The Near-Death Experience That Gave Chicago P.D. Star Jason Beghe His Distinctive Voice
When you picture a "grizzled police officer," few TV cops fit the bill as well as Squad Commander Hank Voight (Jason Beghe). Most things about his "Chicago P.D." character capture apt aspects of a cynical loose cannon archetype. Beghe knows how to look and act tough. But best of all, he has the unforgettably rough-sounding voice to convincingly sell his crime-fighting persona on screen. Only a chain-smoking gargoyle who drinks broken glass for breakfast could match the gravitas in Beghe's voice!
Beghe's role as Hank Voight began in Season 1 of "Chicago Fire." However, the actor's gruff role would go on to have a storied life in network television procedurals, starring in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Chicago Med," and "Chicago Justice." When fans first meet his character in "Chicago Fire," Voight seems to be a dirty cop who covers up criminal activities for self-interest. But as "Chicago P.D." and future appearances confirm, there is much more bubbling beneath the surface of this complicated law enforcement leader.
As fans know best, Beghe's voice is pitch-perfect for Voight's character. However, it's not a voice that he's had to tweak over time to perfect. That's his real-life voice. What "Chicago P.D." fans might not know is that his voice wasn't always so pleasantly rough on the ears. His distinctively gritty sound is the result of a car accident that the star had in 1999. Long before the "One Chicago" franchise saw the light of day, this near-death experience forever altered the actor's life.
How the car accident damaged his voice
In an interview with The Daily Beast, Beghe remarked that puberty had already given his voice a deep tone. But that natural grumble became exacerbated as a result of his unfortunate car accident. "[I] broke my neck, my back in a couple of places, all of my ribs, both of my lungs," Beghe told the outlet. "I was in a coma for three and a half weeks. When I would come out of the coma — since I was intubated from being on life support — I would pull the tube out and it made it even more f***** up."
The fact that this brush with death would help Beghe play his most famous role years down the line is a silver lining to an otherwise dire situation. However, his deep voice comes in handy for more than just playing "bad cop." Within the same interview, Beghe joked that his voice also helps him play tough Dad. "When I say, 'Hey, it's time to clean up,' they do it," Beghe added.
Beghe gained a new perspective from the accident
Beyond the accident giving him the perfect voice for a morally grey cop, Beghe acknowledges how the accident had a serious effect on his life. In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2021, Beghe discussed how the car accident affected him psychologically. "Technically, I did die for a short period of time when I was in the coma," he said. That was definitely an experience that profoundly informed my perception of what life is. Twenty years later, it's not something I think about very often. But as you bring it up to me, I do believe that I've probably permanently changed since then."
Perhaps that is why Beghe appreciates Voight's direct demeanor, which pushes his fellow "Chicago P.D." characters — for better or worse — to live authentically and stand by their point of view. In 2023, Beghe reflected on Voight's no-nonsense character, stating, "One thing that Voight insists on and admires — and it's hard for his team to do — is he always wants you to be you. Don't be me. He doesn't want a team of Voights... It can create some tension but it does create trust."