John Malkovich

Comment on this artist

John Malkovich Biography

John Malkovich (born 9.12.1953)

John Malkovich is an American stage and film actor, as well as a director and producer. He has appeared in more than 70 movies throughout his career.

John Malkovich: Childhood

John Malkovich was born in Christopher, Illinois and grew up in Benton, Illinois. His father worked in conservation and published the conservation magazine Outdoor Illinois. His mother owned the local newspaper, Benton Evening News.

At school, Malkovich excelled at both sports and acting at Benton High School, where he appeared in a number of plays, such as Carousel. Whilst at school, Malkovich also performed as a member of a folk rock trip, as well as organizing a summer theatre project in 1972. After graduating from high school, John Malkovich first attended Eastern Illinois University, then transferred to Illinois State University, where he graduated with a major in theatre.

John Malkovich: Acting Career

Along with Joan Allen, Gary Sinise and Glenne Headly, John Malkovich became a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, in 1976. In 1980, Malkovich then moved to New York, where the company performed a version of Sam Shepard's True West. He won an Obie award for his performance. This was soon followed by his Broadway debut, in Death of a Salesman, alongside Dustin Hoffman. When the play was adapted for TV in 1985, Malkovich won an Emmy award for his role.

One of Malkovich's earliest films was the 1978 movie A Wedding. Directed by Robert Altman, the film also starred Terry Kinney, Laurie Metcalf George Wendt. In 1984, though, he appeared in his first major feature film, playing Sally Field's blind lodger in Places in the Heart. For his performance, he received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

John Malkovich went on to work steadily throughout the 1980s, in respected films such as The Killing Fields (which featured a soundtrack by Mike Oldfield), Empire of the Sun (directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Christian Bale and Miranda Richardson), The Glass Menagerie (an adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play, starring Joanne Woodward and Karen Allen) and 1988's Dangerous Liaisons. The latter film featured Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer and Malkovich reprised his role in the film for the music video to Annie Lennox's Walking on Broken Glass.

In 1992, Malkovich starred in the film adaptation of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, alongside his early accomplice, Gary Sinise. Two years later, he was nominated for his next Academy Award, for his role in In the Line of Fire. This was followed by an unusual role, playing a variation of himself in Charlie Kaufman's art-house flick, Being John Malkovich. The film also starred John Cusack and Cameron Diaz. Malkovich worked with Kaufman once more in Adaptation, with Nicolas Cage.

John Malkovich continued to pursue more unusual roles and films, including The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Beowulf (a semi-animated movie featuring Ray Winstone, Angelina Jolie and Robin Wright Penn) and Burn After Reading, a Coen Brothers comedy starring Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton. Malkovich also appeared in Changeling with Angelina Jolie and Jeffrey Donovan: directed by Clint Eastwood.

Known for his aptitude for comedy, John Malkovich has hosted three episodes of Saturday Night Live. The second time, in 1993, was with Billy Joel as his musical guest. The third time that he presented the show, it featured appearances from Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Molly Sims and Justin Timberlake.

John Malkovich: Personal Life

Between 1982 and 1988, Malkovich was married to Glenne Headly, though the marriage was ended after he became involved with Michelle Pfeiffer. Malkovich met his long-term girlfriend, Nicoletta Peyran on the set of The Sheltering Sky. The couple have two children together, Amandine and Loewy.

In 2008, it was revealed that John Malkovich was one of many people that lost millions of dollars to Bernard Madoff's fraudulent enterprise.

Back to top

John Malkovich Picture Gallery

premiere of summit entertainment s warm bodies at t
premiere of summit entertainment s warm bodies at t
warm bodies premiere - red carpet
warm bodies premiere - red carpet
warm bodies premiere - red carpet

More John Malkovich Pictures

Back to top

The Latest John Malkovich News

John Malkovich To Play Pirate Blackbeard On Tv

12th March 2013

Actor John Malkovich has been cast as pirate legend Blackbeard in a new Tv series.The Being John Malkovich star will...

Hot Tickets! Us Movie Releases: Nicholas Hoult Stars In Zom Com 'warm Bodies,' Stellar Cast Can't Save 'stand Up Guys,' Another Stallone Doozy In 'bullet To The Head'

1st February 2013

We’re going to ease in to our round-up of this week’s movie releases, by starting with the ‘above average’ and...

A Week In Movies: Sundance Buzz For Stoker Trailer, London Critics' Choose Amour, First Look At Tommy Lee Jones In Emperor

25th January 2013

Updates From Sundance Film Festival And The London Critics' Circle Awards Plus Trailers For, Stoker, Emperor And Red 2As the...

Nicholas Hoult Challenged By Warm Bodies Role

23rd January 2013

Nicholas Hoult relished the challenge of staying mute in 'Warm Bodies'.The 'About a Boy' actor stars as grunting zombie R...

Hollywood And Religion: Or, How Angus T. Jones Became A Laughing Stock

30th November 2012

When Angus T. Jones recorded his interview with Christopher Hudson, the leader of the Forerunner Chronicles Christian group, he may...

More John Malkovich News

Back to top

John Malkovich Reviews

A Week In Movies: Sundance Buzz For Stoker Trailer, London Critics' Choose Amour, First Look At Tommy Lee Jones In Emperor

25th January 2013

Updates From Sundance Film Festival And The London Critics' Circle Awards Plus Trailers For, Stoker,...

Hollywood And Religion: Or, How Angus T. Jones Became A Laughing Stock

30th November 2012

When Angus T. Jones recorded his interview with Christopher Hudson, the leader of the Forerunner...

More John Malkovich Reviews

Back to top

John Malkovich Footage Film / Movie Reviews

The Perks of Being a Wallflower 2012, Review by Rich Cline

Spikier than the average coming-of-age movie, this astute comedy-drama is packed with memorable characters and...

Transformers: Dark of the Moon 2011, Review by Rich Cline

With his usual disregard for story logic, Bay plunges us into another deafening metal-against-metal smackdown....

Red 2010, Review by Rich Cline

Based on the graphic novel, this action-comedy has a wacky tone that's entertaining but never...

The Great Buck Howard 2009, Review by Paul Brenner

How can a film that features a lofty tribute to The Amazing Kreskin before the...

Disgrace 2009, Review by Rich Cline

Slow-paced and quietly involving, this drama, based on a JM Coetzee novel, is so packed...

More John Malkovich Film / Movie Reviews

Back to top

Newsletter

Subscribe to this news alert service to receive news and reviews on

Unsubscribe | Unsubscribe All

Comments