John Malkovich has spent decades building close friendships, but the 72-year-old actor says there is one request he would never make of a friend. In his new film “Wild Horse Nine,” Malkovich plays a dying CIA agent who asks his longtime partner to end his life. The actor told reporters in Los Angeles this week that the ask is simply too big.
“I think asking a friend to take your life is perhaps the biggest request anyone could ever make,” Malkovich said at a press conference. “I wouldn’t do it,” he added with a laugh.
A Friendship Tested by a Deadly Request
Directed by Oscar winner Martin McDonagh, “Wild Horse Nine” follows two CIA spies in the lead-up to the 1973 US-backed military coup in Chile. Malkovich stars as veteran agent Chris, while Oscar winner Sam Rockwell plays his partner Lee. The two travel to Easter Island against a tense political backdrop, and it is there that Chris asks Lee to end his life because he knows his days are numbered.
The film is not just a political thriller. Steve Buscemi, who plays the CIA’s Latin America division chief, said the story is driven by its characters more than its plot. “At its heart, the story is really about relationships — what these characters have to do, what they demand of each other, and how they treat one another,” Buscemi told the press conference.
What Malkovich Really Thinks About Friendship
Malkovich has maintained close friendships for decades, but he separates his real life from the extreme situation in the film. He described the bond between Chris and Lee as a very close friendship, even if it comes with unusual conversations.
“They argue about strange things… like whether they should kill people while they’re eating, or how ‘gay’ cheese is in different countries,” Malkovich said. The odd arguments show how the two men avoid talking about the real moral weight of their work.
In a separate interview, Malkovich reflected on how friendships change with age. “I still have friends from my childhood, from kindergarten days, they’re getting thin on the vine at my age, because many have passed away, as have many of my colleagues from the cinema and theater,” he said. “But I think (Lee and Chris) have a very close friendship”.
The Script That Pulled Malkovich In
Malkovich said McDonagh’s screenplay was what first attracted him to the project. “He writes dialogue in an incredible way,” Malkovich said. “I think he writes superbly about men and their complicated inner lives… their relationships with themselves and other men, their need for other men in their lives, and their denial of that need”.
McDonagh is known for films like “In Bruges,” “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” and “The Banshees of Inisherin.” He has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay three times, most recently for “The Banshees of Inisherin” in 2022.
Oscar Buzz After Venice Win
Malkovich has been nominated for two Academy Awards but has never won. His performance in “Wild Horse Nine” has put him back in the awards conversation, especially after he won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival. At the BFI London Film Festival, McDonagh said Malkovich deserves three Oscars for the role. “It’s one of the best performances I’ve seen in years,” McDonagh said. “It’s funny. It’s angry in places, but it’s very sweet and sort of sorrowful in places too. I don’t think anyone else this year could beat him”.
“Wild Horse Nine” also stars Parker Posey, Tom Waits, Mariana di Girolamo, and Ailín Salas. The film runs 1 hour and 57 minutes and is rated R in the United States.
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Where to Watch ‘Wild Horse Nine’
“Wild Horse Nine” is now playing in theaters. Release dates for global audiences are:
- United States and United Kingdom: November 6, 2026
- Australia: November 5, 2026
- Canada: November 6, 2026
- India: November 6, 2026
- Ireland: November 4, 2026
The film is distributed by Searchlight Pictures.
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