The 83rd Venice Film Festival concluded over the weekend, adding another major early indicator for the upcoming awards season. Among the performers drawing renewed attention is veteran actor John Malkovich.
Malkovich won the Best Actor award at Saturday’s closing ceremony for his portrayal of Chris in Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy Wild Horse Nine. McDonagh is also known for In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Banshees of Inisherin.
The film follows two CIA officers sent from Santiago to Easter Island shortly before the 1973 military coup that ousted Salvador Allende. Its cast also includes Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Parker Posey and Tom Waits.
Unable to attend the ceremony because of filming commitments in Montreal, Malkovich accepted the award through a video message.
In his remarks, he said he felt humbled to receive an honor that had previously been bestowed upon numerous distinguished actors.
Malkovich’s Venice win has strengthened his position as an early Oscar contender, while his decision to cancel a planned appearance in Israel has generated further attention after a quotation falsely credited to him was circulated.
He was scheduled to perform next April in The Music Critic, a theatrical-musical satire created by Jewish violinist Aleksey Igudesman, at Tel Aviv’s Charles Bronfman Auditorium.
The cancellation followed the publication of an unauthorized press release claiming that Malkovich was “thrilled to return to Israel” and looked forward to meeting a “warm Israeli audience” with whom he felt “a strong closeness and solidarity.”
The Jerusalem Post published the release. Malkovich learned of the quotation through The Hollywood Reporter and said he had never approved its contents.
In a statement to the publication, he said a public-relations company hired by the Israeli promoter had drafted the quotation and attributed it to him without consulting him.
Malkovich said the words had not been spoken by him, were not approved by him and did not represent his views. He added that their publication as direct quotations was unacceptable and explained why he could no longer participate in the Tel Aviv performance.
He also clarified that appearing in any country should not be interpreted as support for that government’s policies or leaders. Malkovich said performing worldwide had exposed him to audiences with diverse faiths and political beliefs, offering opportunities to observe, listen, learn and explore the relationship between storytelling, music and the human condition.
He further said that appearances in any country—including his own—do not constitute approval of its policies or leaders, support for a political cause, or endorsement of violence against civilians, terrorism or other acts of brutality.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the United Nations have characterized aspects of Israel’s conduct in Gaza as genocide. A June report by a UN independent commission said Israeli authorities and security forces intentionally targeted Palestinian children and committed genocide and atrocity crimes in Gaza, alongside war crimes in the West Bank.
The Israeli public-relations company responsible for the erroneous release subsequently apologized, stating that Malkovich and his representatives had neither created nor approved the statement.
“We sincerely apologize to Mr. Malkovich and his representatives for the incorrect attribution,” the company said.
Malkovich last visited Israel in 2013, when he performed in The Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer.
Wild Horse Nine is already being positioned as an early awards-season contender, particularly because of Malkovich’s performance. It is scheduled to screen next month at the BFI London Film Festival before its 6 November cinema release.
