The hardest movie John Malkovich ever made: “At least a thousand variations of every line”
An actor’s most difficult role is never the one that you’d expect. Consider John Malkovich. With a professional career spanning over 50 years, he’s taken on challenging roles of every type you may imagine. Be it Arthur Miller’s plays, 1984’s lauded films Places of the Heart and The Killing Fields, which contain subject matter unsuitable for children. Or anyone with a weak stomach.
There’s Being John Malkovich, a very strange film by Charlie Kauffman picture, with a good reputation nonetheless, where a David Foster Wallace-looking John Cusack pilots John Malkovich like a Gundam. The truth is, Malkovich is in over 70 films, playing everything, literally everything, from romantic heroes to serial killers and vampires. He’s been on space missions; he’s explored the subaquatic mysteries, and he’s been a French pervert with aplomb.
He’s also done voiceovers for children’s movies. The film in question, which he described as the most difficult he’s performed in, was a spinoff of 2005’s Madagascar. It’s a quirky fish-out-of-water movie about zoo animals who end up on the titular island. It boasts the talents of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, a member of Will Smith’s nepotistic brood and music by Hans Zimmer. Malkovich himself played an octopus in the sequel.
Malkovich reflects on the experience in an interview with GQ saying “One of the hardest things I’ve ever done was a film called Penguins of Madagascar, a children’s film where I played an octopus”. The cephalopod in question is named Dave and who aims to kill or hurt penguins (or something) for upstaging his popularity at the brooklyn zoo.
But it wasn’t so much the nuance and depth of the role as an evil octopus in a CGI children’s movie that troubled Malkovich, it was the tedium. Apparently, it was a drag to make. Malkovich goes on, “And I must have recorded the entire thing, every line; at least a thousand variations of every line. I never understood why it never occurred to them to maybe have a different line. And I did mention that more than occasionally.”
Plus, the man didn’t get paid. “I didn’t really make any money for it at all, but it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it again. I would have a very different contract at this time.” So we may yet see Dave the malevolent octopus scientist again if they can get John Malkovich a better contract. Cross your fingers with bated breath.
Even if John Malkovich never makes another movie, he’s cast his legacy in iron. And we don’t have to worry about that as of yet. He has several movies in production or primed for release. In 2025 alone, he’ll be the villain of Opus (if the trailer is any indication) and the Red Ghost in a new Fantastic Four movie. There will always be work for him, and he’ll usually take it, even if he has to play the mean octopus again. at least pay the man next time.
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