John Malkovich
Actor, director and producer John Malkovich is a leading figure of both stage and screen. He has had a profound impact on American theatre as a guiding member of Chicago's groundbreaking Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and he has intrigued filmgoers with his screen performances for over twenty-five years in more than seventy motion pictures. His film credits include Death of a Salesman, Dangerous Liaisons, In the Line of Fire, Con Air, The Man in the Iron Mask, Of Mice And Men, Rounders, Changeling, Being John Malkovich, and Burn After Reading.
In 1976, Malkovich, along with Joan Allen, Gary Sinise, and Glenne Headly, became a charter member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. He moved to New York City in 1982 to appear in a Steppenwolf production of the Sam Shepard play, True West, for which he won an Obie Award. Malkovich then directed a Steppenwolf co-production, the 1984 revival of Lanford Wilson's Balm in Gilead, for which he received a second Obie Award and a Drama Desk Award. His Broadway debut was that year as Biff in Death of a Salesman, alongside Dustin Hoffman as Willy. Malkovich won an Emmy Award for this role when the play was adapted for television by CBS in 1985.
One of the actor's first forays into film was as an extra alongside Allen, Terry Kinney, George Wendt, and Laurie Metcalf in Robert Altman's 1978 film A Wedding. He made his feature film debut in 1984, as Sally Field's blind boarder, Mr. Will, in Places in the Heart. For his portrayal of Mr. Will, Malkovich received an Oscar nomination. That year, Malkovich also portrayed Al Rockoff in Roland Joffé’s film, The Killing Fields. He continued with steady work in films like Empire of the Sun, directed by Steven Spielberg, and the 1987 film adaptation of Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie, with Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.
A few years later, Malkovich became a star when he portrayed the sinister and sensual Valmont in the 1988 film, Dangerous Liaisons. In 1994, he was nominated for another Oscar for In the Line of Fire. In 1999, he played the title role in the Charlie Kaufman-penned and Spike Jonze-directed Being John Malkovich, portraying a variation of himself, as indicated by the character's middle name of "Horatio".
In April of 1998, Malkovich joined partners Russell Smith and Lianne Halfon in forming the company Mr. Mudd. In 2001, Mr. Mudd produced Ghost World, a live action feature based on Dan Clowes' comic, directed by Terry Zwigoff (Crumb) and starring Thora Birch and Steve Buscemi. Ghost World was released to critical acclaim and earned an Academy Award® nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. The Dancer Upstairs directed by Malkovich and starring Academy Award® nominee Javier Bardem was released in May 2003 by Fox Searchlight.
Along with his partners, Malkovich served as Executive Producer on the documentary How to Draw a Bunny, a portrait of artist Ray Johnson. How to Draw a Bunny won the Jury Prize at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival and the Prix de Public at the famed Recontre Film Festival in Paris. The film was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for best documentary in 2003.
Set in 17th Century London, The Libertine, starring Malkovich, Johnny Depp, and Samantha Morton was produced in 2004, and tells the true story of the Earl of Rochester (Depp), famed poet, sexual provocateur and wit. The film garnered seven British Independent Film Award nominations and one win. In the same year, Malkovich and partners wrapped production on the eagerly anticipated Art School Confidential, reuniting the Ghost World team of Zwigoff and Clowes. The film stars ingénues Max Minghella and Sophia Myles along with veteran actors Malkovich, Angelica Huston, and Jim Broadbent. Both The Libertine and Art School Confidential were released domestically in the spring of 2004.
In 2008, Fox Searchlight released the Mandate/Mr. Mudd produced picture Juno. Directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody, Malkovich, Smith, and Halfon produced along with Mason Novick. Juno became the third biggest indie release of all-time. It received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay.
In late 2008, Mr. Mudd, along with Mexican outfit, Canana, finished a 15-week sold-out run of Zach Helm's play, The Good Canary. Directed by Malkovich and starring Diego Luna, The Good Canary toured through several major Mexican cities including: Mexico City, Guadalajara, Aguascalientes, Monterrey, Leon. Its critical acclaim and financial success set a new precedent in Mexican theater.
Most recently with Mr. Mudd, Malkovich executive produced Which Way Home, a documentary by Sundance award winner Rebecca Cammisa. Which Way Home tells the story of children crossing the border from Mexico into the United States and was developed with HBO. Shot in Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala and the American southwest, Which Way Home premiered on HBO in August of 2009.
Recent screen credits include the Coen Brothers' Burn After Reading, Clint Eastwood's Changeling, and Sean McGinly's The Great Buck Howard. Malkovich can be seen alongside Josh Brolin and Megan Fox in the upcoming Western, Jonah Hex.