John Malkovich embraces a nomadic career while starring in "Wild Horse Nine"
Veteran actor John Malkovich discusses his peripatetic lifestyle and his role as a weary CIA officer in Martin McDonagh’s new film, which opens this Friday.
John Malkovich, 72, returns to the screen as a retired CIA operative in Martin McDonagh’s "Wild Horse Nine," which debuts in theaters on Friday. The film follows the character Chris, a former intelligence officer on Easter Island who is increasingly inclined to reveal his secrets after a lifetime of covert operations.
Malkovich, who has performed in 47 countries over a five-decade career, said his itinerant lifestyle is a conscious choice. > "I’m a worker, and this isn’t part of my work. I rarely go to openings. I rarely see a film I’m in. I’m rarely asked to promote because I’m already gone," he told reporters in New York.
He added that his recent schedule has taken him from spoken-word performances in Mexico City to directing a play in Japan, despite not speaking the local languages. > "I’ll go to Japan — I don’t speak a word of it. I directed ‘Leopoldstadt’ in Latvian, don’t speak a word of Latvian. Well, I had five or six words, the main one was ‘cinnamon roll,’ which is two words. I’ve just been constantly learning."
The actor highlighted his long-standing collaboration with classical musicians, noting that the combination of spoken word and orchestral performance helps attract audiences. > "I work in classical music a lot because I can help sell tickets. The point is to learn about it, it seems to me."
Malkovich also reflected on the political incidents that have intersected with his work, such as withdrawing from a performance in Tel Aviv after a misattributed press release and facing protests in Bulgaria during a production he directed.
Director Martin McDonagh said he was initially intimidated by Malkovich’s reputation but was drawn to the actor’s ability to convey “acres of sorrow and regret” in quiet moments. > "When you’re looking at him, you see the heart of the movie in those silent moments," McDonagh said.
The actor, a former member of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company, emphasized that he continues to pursue projects that interest him, even when they require extensive travel. > "I always accepted in my life that doing what you want, there’s a price to that. And that’s fine. I never minded that price at all."
"Wild Horse Nine" marks Malkovich’s first major Oscar-campaign-eligible role, and he is considered a contender for a nomination.