His first major film role was as Steven in the 1978 film, The Deer Hunter, a fictional story of a group of Rusyn American steel workers during the Vietnam War era. One of his most famous roles was as Claude Bukowski in the film Hair (1979). He had a brief but powerful role in Terrance Malick's war epic, The Thin Red Line. In recent years he has been seen on the small as well as the big screen. He was the recurring character of Donald Lydecker in the first and second seasons of Dark Angel and portrayed Captain Ransom in the two part episode "Equinox" from Star Trek: Voyager. Another recurring role found him as Henry Scudder in the HBO-produced television series Carnivàle. In 2005, he appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Most recently[when?], he has lent his voice to a monologue on the title track of the album, "This Town," by Steve Smith of Dirty Vegas.

Savage was born in Old Bethpage, New York, the son of Muriel, a homemaker, and Floyd Youngs, who worked in insurance sales. His sister is Boston-based radio and television personality Robin Young. His brother is actor Jim Youngs. He is also the father of actress/singer Jennifer Youngs and her brother Lachlan. He has a grandson, Zolan Kanno-Youngs.

• The Deer Hunter (1978)
• Hair (1979)
• The Onion Field (1979)
• Inside Moves (1980)
• The Amateur (1981)
• Maria's Lovers (1984)
• Salvador (1986)
• Do the Right Thing (1989)
• Hunting (1989)
• The Godfather Part III (1990)
• Flynn (1991)
• Lost Souls (1998)
• The Thin Red Line (1998)
• Christina's House (1999)
• Equinox (Star Trek: Voyager) (1999) (TV - 2 part episode)
• Dark Angel (2000-2001) (TV series)
• The Anarchist Cookbook (2002)
• Carnivàle (2003-2005) (TV series)
• Downtown: A Street Tale (2007)
• Confessions of a Pit Fighter (2007)