What Really Happened Between Michelle Pfeiffer And John Malkovich?

In 1988, John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer starred together in the film adaptation of the 1782 French novel "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," "Dangerous Liaisons." Their roles? Malkovich played the villainous seducer Victomte Sebastien de Valmont, tasked with ruining the reputation and breaking the heart of Pfeiffer's character, Madame de Tourvel. As two revered actors, it's unsurprising that they were both nominated for countless awards for their performances. However, let's just say the electricity between their on-screen personas could also be chalked up to a variation of method acting...

Plain translation: Malkovich and Pfeiffer had an affair. And, just as was the case in "Dangerous Liaisons," the consequences were far-reaching, to say the least. In fact, in a 2003 interview with The New York Times Magazine, the film's director, Stephen Frears not only acknowledged the relationship, but also revealed that the parallels became a source of turmoil to Malkovich in particular. "It was one of those times where reality and art intersect. It was overwhelming to John. Even for a man who delights in bad behavior, that was a difficult time," he recounted. 

So, what happened between the two — and just what was the fallout from the, ahem, dangerous liaison? 

First thing's first: details of John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer's affair are scant, and neither has ever fully divulged what exactly happened between them. However, when it comes to the repercussions, particularly those Malkovich faced, the actor has been relatively forthcoming. 

Stephen Frears wasn't exaggerating when he spoke of the toll Malkovich's affair with Pfeiffer had on the "Burn After Reading" actor. In fact, in a Rolling Stone interview that took place in 2010, but was only published in 2019, Malkovich himself spoke about the tumultuous years that followed the affair itself and his resulting divorce. 

At the time of the affair, Malkovich was still married to the late Glenne Headly, of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" fame. Per Irish Times, their split came soon after. However, his relationship with Pfeiffer didn't go much further, either, and Malkovich fell into a state of depression. That led to an extensive period in therapy, which the actor revealed began on a decidedly difficult note in an interview with Rolling Stone. "For the first year and a half, I'd walk in, make noises and stuff, I just couldn't talk, and my doctor would say, 'I'm very sorry,' and I'd say, 'Thank you. Okay. See you Thursday,'" he reflected. 

John Malkovich may be pretty open about his involvement with Michelle Pfeiffer, but don't expect the "Scarface" icon to speak about it any time soon. After all, it's been more than three decades since their dalliance, and she still hasn't publicly acknowledged it. 

It's worth noting that, at the time of the affair, Pfeiffer was married, as well, to her first husband, Peter Horton. They also parted ways around the time of the indiscretion. However, in a 1988 feature with Interview, she made no suggestion that the affair had anything to do with it. In fact, she attributed their separation to growing up and wanting different things. "I think my husband and I were both too young, and as we started growing up, our needs changed," she said, adding that their split was far from acrimonious, and that they remained best friends. As for Malkovich? Zero mention. Ouch. 

In a 2008 interview with Esquire, Malkovich offered up vague answers about his affair with Pfeiffer, even suggesting that the fact it happened in the first place continued to amaze him. "It's hard to believe Michelle Pfeiffer ever said hello to me. Not that she's not memorable, God knows. But I sort of blocked it out," he said. Malkovich added that with any ex-love interest, he preferred to think of them as "never troubled by my existence." Well, based on Pfeiffer's comments (or the lack thereof), we'd have to say mission: accomplished.