In Character: John Malkovich

John Malkovich is a name so synonymous with strange, or disturbed, or grotesque characters, that simply evoking the actor’s name is enough to help people understand what kind of performance you’re about to watch. John Malkovich. It’s a name that speaks for itself. An actor whose skills, and inadvertent amusement, are impossible to ignore.

Five Essential Roles

Places in the Heart (1984)

Mr. Will

Malkovich received his first Oscar nomination for his gentle turn as a blind man in Places in the Heart. It’s a quiet, controlled performance, and it was also Malkovich’s first credited film role, which is such an impressive feat. If you’ve seen Places in the Heart, you’re unlikely to forget the incredible scene in which Will blindly protects his friend, Moses (Danny Glover), from a band of Ku Klux Klan thugs. Today, John Malkovich is best known for his chilling, outlandish characters, but it’s valuable to go back to the beginning and see him inhabit such a earnest person.

Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

Vicomte de Valmont

When Dangerous Liaisons was released, the casting of John Malkovich was rather controversial. Critics and audiences expected someone strapping; a tall, dark, and handsome leading man who could be vile, but eventually win you over with charm. In short, casting Malkovich was a huge risk. Obviously, this was a risk that paid off, but it’s beneficial to know that the actor, and his director, Stephen Frears, had a lot riding on this film. Malkovich’s Vicomte de Valmont is such a grotesque character, and Malkovich melts into the role, fooling us into thinking that he really is a royal 18th century snake. Valmont’s actions may have been beyond his control, but Malkovich was certainly in full command of his talent.

Of Mice and Men (1992)

Lennie Small

So here’s the thing, there are Malkovich performances that I like better than this one. Performances that I find more amusing, more memorable, more… Malkovichian. But the reason I’m including his Lennie Small is because it is so damn difficult to bring one of literature’s most iconic characters to life, let alone do it so flawlessly. When you read John Steinbeck’s text, you form a picture of Lennie in your mind. You hear his speech, see his movement, and gauge his limited intelligence. What Malkovich manages to do is remove any expectations we had for Lennie, and see the character simply as Malkovich’s creation. And that is certainly no easy feat.

In the Line of Fire (1993)

Mitch Leary

Mitch Leary is one of my all-time favorite movie psychos. He’s smart and audacious, a master of disguise and an expert craftsman, and, most devilishly, a walking contradiction. Leary plans to assassinate the President, but doesn’t really bother to explain why. Leary likes Special Agent Frank Horrigan (Clint Eastwood), but won’t hesitate to kill him. He’ll snap the neck of an innocent bank teller without thinking twice, but get angry when a hunter shoots a duck. Like Malkovich’s best performances, it’s nearly impossible to imagine someone else playing Leary so effectively. In a less competitive year (seriously, 1993 Best Supporting Actor was stacked) Malkovich would’ve won the Oscar for playing Leary. 

Shadow of the Vampire (2002)

F.W. Murnau

Shadow of the Vampire is a great movie that doesn’t get talked about half as much as it should. The film posits that famed director F.W. Murnau was not only batshit crazy, but that he was crazy enough to cast an actual vampire, Max Schreck (Willem Dafoe), in the classic film, Nosferatu. Clearly, Shadow of the Vampire asks you to suspend disbelief over film history and, you know, the reality of vampires actually being real. But upon doing that, the film creates a quirky yet terrifying world of Nosferatu’s production. The chemistry between Malkovich and Dafoe is magical. They banter and create, always toeing the line of director and actor vs. victim and prey. This all reaches a climax that is unlike anything I’ve seen in film. The mad genius and the blood sucking beast, creating classic cinema at any cost.

Wild Card

Con Air (1997)

Cyrus ‘The Virus’ Grissom

There’s crazy, and then there’s John Malkovich crazy. And when John Malkovich goes full crazy, watch the hell out. There are a lot of delicious roles that could occupy Malkovich’s “Wild Card” slot, but I have to go with his insane yet intimidatingly intelligent turn as Cyrus Grissom from Con Air. Con Air may have been a paycheck movie for most every actor involved, but it’s one of the best, most outrageous action flicks of the 90s, and Malkovich chews the hell out of every scene he’s in. I rewatched this movie recently and couldn’t stop marveling at how seriously Malkovich took it. Open your heart to crazy Malkovich, and you’ll always have a good time.

The Best of the Best

Being John Malkovich (1999)

John Horatio Malkovich

I simply can’t deny it, the best John Malkovich has ever been is as “John Malkovich.” The first time I saw this film (what an experience), I had some doubt that Malkovich could play himself well. But then there he is, eating toast, looking at himself in the mirror, being mistaken for “that guy in that bank robbing” movie. This is an astounding performance of absolute zero vanity, from Malkovich’s first scene to last.

During the film’s third act, when John Cusack’s Craig takes over Malkovich’s mind and body, I still forget that John Malkovich is playing the part. He completely occupies the mind of the Craig character. The speech pattern, the mannerisms – it’s very easy to believe that you are no longer watching John Malkovich, but rather, another actor playing John Malkovich. Obviously, it’s all one man, resulting in a singular performance from a most unique actor. And so I ask, like many of Malkovich’s best work, could you imagine someone else occupying such a role so effortlessly?

Other Notable Roles

in Portrait of a Lady

The Killing Fields (1984)

Death of a Salesman (1985)

Empire of the Sun (1987)

The Sheltering Sky (1990)

The Portrait of a Lady (1996)

Mary Reilly (1996)

The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)

Rounders (1998)

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)

RKO 281 (1999)

Ripley’s Game (2002)

The Libertine (2004)

Color Me Kubrick (2005)

The Great Buck Howard (2008)

Disgrace (2008)

Changling (2008)

Burn After Reading (2008)

Secretariat (2010)

Crossbones (2014)

Deepwater Horizon (2016)