be aware of which candidates have America and Israel at their core. “With the press the way it is, you’re not getting the truth. So you’ve got to homeschool yourself politically,” Voight expressed.

Former presidential candidate Sen. Jon McCain (R-AZ), who serves as the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee was also present, and spoke on a panel with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH). Former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) was among the hosts of the event.

With an increasingly crowded field of potential presidential candidates on the Republican ticket, Voight said that while he has yet to formally endorse someone, “has a few very good friends in mind. They’re all very impressive.” He did call out a a few of his favorites so far, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who Voight specifically said he loves.

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