Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – John Malkovich explores the depths of friendship in “Wild Horse Nine”, a black comedy in which the actor plays a spy capable of asking anything of his sidekick, including killing him, an extremity he could not envisage in real life.

Published on: 07/11/2026 - 06:22

“Wild Horse Nine,” directed by British-Irish director Martin McDonagh and released in theaters in France in early November, follows two CIA agents, Chris (Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell), sent to Easter Island in the final hours before the 1973 coup in Chile.

"They have a great friendship... they argue about weird things, like whether to kill people while they're eating, or how gay cheese is in different countries," Malkovich said at a press conference in Los Angeles.

Chris, who knows that his days are numbered, goes so far as to ask his sidekick to end his life. For John Malkovich, this is a red line in real life, even with the oldest and closest friends.

"I think asking a friend to take your life is too much to ask. I wouldn't do it," says the actor.

But "I could say to a stranger in the street: 'Listen, if you're not busy, here's my gun, shoot me' (...) And I'm sure I'd find volunteers," he laughs.

“High-level storytelling”

Filmed in the sumptuous and volcanic landscapes of Easter Island, the black comedy, acclaimed during its screening at the Venice Film Festival, earned John Malkovich the Volpi Cup for best actor.

A first prestigious distinction in an already rich career for the actor which opens the doors to the Oscars where he is among the favorites. He has already been nominated twice for American awards without ever winning.

In Los Angeles, the septuagenarian took the opportunity to praise the work of Martin McDonagh, whose previous film, “The Banshees of Inisherin”, was nominated nine times for the Oscars in 2023.

“He excels in writing dialogues about men and their different difficulties,” he enthuses. “It’s high-level storytelling.”

Steve Buscemi, who plays the head of the CIA in Latin America, sees this friendship between two jaded men as the central element of the film, rather than the plot.

“The story is really about the relationships (between the two protagonists) and what the characters have to do, what they ask of each other, how they interact,” he says.

© 2026 AFP

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