- Lost his best friend in the May 4th Shootings at Kent State University.
- Spent 6 years (1988-1994) in South Africa, working with Nelson Mandela for the anti-Apartheid movement.
- Was an assistant production manager for certain sequences of Spike Lee's film Malcolm X (1992) that was shot in South Africa where John was living at the time working with Nelson Mandela on the anti-apartheid movement. John had appeared in Lee's Do the Right Thing (1989) a few years back, and later would show up in Lee's Summer of Sam (1999).
- Won the Drama Circle Award for his stage portrayal of Billy Bibbitt in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in the early 1970s.
- Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1979" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 31.
- In his early years he organized the Manhattan's Children's Theatre Group which performed in public housing areas.
- Younger sister, Gail Youngs, was once married to actor Robert Duvall from 1982-1986.
- As of 2014, has appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Deer Hunter (1978), The Godfather Part III (1990) and The Thin Red Line (1998). Of those, only The Deer Hunter (1978) is a winner in the category.
- He has appeared in two films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: The Deer Hunter (1978) and Do the Right Thing (1989).
- Had a son, Lachlan Youngs, and a daughter, Jennifer Youngs, from his first marriage to Susan Youngs.
- Alumnus of the AADA (American Academy of Dramatic Arts), Class of 1969.
- Father of Jennifer Youngs and Lachlan Youngs.
- Older brother of actor Jim Youngs and Gail Youngs.
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