Malkovich Calls Out His Own 'Worst' Acting Performance
The acclaimed actor doesn't hold back when discussing his 1985 role in Eleni, revealing his brutally honest take on his own work and relationship with critics.
You know what they say - everybody's got an opinion. But when you're John Malkovich, with nearly five decades in Hollywood, those opinions come from professional critics who've made careers out of analyzing every move you make. The distinctive actor has built an impressive resume spanning blockbusters, indie darlings, and everything between, yet he remains surprisingly detached from what reviewers think of his work.
Malkovich has earned plenty of critical praise over the years. He's got two Academy Award nominations under his belt - one for the Depression-era film Places in the Heart, and another for the action thriller In the Line of Fire. On Rotten Tomatoes, he boasts perfect scores for Which Way Home and Death of a Salesman, with several other projects scoring in the high 90s.
Dismissing the Critics
While promoting his upcoming 2025 movie Opus in a recent interview with The Face, Malkovich shared his thoughts on film critics and their role in the industry. His response was refreshingly blunt: "Critics have their audience. 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 prove his point about being his own harshest judge, the actor singled out his 1985 performance in the biographical drama Eleni, stating simply: "I didn't care much for that."
The Film That Disappointed Him
Eleni tells the story of Nicholas Gage, the character Malkovich portrayed in the film. The plot follows Gage, who grew up in Greece with his mother Eleni, played by Kate Nelligan. After his mother's murder during the Greek civil war, Gage escapes to America but returns three decades later seeking answers about her death. It's heavy material that deals with real tragedy and loss.
Interestingly, while Malkovich dismisses his own work in the film, critics and audiences felt differently. The movie currently holds an 83% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 76% audience score. Even the legendary Roger Ebert praised Malkovich's performance, describing him as "one of the great strong quiet zones of contemporary film acting."
A Pattern of Self-Criticism
This harsh self-assessment isn't unusual for the actor. Malkovich admitted that his dissatisfaction with Eleni reflects a broader pattern: "I haven't cared much for many things I've done, honestly." Whether this stems from the pressure of portraying real people who experienced genuine trauma, disappointment over the film's limited reach, or simply an inability to appreciate compliments remains unclear.