John Malkovich Reveals His Least Favourite On-Screen Role
John Malkovich looks back on his decades-long acting career, opening up about the one film role he rates as his worst, and why he’s never been fussed about what critics have to say.
It’s not every day you hear a big-name actor openly admit to disliking their own work, but John Malkovich has never been one to sugar-coat things. With nearly half a century in the business, he’s racked up a hefty list of credits, from box office hits to cult gems and everything in between. His performances have been picked apart by punters and critics alike, but Malkovich seems to take it all in his stride.
Despite the constant scrutiny, he’s managed to snag two Oscar nominations—one for the Depression-era drama Places in the Heart and another for the action flick In the Line of Fire. Not bad for a bloke who claims he’s his own harshest judge. He’s even got a couple of films with a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, including Which Way Home and Death of a Salesman, with several others not far behind.
Indifference to Critics
While chatting to The Face during a promo for his upcoming 2025 film Opus, Malkovich was asked about his thoughts on critics. He didn’t mince words, making it clear he’s not too bothered by what they reckon.
“Critics have their audience,”
he said.
“I’m not part of the audience. There may be a critic I particularly like on some particular subject, but really I have to make my own way in my chosen field. I don’t need a critic for that. I’m my own critic.”
To drive the point home, he brought up his role in the 1985 biographical drama Eleni.
“I didn’t care much for that.”
The film, based on the memoir of Nicholas Gage (played by Malkovich), follows Gage’s return to Greece decades after his mother’s tragic death during the civil war. It’s a heavy story, not exactly the sort of thing you’d chuck on for a lazy Sunday arvo.
Mixed Feelings About Eleni
Even though Malkovich himself wasn’t keen on his performance, Eleni actually did alright with the critics. It’s sitting at 83% with critics and 76% with the public on Rotten Tomatoes, which lands it comfortably in the ‘Fresh’ zone. Roger Ebert, a legend in the reviewing game, called Malkovich
“one of the great strong quiet zones of contemporary film acting”
in his write-up.
Still, even his biggest fans would probably agree Eleni isn’t his standout role. Maybe the pressure of playing a real person who’d lived through such a tough time got to him. Or maybe he just doesn’t like taking compliments. As Malkovich put it,
“I haven’t cared much for many things I’ve done, honestly.”
At least he’s upfront about it.