Quotes from John Malkovich

When I have failed as an actor I've always thought it was my fault. But when I direct something, I wouldn't want the actors to think it was their fault.

Scary monsters are like Hula Hoops. They come in and out of fashion.

I wasn't really raised to be the type of person to have doubts.

I'm very much a typical midwesterner, and I don't think the condition is curable.

I think 1973 was the nadir of fashion. When you watch the coverage from that era, you're struck by the astonishing ugliness of the clothes.

'Secretariat' was such a magnificent animal, unbelievably beautiful and powerful. It's always nice to see something that close to perfection, a reason to celebrate.

When you do a really good play, the audience and the performers are looking into the same looking glass, the same microscope. And the specimen they are looking at is human life and that's why I do it, that's why I like it.

You can't work in the movies. Movies are all about lighting. Very few filmmakers will concentrate on the story. You get very little rehearsal time, so anything you do onscreen is a kind of speed painting.

I'm a little bit phobic about stains on my clothes, so I never travel without a little packet of organic stain remover.

I know for a fact that a lot of actors are desperate and unhappy if their careers are not progressing at what they think is the correct rate. They just go crazy if they're not working. I don't feel I'd be that way. You can always get a few people together and put on a play. Maybe not in New York or L.A., but in a lot of other towns, you can.

I have at times spoken with my peers and the head of the actors' union about why we're not paid when we appear in, say, a 'TMZ' production, but there seems to be no real interest in combatting it.

Where women are concerned, the rule is never to go out with anyone better dressed than you.

You know, I'm really not interested in someone telling me that something's good or bad.

I am inspired by the appearance of a bohemian of the new millennium. I thought it was necessary to update the figure of the bohemian, but not in the traditional way.

If you don't interfere with me, I'll always do something really good.

I wouldn't say anything I ever did in film would be something I'd use the word proud about. I've done better work in the theater.

Quite often - a lot of the work I had done had been extensively with women. Most especially in the theater, but also quite often in the movies. That has its own delights, and maybe pitfalls too.

It never occurred to me to be an actor.

I think with actors, if you just don't set about trying to crush their confidence immediately, you're usually OK.

Utopia means elsewhere.

Imagine how asleep or utterly unperceptive and clueless you would have to be not to see yourself as absurd for the most part.

Well, I like to have fun at work.

I lost seventy pounds eating nothing but Jello for 4 months. But of course there is great variety in the colors! I think, if I remember correctly, it's 230 calories for a whole bowl. Maybe 270? In the 5th month, I added fruit.

There's no worse feeling in the world than realizing the play you've directed doesn't work.