John Gavin Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor, director, and producer. He has appeared in more than 70 films.
For his roles in Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire, he received Academy Award nominations. He has also appeared in films such as Empire of the Sun, The Killing Fields, Con Air, Of Mice and Men, Rounders, Ripley's Game, Knockaround Guys, Being John Malkovich, Shadow of the Vampire, Burn After Reading, Red, Red 2, Mulholland Falls, Dangerous Liaisons, and Warm Bodies, as well as producing films such as Ghost World, Juno, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Malkovich was born in Christopher, Illinois. As to his paternal ancestry, Malkovich said that he is unsure whether he is Montenegrin, Croat or Bosnian. His mother was of French, German, Scottish and English ancestry. He grew up in a large house in Benton, Illinois, where his next door neighbor was future basketball star Doug Collins. His father, Daniel Leon Malkovich (1926–1980), was a state conservation director and publisher of Outdoor Illinois, a conservation magazine. His mother, Joe Anne (née Choisser; 1928–2009), owned the Benton Evening News, as well as Outdoor Illinois. Malkovich has three younger sisters and an older brother.