John Malkovich facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Malkovich
Malkovich in 2023
Born	John Gavin Malkovich (1953-12-09) December 9, 1953 (age 71) Christopher, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater	William Esper Studio
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1976–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Glenne Headly ​ ​ (m. 1982; div. 1988)​
Partner(s)	Nicoletta Peyran (1989–present)
Children	2

John Gavin Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is a famous American actor. He has won many awards for his acting, including a Primetime Emmy Award. He has also been nominated for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and three Golden Globe Awards.

Malkovich began his acting career in 1976 as one of the first members of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. He later moved to New York City to act in plays. He first appeared on Broadway in a 1984 production of Death of a Salesman.

He is known for playing a wide variety of characters in movies. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his roles in Places in the Heart (1984) and In the Line of Fire (1993). Some of his other well-known films include Empire of the Sun (1987), Con Air (1997), Being John Malkovich (1999), Johnny English (2003), Burn After Reading (2008), and Red (2010).

Malkovich has also acted in many television shows. He won an Emmy Award for the TV version of Death of a Salesman in 1985. He has also appeared in shows like Billions (2018–19), The New Pope (2020), and Space Force (2020–2022).

Early Life and Schooling

Malkovich was born in Christopher, Illinois, on December 9, 1953. He grew up in the nearby town of Benton, Illinois. His father, Daniel, worked in nature conservation, and his mother, Joe Anne, owned a local newspaper. He had an older brother and three younger sisters.

In high school, Malkovich was very active in theater. He acted in plays and musicals like Carousel. He was also part of a folk gospel group that sang at local churches and events.

After high school, he went to Eastern Illinois University and later Illinois State University, where he studied theater. He left college to focus on acting and studied at the William Esper Studio.

Acting Career

Starting in Theater

In 1976, Malkovich helped start the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago with other actors like Gary Sinise and Joan Allen. He moved to New York in 1980 and won an Obie Award for his role in the play True West. He also won awards for directing a play called Balm in Gilead.

Breakthrough in Film

Malkovich in 1994

Malkovich's first major film role was in Places in the Heart (1984). He played a blind man named Mr. Will. This role earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. That same year, he also appeared in the movie The Killing Fields.

In 1985, he acted alongside Dustin Hoffman in a TV version of the play Death of a Salesman. He won an Emmy Award for his performance. He continued to appear in popular films like Empire of the Sun (1987), directed by Steven Spielberg.

Major Film Roles

Malkovich at a premiere in 1996

In 1988, Malkovich played the clever and sneaky Vicomte de Valmont in Dangerous Liaisons. This role made him very famous. He later appeared in the music video for "Walking on Broken Glass" by Annie Lennox dressed as the same character.

Throughout the 1990s, he starred in many different movies. He played Lennie in the 1992 film version of Of Mice and Men. He earned his second Oscar nomination for playing a villain in In the Line of Fire (1993). He also hosted the comedy show Saturday Night Live three times.

One of his most unusual roles was in the 1999 movie Being John Malkovich. In the film, he played a version of himself.

21st-Century Work

Malkovich in 2015

Malkovich has continued to act in many interesting films and TV shows. He played the villain in Johnny English (2003) and appeared in action-comedies like Red (2010) and Red 2 (2013). He was also the voice of Dave the Octopus in the animated movie Penguins of Madagascar (2014).

He has also directed plays in Paris, London, and Mexico. In 2018, he played the famous detective Hercule Poirot in the BBC series The ABC Murders. More recently, he starred in the TV shows The New Pope and Space Force.

In 2016, he starred in a movie called 100 Years. The film is locked in a special vault and will not be released until the year 2115.

Other Projects

Fashion Design

In 2002, Malkovich started his own fashion company called Mrs. Mudd. He designed his own collections of men's clothing. He has said that he enjoys fashion and seeing the work of great designers.

In the Media

Malkovich is known for his unique voice. He has appeared in music videos for artists like Annie Lennox and Eminem. He also had a role in the video game Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.

In 2014, a photographer named Sandro Miller created a project called Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich. In it, Miller recreated famous photographs with John Malkovich as the subject of every picture.

Personal Life

Malkovich in 2009

Malkovich was married to actress Glenne Headly from 1982 to 1988. Since 1989, his partner has been Nicoletta Peyran. They met while working on the movie The Sheltering Sky. They have two children, Amandine and Loewy.

Malkovich is fluent in French because he lived in the south of France for almost 10 years. He and his family now live in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is a co-owner of a restaurant in Lisbon, Portugal. In 2008, he lost money in a bad investment plan run by Bernie Madoff.

In 2013, Malkovich helped save a man's life in Toronto, Canada. A 77-year-old man fell and cut his neck. Malkovich rushed to help and pressed on the wound to stop the bleeding until paramedics arrived. The man later thanked Malkovich for saving him.

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: John Malkovich para niños