Hollywood star John Malkovich has delivered exceptional performances throughout his career, always bringing something fresh to his characters. However, despite his on-screen prowess, the actor was anxious about the prospect of leading Clint Eastwood’s 1992 Western film, Unforgiven.
Starring Eastwood alongside Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman, the film was a major success, winning four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. However, before Eastwood took on the role of William Munny in the acclaimed Western, John Malkovich was considered for the part but was surprisingly relieved when he didn’t get it.
John Malkovich Almost Starred in the Western Hit Unforgiven
Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, the 1992 film Unforgiven follows an outlaw and killer, William Munny, who takes on one last job, seeking redemption while confronting his violent past.
A huge hit upon its release, it has since become one of the greatest films of all time. However, the prospect of the film could have been quite different, as it was initially in the hands of The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola.
Coppola held the rights to the story until the 1980s, but his plans faltered due to financial difficulties, and he eventually lost the rights. Before that, he had considered John Malkovich for the role of William Munny.
However, his plans for the film fell through as he was unable to raise the money for its production. Unforgiven eventually ended up with Eastwood. However, one person who remained unfazed amid all this was Malkovich.
The actor expressed relief that he didn’t get the lead part in the film, arguing that he would have struggled to bring the role to life as effectively as Eastwood. As per All The Right Movies, he said,
The offer was not very serious, thank God! I say that for myself and the poor public, and for Clint, absolutely! I would have been a total, total failure. Total! Who would’ve wanted to see that? I wouldn’t! I would’ve just been acting-schmacting.
Malkovich’s assessment wasn’t entirely off the mark, as he was relatively new to the industry compared to Eastwood, and also quite young for the role of William Munny at the time.
David Peoples Claimed No One Could Have Made Unforgiven as Effectively as Clint Eastwood
David Peoples, the screenwriter, has claimed that no one could have brought the story to life as effectively as the acclaimed actor did. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, he was asked what the film would have been like under Coppola’s direction.
While he acknowledged that Coppola could have made a brilliant film, he also claimed that Unforgiven would not have been the same and as impactful as it has been. He said,
It’s hard to imagine anyone making it as straightforwardly and uncompromisingly as Clint — Unforgiven was Clint Eastwood saying, “This is what I’m going to do . . . get out of my way.”
He also argued that the film would have lost its authenticity under some big studios and executives in an attempt to make it more commercially acceptable and less distinctive.
Unforgiven is available on Prime Video.
