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John Malkovich

Highest Rated: 100% Mr. Blake, at Your Service! (2023)

Lowest Rated: 0% Rogue Hostage (2021)

Birthday: Dec 9, 1953

Birthplace: Christopher, Illinois, USA

American actor, director, producer, and fashion designer John Malkovich always walked to the beat of his own highly idiosyncratic artistic drum. With his low, sonorous whisper of a voice juxtaposed with his towering frame, he first rose to prominence in the world of theatre, before becoming one of the most prolific and acclaimed film actors of the modern era, seamlessly moving between art house faire and splashy blockbusters, playing everything from a lecherous French count to a Depression-era simpleton, to, well, himself. Born on December 9, 1953 in Christoper, IL, Malkovich was the second child born to Daniel Leon Malkovich, a state conservation director and publisher of Outdoor Illinois (a conservation-themed magazine), and Joe Anne Choisser, a media magnate who owned Outdoor Illinois and the Benton Evening News. Malkovich first became interested in acting while attending Benton Consolidated High School, where he acted and sang in school plays. He was also well-known in his community as a member of the local folk gospel group, and would often sing at church services and community events. After a brief stint at Eastern Illinois University, Malkovich transferred to Illinois State University, where he studied theater. After graduating in 1976, Malkovich was selected to become a charter member of Chicago's illustrious Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Fellow members that year included Joan Allen, Gary Sinise, and Malkovich's future wife, Glenne Headly. Malkovich made his film debut in 1978 with a brief appearance as an extra in Robert Altman's ensemble comedy "A Wedding" (1978). In 1980, Steppenwolf began staging a production of Sam Shepard's legendary play "True West" in New York City, with Malkovich and Gary Sinise (who also served as director) in the lead roles. When the production debuted in 1982, it was a smash hit, and Malkovich won an Obie Award for Best Lead Actor in a Play. The show ended up running for two years, but by then, Malkovich had moved on to his next project, directing the Steppenwolf production of Lanford Wilson's "Balm of Gilead." This time, Malkovich won both an Obie AND a Drama Desk Award for his efforts. That same year, Malkovich made his Broadway debut playing Biff alongside Dustin Hoffman's Willy Lomax in a revival of "Death of a Salesman." He also somehow found time to co-star in both the Cambodian war drama "The Killing Fields" (1984), and the Depression-era drama "Places of the Heart" (1984), in which he played a blind boarder named Mr. Will. For the latter performance, Malkovich was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The following year, CBS decided to turn the Broadway production of "Death of a Salesman" (CBS, 1985) into a made-for-TV movie. Malkovich reprised the role of Biff for the film, and won an Emmy for his performance. Having been recognized as a force to be reckoned with in the acting arena, Malkovich next worked with Steven Spielberg on the WWII drama "Empire of the Sun" (1987), was directed by Paul Newman in a film version of Tennessee Williams' classic play "The Glass Menagerie" (1987), and starred in Susan Seidelman's bizarre sci-fi romantic comedy "Making Mr. Right" (1987). For his next role, Malkovich wowed critics and audiences by embodying Valmont, the erotically charged and deeply conniving French lord in Stephen Frears's Oscar nominated period piece "Dangerous Liaisons" (1988). Though the film was a success, sadly life ended up imitating art: when Malkovich's wife, Glenne Headly, found out that he was having an affair with his co-star, Michelle Pfeiffer, she filed for divorce. As it turns out, the romance between Malkovich and Pfeiffer was also short-lived. While filming Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Sheltering Sky" (1990), Malkovich ended up falling for the assistant director, Nicoletta Peyran. Though they never officially married, the two ended up having two children together, and remain a couple to this day. After working with Woody Allen on the stylish drama "Shadows and Fog" (1990), Malkovich reunited with his old Steppenwolf buddy Gary Sinise for a film adaptation of John Steinbeck's classic novel "Of Mice and Men" (1992), with Malkovich playing the simpleton Lenny to Sinise's world-weary George. He followed this up with a deliciously villainous turn as a madman trying to assassinate the president in the action thriller "In the Line of Fire" (1994), a scenery chewing role which earned him his second Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. After reuniting with Stephen Frears for the flop Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde adaptation "Mary Reilly" (1996), Malkovich enjoyed another villainous, scenery-chewing performance, this time as Cyrus the Virus, a super villain who hijacks a plane full of convicts, with only heroic southerner Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) prepared to stop him, in the silly yet enjoyable summer tentpole "Con Air" (1997). For his next part, Malkovich took on perhaps one of the strangest roles of his career: himself. In "Being John Malkovich" (1999), a fictionalized version of the titular actor finds himself in an existential quandary when an aspiring puppeteer (John Cusack) working a corporate drone job uncovers a porthole into Malkovich's head in his office, setting off a bizarre love triangle between the puppeteer, his hippie granola wife (Cameron Diaz), and his fiendishly sexy coworker (Catherine Keener). Written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by music video auteur Spike Jonze, the film was an indie smash, nominated for multiple Oscars, and ensured that passerby on the street would be screaming "Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich!" at our subject for the rest of time. On a creative roll, Malkovich next played legendary silent filmmaker F.W. Murnau to Willem Dafoe's bloodsucking Max Shreck in "Shadow of the Vampire" (2000), a fictionalized look at the making of "Nosferatu" (1922), before taking on his directorial debut, the dark thriller "The Dancer Upstairs" (2002), starring Javier Bardem. Malkovich then took a hard turn into sci-fi, playing Humma Kavula in the long-awaited film adaptation of Douglas Adams' classic novel "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (2005), and then veering over to dark comedy, playing a pompous, often drunk CIA analyst who finds himself entangled in a hare-brained extortion scheme in the Coen Brothers highly divisive "Burn After Reading" (2008). He clearly had a good time playing a senile former spy in the action comedy "RED" (2010), so much so that he returned for the sequel, "RED 2" (2013), but not before playing around with some giant robots in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" (2011). After taking a supporting role as a mild-mannered man trying to survive a very convoluted apocalyptic event in the surprise Netflix horror hit "Bird Box" (2018), Malkovich could most recently be seen playing legendary detective Hercule Poirot in a miniseries adaptation of Agatha Christie's "The A.B.C. Murders" (BBC, 2019), as well as in another Netflix horror offering, "Velvet Buzzsaw" (2019), this time set in the art world of Los Angeles.

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Highest rated movies

100% 48% Mr. Blake, at Your Service!
Watchlist
100% 92% Which Way Home
Watchlist
100% 75% Death of a Salesman
Watchlist
97% 82% Of Mice and Men
Watchlist
96% 68% I'm Going Home
Watchlist
96% 79% In the Line of Fire Watchlist
94% 87% Being John Malkovich
Watchlist
94% 83% Dangerous Liaisons
Watchlist
93% 88% Juno Watchlist
93% 91% The Killing Fields
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Fantastic Four: First Steps Unknown (Character) - 2025
77% No Score Yet The Line Unknown (Character) - 2023
18% 38% Fool's Paradise Unknown (Character) $855.1K 2023
25% 29% One Ranger Unknown (Character),
Executive Producer
- 2023
100% 48% Mr. Blake, at Your Service! Andrew Blake (Character) - 2023
29% No Score Yet Seneca - On the Creation of Earthquakes Seneca (Character) - 2023
18% 60% Mindcage The Artist (Character) - 2022
No Score Yet 31% Savage Salvation Peter (Character) - 2022
25% 16% White Elephant Glen Follett (Character) - 2022
17% 36% Chariot Dr. Karn (Character) - 2022
19% 66% Shattered Ronald (Character),
Producer
- 2022
No Score Yet 21% The Survivalist Aaron (Character) - 2021
0% 24% Rogue Hostage Sam Nelson (Character) - 2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Music Critic Narrator - 2020
30% 90% Last Call Dr. Felton (Character) - 2020
21% 29% Ava Duke (Character) $464.2K 2020
51% 53% Arkansas Bright (Character) - 2020
No Score Yet 42% Valley of the Gods Wes Tauros (Character) - 2019
54% 57% Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile Judge Edward D. Cowart (Character) - 2019
61% 36% Velvet Buzzsaw Piers (Character) - 2019
64% 58% Bird Box Douglas (Character) - 2018
23% 44% Mile 22 Bishop (Character) $36.1M 2018
23% 29% Supercon Sid Newberry (Character) - 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet Casanova Gene Unknown (Character) - 2018
59% 32% Bullet Head Walker (Character) - 2017
21% 17% The Wilde Wedding Laurence (Character) - 2017
26% 45% Unlocked Bob Hunter (Character) - 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet About Love. For Adults Only Lecturer (Character) - 2017
37% 55% I Love You, Daddy Leslie (Character) - 2017
82% 82% Deepwater Horizon Donald Vidrine (Character) $61.4M 2016
54% 55% Demolition Executive Producer $1.8M 2015
40% 40% Casanova Variations Giacomo (Character) - 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Paradox of John Malkovich Unknown (Character) - 2014
38% 29% Cut Bank Sheriff Vogel (Character) - 2014
74% 63% Penguins of Madagascar Dr. Octavius Brine/Dave (Voice) $83.3M 2014
38% 60% Cesar Chavez Bogdanovitch (Character),
Executive Producer
$5.6M 2014
No Score Yet 38% A Gangster's Tale Nonno Kuzja (Character) - 2013
44% 63% Red 2 Marvin (Character) $53.2M 2013
81% 73% Warm Bodies Gen. Grigio (Character) $66.4M 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet Noseland Self - 2012
No Score Yet 40% Lines of Wellington General Wellington (Character) - 2012
85% 89% The Perks of Being a Wallflower Producer $17.7M 2012
80% 49% Young Adult Executive Producer $16.3M 2011
35% 55% Transformers: Dark of the Moon Bruce Brazos (Character) $352.4M 2011
No Score Yet 83% Saturday Night Unknown (Character) - 2010
23% 22% Drunkboat Mort (Character) - 2010
72% 72% Red Marvin Boggs (Character) $90.4M 2010
64% 76% Secretariat Lucien Laurin (Character) $59.7M 2010
12% 20% Jonah Hex Quentin Turnbull (Character) $10.5M 2010
100% 92% Which Way Home Executive Producer - 2009
No Score Yet 38% Afterwards Garrett Goodrich (Character) - 2008
83% 62% Disgrace David Lurie (Character) $66.6K 2008
No Score Yet 38% In Tranzit Pavlov (Character) - 2008
17% 24% Mutant Chronicles Constantine (Character) $4.7K 2008
71% 49% The Great Buck Howard Buck Howard (Character) $748.4K 2008
62% 82% Changeling Rev. Gustav Briegleb (Character) $35.7M 2008
78% 65% Burn After Reading Osborne Cox (Character) $60.3M 2008
No Score Yet 100% Bloody Mondays & Strawberry Pies Narrator - 2008
57% 65% Gardens of the Night Michael (Character) - 2007
93% 88% Juno Producer $143.5M 2007
71% 50% Beowulf Unferth (Voice) $82.2M 2007
32% 29% Klimt Unknown (Character) - 2006
15% 46% Eragon King Galbatorix (Character) $75.0M 2006
36% 48% Art School Confidential Professor Sandford (Character),
Producer
$3.3M 2006
51% 42% Color Me Kubrick Alan Conway (Character) $70.7K 2005
34% 58% The Libertine King Charles II (Character),
Producer
$4.8M 2005
60% 65% The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Humma Kavula (Character) $51.0M 2005
No Score Yet No Score Yet Savage Soul Unknown (Character) - 2004
76% 52% A Talking Picture Comandante John Walesa (Character) $13.0K 2003
25% 33% Kill the Poor Producer - 2003
32% 51% Johnny English Pascal Sauvage (Character) $28.0M 2003
92% 67% Ripley's Game Tom Ripley (Character) - 2002
85% 82% How to Draw a Bunny Executive Producer $2.7K 2002
64% 76% The Dancer Upstairs Director,
Producer
$2.4M 2002
No Score Yet 82% Napoleon Unknown (Character) - 2002
96% 68% I'm Going Home John Crawford (Character) - 2001
21% 51% Knockaround Guys Teddy Deserve (Character) $11.6M 2001
93% 84% Ghost World Producer $6.2M 2001
No Score Yet 27% Savage Souls Monsieur Numance (Character) - 2001
82% 74% Shadow of the Vampire F.W. Murnau (Character) $8.3M 2000
No Score Yet 46% Ladies Room Roberto (Character) - 1999
72% 72% Time Regained Le Baron de Charlus (Character) $467.2K 1999
92% 75% RKO 281 Herman Mankiewicz (Character) - 1999
31% 58% The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc Charles VII (Character) $14.3M 1999
94% 87% Being John Malkovich John Horatio Malkovich (Character) $22.9M 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet Marcel Proust's Time Regained Le Baron de Charlus (Character) - 1999
64% 87% Rounders Teddy KGB (Character) $22.9M 1998
32% 55% The Man in the Iron Mask Athos (Character) $57.0M 1998
No Score Yet 71% The Man in the Iron Mask Athos (Character) - 1998
58% 75% Con Air Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom (Character) $101.1M 1997
47% 51% The Portrait of a Lady Gilbert Osmond (Character) $3.7M 1996
31% 39% Mulholland Falls General Thomas Timms (Character) $11.5M 1996
89% 73% The Ogre Abel Tiffauges (Character) $49.2K 1996
26% 40% Mary Reilly Dr. Henry Jekyll/Mr. Edward Hyde (Character) $5.5M 1996
68% 67% Beyond the Clouds The Director (Character) $30.9K 1995
38% 35% The Convent Michael (Character) $6.5K 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Le Couvent Michael (Character) - 1995
50% 39% Heart of Darkness Kurtz (Character) - 1994
96% 79% In the Line of Fire Mitch Leary (Character) $102.2M 1993
97% 82% Of Mice and Men Lennie Small (Character) $5.0M 1992
52% 55% Shadows and Fog Clown (Character) $2.4M 1992
36% 39% Jennifer Eight St. Anne (Character) $11.0M 1992
77% 36% The Object of Beauty Jake (Character) $201.6K 1991
30% 35% Queens Logic Eliot (Character) $301.6K 1991
45% 79% The Sheltering Sky Port Moresby (Character) $1.4M 1990
94% 83% Dangerous Liaisons Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont (Character) $32.7M 1988
60% 59% Miles From Home Barry Maxwell (Character) - 1988
60% 35% Making Mr. Right Dr.Jeff Peters/Ulysses (Character) $444.8K 1987
77% 90% Empire of the Sun Basie (Character) $22.0M 1987
75% 61% The Glass Menagerie Tom Wingfield (Character) $332.9K 1987
83% 75% Eleni Nicholas `'Nick'` Gage (Character) - 1985
100% 75% Death of a Salesman Biff (Character) - 1985
No Score Yet No Score Yet Private Conversations Unknown (Character) - 1985
93% 91% The Killing Fields Alan "Al" Rockoff (Character) - 1984
89% 83% Places in the Heart Mr. Will (Character) - 1984
No Score Yet No Score Yet Word of Honor Gary (Character) - 1980

TV

Credit
60% 66% The New Look Lucien Lelong (Character) 2024
100% 91% Ten-Year-Old Tom Mr. B (Voice) 2021 2023
71% 51% Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders Hercule Poirot (Character) 2018 2022
59% 77% Space Force Dr. Adrian Mallory (Character) 2020 2022
90% 82% The New Pope Giovanni Paolo III (Character) 2020
No Score Yet 61% Late Night With Seth Meyers Guest 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Graham Norton Show Unknown (Guest Star),
Guest
2008 2013 2016
59% 53% Crossbones Edward "Blackbeard" Teach (Character) 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Colbert Report Guest 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet Conan Guest 2013
No Score Yet 57% Saturday Night Live Host 1989 1993 2008
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Daily Show Guest 2003