Equally adept on stage and on screen, acclaimed actor and occasional director John Malkovich long remained an enigma to audiences, while establishing himself as one of the most distinguished and accomplished performers of his generation. After proving himself a venerable thespian with the famed Steppenwolf Theatre company, Malkovich made an immediate impact when he transitioned to the big screen, delivering memorable award-worthy performances in “The Killing Fields” (1984) and “Places in the Heart” (1984). He achieved sex symbol status – an unlikely distinction for the gangly actor – with his performance in the decadent drama “Dangerous Liaisons” (1988), but then he languished for a spell in rather insubstantial films that added nothing to his previous acclaim. All that changed with his Oscar-nominated performance as a would-be presidential assassin in “In the Line of Fire” (1993), which opened the door for Malkovich to play charming, but psychotic killers – for good or ill. Malkovich reached certain notoriety playing a somewhat fictional take on himself in the wildly absurd “Being John Malkovich” (1999), which once again displayed the actor’s unique ability to keep audiences guessing while churning out one fine performance after another.