“A Fantastic Note”- How Spike Jonze’s Most Absurd Note to John Malkovich Playing Himself Still Makes Him Grin
John Malkovich once took method acting to an entirely different level by playing himself in Being John Malkovich, albeit through a hilariously exaggerated lens. Directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, the surreal comedy cast Malkovich as John Horatio Malkovich, an exaggerated version of his real-life persona. Given the film’s absurd premise, it is little wonder that one particular piece of direction still makes him grin, Jonze telling him to act more like John Malkovich.
That amusement stems from Jonze telling the actor that his portrayal was not how John Malkovich would actually behave, an observation the filmmaker delivered with a rather memorable sense of humour.
John Malkovich looks back on Being John Malkovich
John Malkovich has a rather amusing memory of receiving acting advice that questioned just how well he knew himself. In an upcoming 60 Minutes interview with Ariel Levy, a preview clip acquired by The Hollywood Reporter captures the actor revisiting his experience on Spike Jonze’s 1999 film, Being John Malkovich. Despite sharing his name with the character, Malkovich insists the portrayal was hardly an accurate reflection of his actual personality.
“We were rehearsing one day — I don’t remember what it was — and Spike said to me, ‘That’s OK, but John Malkovich wouldn’t do it that way,'” Malkovich recalled with a grin. “And I just thought that was a fantastic note.”
The filmmaker’s observation neatly captured the peculiar relationship between the actor and the film’s deliberately exaggerated version of him. Malkovich also credits the 1999 comedy with having an unusually distinctive creative identity, praising its originality and the singular vision behind its storytelling.
From the exclusive The Hollywood Reporter clip, he even drew a comparison with the expansive fictional worlds that have since become a Hollywood staple, offering a particularly generous assessment of Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman’s creation.
“I can’t think of anything that was more originally voiced and expressed,” he said, before describing the film as “a cinematic universe — as they use the term for Marvel. That actually was one.”
While he did not win an Oscar, the golden ticket he believes Hollywood runs on, Malkovich still earned considerable acclaim for his performance.
The critical acclaim Being John Malkovich brought John Malkovich
Although an Academy Award never found its way to John Malkovich, his Being John Malkovich performance was hardly short of recognition. The actor won Best Supporting Actor from the New York Film Critics Circle, while the American Comedy Awards also named him Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. His fellow cast members additionally earned a Screen Actors Guild nomination for their collective performance.
The Chicago Film Critics Association also recognized Malkovich with a Best Supporting Actor nomination, while critics particularly admired his willingness to turn his own serious public persona into comedy. His physical performance, especially in scenes where John Cusack and Cameron Diaz effectively controlled him like a puppet, added another layer to the joke. Perhaps that was the real gold in Jonze’s rather extraordinary vision.
What did you think of John Malkovich's Being John Malkovich anecdote? Let us know in the comments!
Edited By: Hriddhi Maitra
