Trivia

Fluent in French, and lived in France for almost 10 years. He left in 2003.

When he was a teenager, he decided to get his excessive weight under control and lost 70 pounds by eating nothing but Jell-O for four months.

He co-owns a restaurant/nightclub in Portugal. (2003)

First actor to win a major award (New York Film Critics) for portraying himself in a movie (non-cameo role). The film was Being John Malkovich (1999).

His performance as himself in Being John Malkovich (1999) is ranked #90 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

In 1976, he quit college in order to work at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater.

Legend has it that he was told by the head of the Theatre Department at Illinois State University that he would not have a career as an actor. Even though he did not graduate from ISU (he never took the constitution test), the Theatre Department still claims him as an alumnus. On April 4, 2005, he returned to visit the Theatre Department where he was presented with an official diploma for his bachelor's degree in theatre.

Has developed a great passion for Portugal, where he has filmed some movies recently. He also keeps a house here, as he co-owns a disco in Lisbon.

Good friend of Gérard Depardieu. They worked together on several projects: The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), Les misérables (2000) and Napoleon (2002).

Lost an undisclosed amount of money in the Bernie Madoff scandal.

The costume he wore in the Annie Lennox video, "Walking On Broken Glass" was borrowed from the set of Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

In 2015, he filmed a movie, 100 Years. Which was locked away in a bulletproof safe with a time lock set to open in year 2115 (100 years after it was shot).

As of 2014, has appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Killing Fields (1984), Places in the Heart (1984) and Dangerous Liaisons (1988).

Offered the role of Green Goblin/Norman Osborn in Spider-Man (2002).

His paternal grandparents, Michael "Mike" Malkovich and Goldie Stanisha, were Croatian. His mother had French, German, Scottish, and English ancestry, and his maternal grandparents were Stephen Choisser and Edna Alice Johnson.

Attended college with Joan Allen who was occasionally a scene partner of Malkovich's in their acting classes. Later attended another acting class years with John Mahoney. He encouraged both actors to join the Steppenwolf Theater Company, which they did.

Children with Nicoletta Peyran: daughter Amandine (b. 1990) and son Lowry (b. 1992).

His favorite films include: Citizen Kane (1941), It's a Wonderful Life (1946), High Noon (1952), The 400 Blows (1959), The Battle of Algiers (1966), The Conformist (1970) and This Is Spinal Tap (1984).

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#70). (1995)

Parents ran and owned local newspapers in his hometown Benton, Illinois, named Benton Evening News and Outdoor Illinois, a conservation magazine. His father was also a state conservation director.

He was awarded the 1982 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Principal Role in a Play for "True West", at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois.

Frequently visits Sarajevo Film Festival (Bosnia).

Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1984" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 36.

He dropped out of Crazy People (1990) after around two weeks of filming and was replaced by Dudley Moore.

Has stated he greatly admires actors Meryl Streep, Judy Davis, and Isabelle Adjani.

Education: Eastern Illinois University, Illinois State University.

He was nominated for a 1980 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Principal Role in the play, "Say Goodnight, Gracie", at the Travel Light Productions Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

He has worked with 8 directors who have won a Best Director Oscar: Robert Benton, Steven Spielberg, Bernardo Bertolucci, Woody Allen, Robert Zemeckis, Clint Eastwood, and Joel Coen & Ethan Coen.

Noted for bringing eccentricity to his characters.

He was nominated for a 1985 Joseph Jefferson Award for Director of a play for "Coyote Ugly", at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois.

Won a second Village Voice Obie this time for Direction for "Balm in Gilead" in 1985.

He was awarded the 1987 Drama Logue Award for Outstanding Performance for "Burn This" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

Won a Village Voice Obie for his performance in "True West" in 1984.

He was awarded the 1981 Joseph Jefferson Award for Director of a Play for "Balm in Gilead", at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois.

He was nominated for a 1996 Joseph Jefferson Award for Director of a Play for "The Libertine", at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois.

He turned down the role played by Timothy Dalton in The King's Whore (1990).

He moved outside Boston, Massachusetts. (October 2008)

Born at 11:39 PM (CST).