J

John Malkovich

17 quotes

Not every great thinker makes it into the history books, but John Malkovich's words speak for themselves. Whether reflecting on Movies or Design, John Malkovich brought uncommon clarity to every subject. Discover 17 of John Malkovich's most memorable quotes, ranging across Movies, Design, Money, Politics, and Humor. To get a sense of their style, try: "I don't understand how somebody wouldn't have a sense of humor about themselves."

“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.”

— John Malkovich

Movies

All Quotes by John Malkovich

“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.”

— John Malkovich

Movies

“Unlike my grandfather or my brother, I've actually been able to make some money at a racetrack.”

— John Malkovich

Money

“I'm more comfortable with whatever's wrong with me than my father was whenever he felt he failed or didn't measure up to the standard he set.”

— John Malkovich

Dad

“Failure's a natural part of life.”

— John Malkovich

Failure

“I like to direct movies, but I don't like to goof around for eight years talking about it.”

— John Malkovich

Movies

“A dog that has rabies probably will do things it wouldn't do if it didn't have rabies. But that doesn't change the fact that it has rabies.”

— John Malkovich

Change

“I like design, I like details, to me it is just another form of self-expression.”

— John Malkovich

Design

“When you think of how history is revealed, we know certain things to be facts at certain periods of time, which turn out not to be so factual as time marches on.”

— John Malkovich

History

“Sigmund Freud said we act out our own dreams, but if you are only an actor you are not acting out your own dream. You are simply participating in someone else's dream.”

— John Malkovich

Dreams

“I don't understand how somebody wouldn't have a sense of humor about themselves.”

— John Malkovich

Humor

“Well, I design costumes because I started with the theater in Chicago, but somehow a few lines just sort of fell to me to do it. And I studied it in school and I always liked it.”

— John Malkovich

Design

“I like very much to do movies.”

— John Malkovich

Movies

“You can be a mason and build 50 buildings, but it doesn't mean you can design one.”

— John Malkovich

Design

“Politics is not really my thing.”

— John Malkovich

Politics

“I don't have a saviour or a royal family.”

— John Malkovich

Family

“I mean, anything that money can be made off will never be a problem to make, no matter what it is.”

— John Malkovich

Money

“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.”

— John Malkovich

Movies