Odrastao u Evanston, Illinois, Malkovich je imao dozivotni interes u pozorisnu umetnost... i kao mladic bio je jedan od osnivaca... Steppenwolf pozorista u Chicagu.
Raised in Evanston, Illinois, Malkovich had a lifelong interest in theater arts... and as a young man was one of the founding members... of Chicago's world-renowned Steppenwolf Theatre Company.