John Malkovich Brings a Lifetime on the Road to Wild Horse Nine

In Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy Wild Horse Nine, John Malkovich plays Chris, a traveling CIA officer nearing the end of his life. Set on Easter Island, the film follows agents on a mission and features a character increasingly ready to reveal secrets after years of covert operations. Sam Rockwell also stars. The film is scheduled to reach theaters on November 6.

Malkovich, 72, has spent five decades working across film and theater. By his count, he has performed live in 47 countries, acting and directing productions in places including Germany, France and Bulgaria. He said he remains more interested in acting than he was in his twenties, and sees unfamiliar projects as a chance to learn.

His schedule continues to pull him away from Hollywood. After performing spoken word in Mexico City, he was preparing to travel to Japan to direct a play, despite not speaking Japanese. He has also spent recent years performing stage works that combine spoken word with classical music.

McDonagh had approached Malkovich twice before, but the actor’s travel commitments prevented him from accepting. Malkovich said the film’s script connected with earlier projects he had worked on, touching on CIA involvement in the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the military coup in Chile. He described those events as national and international traumas that shape the characters’ lives.