“Kaufman has never specified why he chose Malkovich, but the reasoning to me seems self-evident. Is there any other famous movie star who you would believe had a portal leading to the inside of their head? Maybe Christopher Walken, but his name isn’t nearly as much fun to say aloud. People say ‘John Malkovich’ an awful lot in this movie.” – WBUR’s Arts & Culture, 08/26/2026