John Malkovich

John Malkovich, born on December 9, 1953, is an esteemed American actor with a distinguished career spanning across film, television, and theater. He is renowned for his versatility and has garnered numerous accolades throughout his career, including a Primetime Emmy Award and nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.


Malkovich began his acting journey as a founding member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago in 1976, showcasing his talent on stage. He later moved to New York City, where he made his Broadway debut in the revival of Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman in 1984, portraying the character Biff. Malkovich also directed productions such as The Caretaker by Harold Pinter and acted in Lanford Wilson's Burn This.


In addition to his acclaimed stage performances, Malkovich has delivered memorable roles in a plethora of notable films. He received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for his roles in Places in the Heart (1984) and In the Line of Fire (1993). His diverse filmography includes performances in The Killing Fields (1984), Empire of the Sun (1987), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Of Mice and Men (1992), Con Air (1997), Rounders (1998), Being John Malkovich (1999), Shadow of the Vampire (2000), Ripley's Game (2002), Burn After Reading (2008), and Red (2010). Malkovich has also ventured into film production, contributing to projects such as Ghost World (2001), Juno (2007), and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012).


In the realm of television, Malkovich has showcased his talent with Emmy-nominated performances, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his portrayal in Death of a Salesman (1985). He received acclaim for his roles in RKO 281 (1999) as Herman J. Mankiewicz and in Napoléon (2002) as Charles Talleyrand. Malkovich's television credits also include appearances in series such as Crossbones (2014), Billions (2018–19), The New Pope (2020), and Space Force (2020–2022).
Throughout his illustrious career, John Malkovich has left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry with his remarkable talent and diverse body of work, cementing his status as one of the most respected actors of his generation.


John Malkovich, born on December 9, 1953, in Christopher, Illinois, grew up in Benton, Illinois. His parents were Daniel Leon Malkovich, a state conservation director who published Outdoor Illinois magazine, and Joe Anne Malkovich, who owned the Benton Evening News daily newspaper and Outdoor Illinois. Malkovich has four siblings: an older brother named Danny and three younger sisters named Amanda, Rebecca, and Melissa. In a 2020 interview, Malkovich mentioned that Melissa is his only surviving sibling. His paternal grandparents were Croatian immigrants, and he also has English, Scottish, French, and German ancestry.


During his formative years, Malkovich attended Logan Grade School, Webster Junior High School, and Benton Consolidated High School. He developed a passion for acting early on, participating in various plays and musicals such as Carousel during high school. Additionally, he was involved in a folk gospel group, performing at churches and community events. Malkovich further honed his acting skills as a member of a local summer theater project, where he starred in Jean-Claude van Itallie's America Hurrah in 1972.


Upon graduating from high school in 1972, Malkovich enrolled at Eastern Illinois University before transferring to Illinois State University to major in theater. However, he eventually dropped out of college and pursued acting studies at the William Esper Studio.
Malkovich's early experiences in theater and education laid the foundation for his successful career as an actor, allowing him to develop his craft and ultimately become one of the most acclaimed performers in the industry.


John Malkovich, born on December 9, 1953, in Christopher, Illinois, embarked on his acting career as a charter member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago in 1976, alongside Joan Allen, Gary Sinise, and Glenne Headly. He later moved to New York City in 1980 to star in a Steppenwolf production of Sam Shepard's True West, earning an Obie Award for his performance.


Malkovich's film career began with a minor role in Robert Altman's A Wedding (1978) and gained momentum with his feature-film debut as Mr. Will in Places in the Heart (1984), for which he received his first Academy Award nomination. He continued to impress audiences and critics alike with roles in films such as The Killing Fields (1984), Death of a Salesman (1985), and Dangerous Liaisons (1988), earning him further acclaim.


Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Malkovich showcased his versatility in a wide range of roles, from portraying Lennie in the film adaptation of Of Mice and Men (1992) to starring in Mary Reilly (1996), The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), and Being John Malkovich (1999), in which he played a fictionalized version of himself. He also ventured into directing, with his debut film The Dancer Upstairs released in 2002.


Malkovich's career continued to flourish with notable performances in various films, including The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Changeling (2008), Red (2010), and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). In addition to his film work, Malkovich has directed theater productions, winning accolades such as the Molière Award for Best Director for his work on Good Canary.
In recent years, Malkovich has remained active in both film and television, appearing in projects like Agatha Christie's The A.B.C. Murders (2018), David Mamet's Bitter Wheat (2019), and HBO's The New Pope (2020). He also joined the cast of the Netflix comedy series Space Force (2019).


Beyond his acting and directing career, Malkovich made headlines with his involvement in the film 100 Years (2016), directed by Robert Rodriguez, which is slated for release in 2115. This project underscores Malkovich's penchant for innovative and unconventional endeavors within the entertainment industry.


John Malkovich has had a longstanding collaboration with Lithuanian actress Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė, with whom he has worked on numerous productions. As of April 2023, they had collaborated on nine projects, leading Malkovich to affectionately refer to her as his "oldest, closest colleague." Their collaboration began in 1992 with the Steppenwolf production of Slip of the Tongue, which later premiered on Shaftesbury Avenue in London under the direction of Simon Stokes. Dapkūnaitė also appeared alongside Malkovich in Libra, a play about Lee Harvey Oswald, and in January 2011, they performed together in The Giacomo Variations at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Sydney Festival. Their most recent collaboration was in April 2023 when Dapkūnaitė acted alongside Malkovich in In the Solitude of Cotton Fields in Tallinn, Estonia.


Malkovich has been involved in various other Steppenwolf productions, including The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, True West by Sam Shepard, Burn This by Lanford Wilson, and The Libertine by Stephen Jeffreys.
In addition to his acting career, Malkovich has ventured into directing. In 2007, he directed Ariel Wizman and Vincent Elbaz in Good Canary at the Comédia théâtre in Paris.


One of Malkovich's notable projects is The Infernal Comedy – Confessions of a Serial Killer, which he wrote and acted in. Directed by Michael Sturminger, this operatic production toured many countries and venues between 2010 and 2013, including a performance at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, Germany, in May 2010. The production delves into the life of the Austrian serial killer Jack Unterweger.

References

1.  Wood, Gaby (September 30, 2001). "A multitude of Malkovich". The Guardian. London, UK. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
2. ^ "Joe-Anne Malkovich obituary". Benton Evening News. March 24, 2009. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
3. ^ "Daniel Ewing Malkovich, 59". The Randolph County Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on April 27, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
4. ^ "John Malkovich: 'I had a lot of violence growing up, but so what?'". TheGuardian.com. May 21, 2020. Archived from the original on May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
5. ^ "Longtime newspaperman Danny Malkovich dies Friday". February 18, 2011. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
6. ^ "John Malkovich biography". TV Guide. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
7. ^ "Being John Malkovich". The Age. April 26, 2003. Archived from the original on October 16, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2015.