For more than four decades,John Malkovichhas carved out a name for himself as among Hollywood’s most interesting and varied performers. With countless beloved roles across action, comedy, drama, and a host of other genres, the main thing that categorized a Malkovich performance was his intense commitment to his roles and willingness to go the extra mile in his characterization. As a leading man, supporting hero, and sinister villain, this two-time Academy Award nominee has truly proved himself to be a uniquely talented addition to modern cinema.
Part of Malkovich’s appeal was that audiences never knew what they would get from one performance to another. After building up his reputation in movies by acclaimed directors like Steven Spielberg and Wolfgang Petersen, Malkovich confounded all expectations with one ofthe most uniquely intense performancesever seen in the highly original filmBeing John Malkovich. As a performer associated with absurd, charismatic, and often disturbing characters,John Malkovich has had an astounding career packed with iconic roles.
Burn After Reading
Cast
Burn After Reading is a dark comedy thriller directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, and John Malkovich, revolving around a disc containing the memoirs of a CIA agent that inadvertently gets into the hands of two gym employees. Their misguided attempts to profit from their find lead to unforeseen consequences and entanglements with CIA operatives.
John Malkovich has worked with some of the greatest filmmakers of all time, and to see him paired with the Coen Brothers inBurn After Readingwas a match made in heaven. This crime comedy saw Malkovich play Osborne Cox, anembittered alcoholic former CIA analyst who, after being forced to quit his job, decided to write a memoir. However, two dimwitted gym employees (Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt) found his misplaced story and, mistaking it for classified government documents, tried to profit from it.
As a farce of misadventures, miscommunication, and mismanagement,Burn After Readingwas a fine addition tothe Coens' impressive catalogof clever thrillers with comedic twists. Malkovich excelled in his role as the only straight man surrounded by “a league of morons,” as everyone around him believed themselves to be part of a high-stakes espionage conspiracy, when in fact, there were never any stakes at all. In typical Coen Brother fashion,Burn After Readingwas funny, offbeat, and well-written.
In the Line of Fire
In the Line of Fire is a thriller film where a veteran Secret Service agent, Frank Horrigan, played by Clint Eastwood, is haunted by his failure to protect President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Decades later, he is assigned to investigate a mysterious threat on the life of the current US President, while a psychopathic assassin, Mitch Leary, played by John Malkovich, begins to stalk and taunt him.
Part of John Malkovich’s appeal was his incredibly varied career, and a prime example of this was his villainous role in the political thrillerIn the Line of Fire. With Clint Eastwood as Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan, who, as a younger man, failed to stop the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, 30 years later, a clever assassin named Mitch Leary (Malkovich) gave him another chance to save the life of a sitting president. As a straightforward thriller from director Wolfgang Petersen,In the Line of Firedelivers action, drama, and suspense.
As a disillusioned and obsessed former CIA agent with a desire to kill the president,Malkovich gave a charismatic performance as Mitch Leary, a clever would-be killer also going under the aliases James Carney and Booth. Malkovich played well opposite Eastwood, as both actors have always known how to get the best out of a good script and imbue their characters with depth and complexity.In the Line of Firewas a thrilling game of cat and mouse mixed with psychological torment and one of the most underrated thrillers of the 1990s.
Ripley’s Game
Ripley’s Game is a 2002 thriller based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel of the same name. Directed by Liliana Cavani, the film stars John Malkovich as Tom Ripley, a wealthy and unscrupulous art dealer who enlists an innocent man, played by Dougray Scott, into a scheme of murder. As events spiral out of control, the film explores themes of deception, morality, and the consequences of criminal behavior.
There have been plenty of adaptations of Patricia Highsmith’s series about the murderousadventures of the anti-hero Tom Ripley, from Matt Damon’s excellent portrayal inThe Talented Mr. Ripleyto Andrew Scott in the exceptional Netflix seriesRipley. However, JohnMalkovich gave a highly underrated performance inRipley’s Game, a film that failed at the box office but was praised by critics. The best thing aboutRipley’s Gamewas Malkovich’s performance as the outstanding talents of his co-stars Lena Headey, Dougray Scott, and Ray Winstone.
Malkovich captured the essence of Ripley’s character as he oozed charm and charisma and walked the fine line between heartlessness and genuine sincerity.Ripley’s Gametruly brought the titular sociopath to life and told it a thrilling story of blackmail, deceit, and secrecy. Interestingly, this would not be Malkovich’s only appearance in a Highsmith adaptation, as he also appeared in Netflix’sRipleyas Reeves Minot in 2024.
Con Air
Con-Air is a 1990s action crime-thriller starring Nicholas Cage as former U.S. Ranger turned to convict Cameron Poe. Poe, in an act of self-defense and passion, is court-martialed for accidentally killing the man he protected his wife from. Having served his time and achieving Parole, Poe is on his way home with one problem - the transport plane he’s on has been hijacked by several dangerous convicts, led by one of the worst in the United States.
John Malkovich’s career included many prestigious dramatic roles, but he was also just as comfortable in over-the-top action movies that served as pure popcorn entertainment. Considering this, Malkovich was truly perfect for his role as the main villain in the Nicolas Cage cult classicCon Air, Cyrus the Virus. Malkovich played the psychopathic criminal and serial murderer who masterminded the airplane hijacking in this thrilling action movie produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
Along with Cage’s incredible performance, Malkovich helped makeCon Airone of the most enjoyableaction movies of the 1990s. Cyrus the Virus was a deranged convict who spent most of his life in prison and was known for murdering eleven inmates, instigating three riots, and consistently escaping custody. As one of the most outrageous action movies ever made,Malkovich gave his all toCon Airand contributed to its major box office success, with the film taking in $234 million globally (viaBox Office Mojo.)
6Empire Of The Sun (1987)
John Malkovich as Basie
As the acting debut of 12-year-old Christian Bale,Empire of the Sunwas a coming-of-age film by Steven Spielbergthat charted the story of a young boy named Jim becoming a prisoner of war in a Shanghai internment camp operated by the Japanese during WWII. John Malkovich played Basie, an American merchant navy man who oversaw Jim in the camp, whose hustling nature meant he was always looking for a way to exploit his situation. An epic in the truest sense of the word, theLawrence of Arabiadirector David Lean was originally attached to this project (viaCollider.)
At its core,Empire of the Sunwas about how difficult circumstances forced Jim to grow up fast, as his life story was one fraught with difficulties.Empire of the Sunhas remained one of Spielberg’s most underrated movies and acted as a definitive moment in the early careers of not just Bale and Malkovich but also a young Ben Stiller. As an emotional and visually striking drama about loss, family, and the horror of war,Empire of the Sunwas an astounding success.
5The Glass Menagerie (1987)
John Malkovich as Tom Wingfield
As a dreamy adaptation of Tennesse Williams’s play,The Glass Menageriewas a powerful showcase of John Malkovich’s dramatic skills. As the final film directed by Paul Newman, Malkovich starred opposite the director’s wife, Joanne Woodward, in this memory play of distorted recollections and lost love.The Glass Menageriewas the story of a son who, along with his timid sister, lived under the crushing expectations of his stifling mother, Amanda, played by Woodward.
With profound intensity,Malkovich captured the compelling pain of Tom Wingfield, whose banal and boring life was categorized by whileing away his days watching movies at the local cinema. With beautiful light and incredible camera work,The Glass Menageriewas filled with heartbreaking monologues as the unfilled expectations of its characters’s lives were brought to the forefront. From the pining for her days as a glamorous Southern belle, the sister’s sad, unrequited love for her sibling’s friend, and the subtext of Tom’s unspoken sexuality, there’s a lot of depth to this powerful adaptation of Williams’ 1944 play.
Dangerous Liaisons
Dangerous Liaisons is a film adaptation of the 18th-century novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. Directed by Stephen Frears, the movie stars Glenn Close, John Malkovich, and Michelle Pfeiffer. It explores themes of manipulation, deceit, and seduction within the French aristocracy. As former lovers, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont scheme to destroy the lives of those around them for their amusement.
Based on the 1782 French novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos,Dangerous Liaisonswas a romantic period dramaof scheming love affairs as a manipulative ex-lover’s bet on the adulterous corruption of a recently married woman. With powerful performances from Glenn Close, John Malkovich, and Michelle Pfeiffer,Dangerous Liaisonswas categorized by pure wit and an immediacy rarely seen in period dramas of this kind. With everyone involved firing on all cylinders, director Stephen Frears truly got the best out of an extraordinarily talented cast.
InFriendsSeason 4, Episode 12, “The One with the Embryos,” while playing a quiz about how well the characters know one another, it’s revealed Rachel Green falsely claimedDangerous Liaisonswas her favorite movie, but her actual favorite movie wasWeekend at Bernie’s.
However, it was John Malkovich as Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont, the deceitful ladiesman at the heart of the scheme, who truly stole the show. With a level of charm and charisma far exceeding anything he had previously showcased, Malkovich was truly believable as the darkly sinister assistant to revenge.Dangerous Liaisonshad everything going for it and was a must-watch film for lovers of romantic period dramas.
3Of Mice And Men (1992)
John Malkovich as Lennie Small
John Steinbeck’s extraordinary novella of two wayward ranch workers during the Great Depressionreceived a fantastic adaptation in 1992. With John Malkovich as Lennie Small and Gary Sinise as his quick-witted best friend, George Milton, this story of aspiration, companionship, and innate human struggles was a beautiful deconstruction of the American Dream and the desire to find a place of belonging. As a heartfelt, well-acted, and faithful adaptation of its source material,Of Mice and Mencaptured the essence of Steinbeck’s timeless story.
While the entire cast deserved praise, Malkovich was particularly effective as Lenny, whose heart-wrenching portrayal of a good-intentioned intellectually disabled man became all the more harrowing considering the story’s tragic ending. Malkovich showcased the depth of emotion he was capable of emitting as Lenny’s pure-hearted intentions were brought to the forefront only to be stripped away as his brute strength unintentionally led to the death of a young woman.Of Mice and Menwas a powerful story about how, despite their best intentions, working-class people have little power to gain meaningful freedom and rise out of poverty.
2Death Of A Salesman (1985)
John Malkovich as Biff Loman
The1985 adaptation of Arthur Miller’sDeath of a Salesmanwas an incredible made-for-TV movie that was as good as any theatrical release. With Dustin Hoffman in one of his greatest roles as the troubled traveling salesman Willy Loman, this surreal adaptation breathed new life into this 1949 Pulitzer Prize-winning play. As a deconstruction of Willy’s fractured relationships, in particular with his son Biff (John Malkovich),Death of a Salesmangot the very heart of the death of the American Dream and the sad regret that those who feel they never lived up to their potential must endure.
Malkovich perfectly captured the longing of Biff’s character as, unlike his father, he longed to dig deeper into the frustrations of everyday living and was one of the few characters inDeath of a Salesmanto achieve some semblance of personal growth.Death of a Salesmansaw Biff becoming disillusioned from heartbreaking fantasies of his father, and Malkovich’s performance highlighted the complexity of familial relationships. Malkovich’s rich and layered performance helped makeDeath of a Salesmana truly effective adaptation.
Being John Malkovich
Being John Malkovich: This film follows the story of an unsuccessful puppeteer named Craig who discovers a portal that leads into the mind of actor John Malkovich. The phenomenon soon entices others to explore the bizarre and controlling world of inhabiting another person’s consciousness.
As one of the most astoundingly original movies ever made, it will come as no surprise that John Malkovich’s greatest performance was when he played himself in the highly unusual and eccentric filmBeing John Malkovich. WithSpike Jonze directing a script by Charlie Kaufman,Being John Malkovichwas a highly creative story that got right to the heart of its themes around identity, loneliness, and self-fulfillment. As the story of a puppeteer finding a portal into the mind of John Malkovich, this was a highly metanarrative that consistently surprised viewers with its inventiveness.
Being John Malkovichwas the prime example that a movie could truly be about anything, and the only constraints were the limitations of actors, writers, and directors' own creativity. Malkovich committed entirely to the premise of this film as it delved into the depths of his own psychology and deconstructed the very nature of selfhood.John Malkovichwill forever be associated with this movie, and more so than any other role, it was the performance that turned him into a household name.
