Yesterday, John Malkovich did an Ask Me Anything (AMA) on Reddit.
Next week, his new film "Red 2," featuring Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, comes out in theaters.
The 59-year-old actor discussed everything from his feelings on privacy, to the worst scripts he's ever read. He also debunked a famous Internet rumor about a beer can thrown thrown at him in "Being John Malkovich."
We've gathered his best responses below.
Check out the full AMA here.
"I think, sadly, that privacy is finished. no such thing. if you're a known person, you learned to live without it long ago. that's very,very unfortunate, but such is life. i think there's no going back as that particular horse has left the barn. i have at times spoken with my peers and the head of the actors union about why we're not paid when we appear in say a tmz production, but there seems to be no real interest in combatting it. for the nsa, i've always assumed they listen to everything and read everything and see everything. France, where i've also lived for a number of years is exactly the same-possibly worse. i think it's too late."
"It used to be fine, but it gets wearing at my age. too many cell phone cameras and doofuses who need a facebook photo with their thumb up. a few hundred a day over a 15 year period is, well, not that much fun. of course, most the people one actually gets to talk to are as interesting and fun as ever."
The worst script the actor has ever read:
"I was given a script in france, by a seemingly rather disturbed young man. let's just say it was not good. also, one night, a woman came in to our yard in france around 2:00 am. i was outside on the phone talking to my producing partners in los angeles. she gave me a script called elle tue,(she kills!) which was about the lead character killing a movie star. it was written like it had been done with a butcher knife in red ink. also, it wasn't very good."
He debunked the rumor about a "drunk extra" throwing a can at the actor on set of "Being John Malkovich."
Evanderson: Were you actually pissed when that extra threw that can at your head?
"On the contrary, spike jonze wanted to cut it because we were late that night and he felt no one would be able to hit me on the head with a half full can of beer from a passing car, and about 70 or 80 sets of hands shot up on the crew saying they would like to try. eventually the task fell to johnny cusack's writing partner and he nailed it on the first try."
Here's the scene.
On whether he kept the pig and a grenade launcher from last year's action flick, "Red":
"I didn't get to keep either sadly, though i was able to sneak the pig into this red 2. If they cut it i'll be so pissed."
Late-night host Craig Ferguson once asked him to be a permanent staple on the show.
"Every time i'm out here in los angeles, he's on a little hiatus, so i don't get to do it often. at one point he had asked me to become a semi-permanent character who lived in a fish tank. the script was very funny, too. alas. "
What it was like eating only Jell-O for four months.
"I lost seventy pounds eating nothing but jello for 4 months. but of course there is great variety in the colors! i think, if i remember correctly it's 230 calories for a whole bowl. maybe 270? in the 5th month i added fruit."
Why he's doing a television series, "Crossbones," in the fall on NBC:
"It's a very nice script. good producers and hopefully a good cast. plus, movies that are well written are hard to get made and hard to finance. plus, it will be the first time since 1990 that i will be in one place for at least five months."
Some of his other responses were pretty hilarious.
On "Red 2" co-star Mary-Louise Parker:
"Marie Louise is my hero. sharp, sad, funny, extremely gifted and quick. I love to be around her and i adore working with her. we had a beautiful vomiting in tandem on the car windshield scene in red 2, ungratefully removed by the powers that be. for the pick up line, I'm not to sure. I would counsel the direct approach. i wouldn't use the Schwarzenegger pick up line "baby your bangability is very high tonight." on 2nd thought, if you have a good styrian accent, maybe it would be perfect."
Markshlitz222: There is a bat in my apartment and it is making me nervous, how can I get rid of it?
"I had one in my house once. I think i just opened all the windows and kind of gently broomed it out. just make sure it's in your apartment and not in your head."
He even recorded a voicemail for a fan named Benjamin.
Listen to it here.
