John Malkovich is downplaying the Oscar buzz that he’s already getting for “Wild Horse Nine,” a darkly comedic drama that premieres at the Venice Film Festival. In the Martin McDonagh-directed movie, Malkovich plays a crackling CIA agent who’s taking stock of his life.
Across his memorable, decades-long career in movies such as “Dangerous Liaisons,” “Being John Malkovich,” “In the Line of Fire” and “Empire of the Sun,” Malkovich has been nominated for two Academy Awards but never won. At Thursday afternoon’s press conference for “Wild Horse Nine,” Malkovich was asked by a journalist whether he’s already started writing the acceptance speech.
“That is incredibly kind,” Malkovich said. “I’ve had a long career, and I’ve had spectacular collaborations with writers, directors and actors. I never feel in competition with any of them. For me, it’s a very nice thing. But the nicest thing is the film getting attention. And the film has several terrific performers, and it’s beautifully written and directed. That’s what matters to me.”
“Wild Horse Nine” was written and directed by McDonagh and also stars Sam Rockwell and Steve Buscemi. Set in the 1970s, the dark comedy follows two CIA officers (Malkovich and Rockwell) who are dispatched to Easter Island shortly before the Chilean military coup that overthrew socialist president Salvador Allende. Mariana di Girolamo, Ailín Salas and Parker Posey, who round out the cast, were also in attendance at the press conference.
