Born: 9 December 1953
Birthplace: Christopher, Illinois
Best Known As: Star of Being John Malkovich
John Malkovich is an unconventional leading man of stage and screen, perhaps best known for lending his name and persona to the film Being John Malkovich (2000, starring Malkovich and John Cusack). Malkovich began acting in college in Illinois and was one of the founders of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He won an Obie award in 1983 for an off-Broadway production of Sam Shepard’s play True West, then starred with Dustin Hoffman in 1984’s Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman. His first time in the movies he played opposite Sally Field in Places in the Heart (1984) and received an Oscar nomination. Busy on stage when he’s not starring in movies, Malkovich’s films include the film version of J. G. Ballard’s Empire of the Sun (1987, directed by Steven Spielberg); Dangerous Liaisons (1988); The Sheltering Sky (1990); Of Mice and Men (1992); In the Line of Fire (1993, opposite Clint Eastwood); Con Air (1997, with Nicolas Cage); and Shadow of a Vampire (2000, with Willem Dafoe).