John Malkovich rose up the ranks in Hollywood by taking the traditional route from the stage to the screen. After having gained experience in theater, Malkovich had his big breakthrough performance in films with The Killing Fields, followed by his most memorable role in Dangerous Liaisons in 1988, in which he played a despicable womanizer.
While the actor himself claimed that this role gave him the stardom he desired in Hollywood, the film also caused trauma for him owing to his co-star, Michelle Pfeiffer. Malkovich and Pfeiffer got involved romantically during the course of the production but it ended up as a heartbreak for the Disgrace star.
John Malkovich Struggled To Get Over His Failed Affair With Michelle Pfeiffer
In 1988, John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer shared screen space in Dangerous Liaisons, a period fantasy film adapted from the 1782 French novel of the same name. The film catapulted Malkovich into the big leagues in Hollywood with his powerful performance being praised by audiences and critics alike. In addition, the Cut Bank actor also began an intense romance with his co-star Pfeiffer which unfortunately did not last.
Malkovich was emotionally affected by the breakup and went on to confess that he had a nervous breakdown that resulted in him crying for a whole year after failing to get over the split. In a candid interview that appeared in The Age, the veteran actor spoke about losing his identity and feeling helpless and empty without a sense of direction.
“I felt I’d lost the idea that life was beautiful. I realized I wasn’t enjoying life when I should have been, given all the luck and opportunity I had had. It was perverse not to be content. It become inexcusable on a human level. But I felt something was missing.”
Ultimately, Malkovich rose above his vulnerabilities and his past with Pfeiffer by resorting to deep introspection, through which he was able to understand who he truly was as a person.
Did John Malkovich Mirror His Dangerous Liaisons Character In Real Life?
While 1988’s Dangerous Liaisons gave John Malkovich his first brush with superstardom, his real-life persona suggested that he mirrored a few qualities of the despicable character he played in the film. With his first wife actor Glenne Headly describing him as the ‘root cause of all evil’ following their separation, Malkovich developed a reputation of being someone who possessed vile traits. The actor though, in an interview with The Age, clarified that this assumption was purely speculative.
“I’m not dangerous. I’ve always been more of a danger to myself. People confuse me with my character in Dangerous Liaisons. Though funny and charming, he was very weak. A moral coward. He couldn’t admit to his own feelings because they flew in the face of his self-image. I’m not him.”
While Malkovich admitted that certain incidents could trigger an emotional outburst in him, he believed that preconceived notions about his personality based on lack of solid proof, weren’t enough to typecast him as an undesirable person.
