Two weeks into the Venice Film Festival, one of cinema’s most enigmatic figures has made it clear he has no intention of clocking off just yet. John Malkovich, now 72, brushed aside questions about stepping back from Hollywood, telling reporters in Italy that he intends to keep working for as long as the industry will have him.
“I don’t plan to retire because I think they will retire me when it’s time. That seems to be the natural course of things,” the actor said, according to People. “I’m pretty much doing, and I’ve been doing what I love my whole life, and I plan to carry on doing that.”
A McDonagh Reunion Years in the Making
Malkovich is in Venice to promote Wild Horse Nine, the latest feature from playwright-turned-filmmaker Martin McDonagh, whose Oscar-winning Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri established him as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary cinema. The new film, which has been generating considerable buzz ahead of its festival premiere, sees Malkovich reunite with his Three Billboards co-star Sam Rockwell, the pair playing CIA agents dispatched to the remote expanse of Easter Island.
Malkovich revealed that his involvement in the project was a long time coming. He had been sent earlier McDonagh scripts but had been unable to commit due to scheduling clashes. When Wild Horse Nine came around, he didn’t hesitate.
“I think it’s a beautifully written script,” he said. “I had been sent a couple of things Martin had written before, which I was unable to even consider because I had other commitments, which I read and loved. So when this one came around, I decided absolutely I would do it. And thankfully I didn’t have anything standing in the way in terms of commitments.”
Downplaying the Awards Chatter
Inevitably, talk has turned to whether Wild Horse Nine could feature in next year’s awards conversation. Malkovich was characteristically measured on the subject, expressing warmth for his collaborators rather than any competitive instinct.
“I’ve had really spectacular collaborators and collaborations with directors, writers and actors,” he said. “I never feel in competition with any of them because generally I love them too. So for me it’s a very nice thing, but the nicest thing is that the film gets attention and the film has several terrific performers and it’s beautifully written and beautifully directed and that’s what matters the most to me.”
The Marvel Money Row
It isn’t the first time Malkovich has made headlines this year. The actor previously confirmed that he had walked away from multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe projects over financial terms he found unacceptable. Speaking to GQ, he was blunt about his reasoning: “The reason I didn’t do them had nothing to do with any artistic considerations whatsoever. I didn’t like the deals they made, at all.”
“These films are quite gruelling to make,” he added. “If you’re going to hang from a crane in front of a green screen for six months, pay me. You don’t want to pay me, it’s cool, but then I don’t want to do it, because I’d rather be onstage, or be directing a play, or doing something else.”
Malkovich did eventually agree to a small part in Fantastic Four: The First Steps, only for his scenes to end up on the cutting room floor.
Why it Matters
Malkovich’s comments capture a tension running through modern Hollywood: established stars, particularly those with alternative income streams and creative interests outside the blockbuster machine, are increasingly willing to walk away from the Marvel-industrial complex on principle. At 72, with a career spanning theatre, film and fashion, he is one of a handful of actors who can credibly say no to the biggest franchise operation on the planet — and his presence in a McDonagh passion project at Venice underlines the point. Wild Horse Nine, with its heavyweight pairing and remote Pacific setting, is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing awards-season prospects, and its leading man, for one, seems in no mood to slow down.
