Malcolm McDowell Career Retrospective | SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations

Career Q&A with Malcolm McDowell, currently starring on Amazon's Mozart in the Jungle. Moderated by Jenelle Riley, Variety.
Malcolm McDowell has created a gallery of iconic characters since catapulting to the screen as Mick Travis, the rebellious upperclassman in Lindsay Anderson’s prize-winning sensation, If...
His place in movie history was subsequently secured when Stanley Kubrick found the actor he was searching for to play the gleefully amoral Alex in A Clockwork Orange; when McDowell himself conceived the idea for Mick Travis’ further adventures in Anderson’s Candide-like masterpiece, O Lucky Man!; and when he wooed Mary Steenburgen and defeated Jack the Ripper as the romantically inquisitive H.G. Wells in Time After Time.
For his motion picture work, the American Cinematheque honored him with a retrospective in June 2001, highlighted by showings of his electrifying performances in two major works. The first is Paul McGuigan’s Gangster No. 1, in which McDowell and Paul Bettany portray the consumed, driven title character and which affords McDowell the chance to create a character both on screen and through nuanced voice-over. The second is Russian director Karen Shakhnazarov’s acclaimed and rarely seen Assassin of the Tsar, which Vincent Canby called “a remarkable mystical and psychological exploration of the murder of the Romanov family.”
McDowell’s distinctive motion picture characterizations include: Richard Lester’s Royal Flash, Paul Schrader’s Cat People, Rachel Talalay’s Tank Girl, Joseph Losey’s Figures in a Landscape, Bryan Forbes’ The Raging Moon and the Chaplinesque studio boss in Blake Edwards’ Sunset. His film credits are further highlighted by his compellingly sinister Caligula; the brilliant literary editor Maxwell Perkins in Martin Ritt’s Cross Creek; his cameo in Robert Altman’s The Player; and his final incarnation of Mick Travis in Britannia Hospital, the third film in Anderson’s trilogy marking the disintegration of British culture.
McDowell’s film work also includes Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius, In Good Company, I Spy, Robert Altman’s The Company, Robert Downey Sr.’s Hugo Pool with Sean Penn, Robert Downey Jr. and Cathy Moriarty; Just Visiting, Mr. Magoo, Hugh Hudson’s My Life So Far, BlueThunder, Neil Marshall’s Doomsday in 2007, Rob Zombie’s Halloween I & II, and the voice of villain Dr. Calico in Disney’s 2008 boxoffice hit, Bolt. In late 2011, McDowell was seen in the Academy Award-winning silent film sensation, The Artist. In addition to recurring appearances on Heroes, CSI: Miami, and The Mentalist, McDowell starred in TNT’s Franklin & Bash as Stanton Infeld. The series lasted for four seasons.

[@sdafasdfasdfsda]

Could listen to him talk for 10 more hours. Such interesting stories.

[@JustRebelle889]

Malcolm is one of the best actors ever. I thnink he should write a book, autobiography.

[@strangersname]

This gal who does the interviews is wonderful. She makes each one of these a pleasurable watch and listen.

[@superamanda]

She’s awesome!!

[@TheHilavitkutin]

What a legend! One of the most underrated actors of all time. Never got the recognition, or the best roles, that he would've deserved after a clockwork orange (there was a few good roles after, but overall not that many). I like his attitude. He's not afraid to say what's on his mind and he wasn't afraid of directors. Lots of respect for this guy.

[@kernowarty]

I loved "If" . A lot of people have never heard of it.

[@completorgirl]

I never have! Will have to watch!

[@_solange]

The stories, his approach, the experience... holy interview. I could listen Mr. McDowell all day. Thank you, Jeanine.

[@wandajeffrey]

There will never be another talented genius as Malcolm. His movies are so unique and spellbinding.

[@lesleyamiroly6401]

My God! The man's a pisser!! Great sense of humor and a good storyteller to boot. Go 'head, Malcolm.

[@lovethyneighbour8287]

thank you, that' great! he is so smart, funny, insightful, laid-back, interesting. And Janelle proves herself to be sooo great at her work.

[@jc6594]

Happy 75th Birthday Malcolm McDowell

[@DamoBloggs]

This was a real treat - thank you for sharing it with us.

[@superamanda]

This man is a global treasure. So glad I live in his time. 😊😊

[@Ami_E_Bowen]

I had such a crush on him around the time Star Trek: Generations came out.

[@jeffreyoldham55]

Did not disappoint. My eternal gratitude for this riveting presentation.

[@grantmcgowan8399]

Thanks for posting this. Excellent interview.. one of the best. What a great dude!

[@mgmarrow]

Love this guy!!! One of my all-time favorite actors. He's fucking brilliant!! ❤❤❤❤

[@johnfranciskennedysongwrit2639]

Brilliant interview, loved this guy when I was young, all his movies were shown on British tv, treasure.

[@user-xv2zw8rr4x]

I LOVE YOU MALCOLM !

[@completorgirl]

A seriously underrated actor. Love listening to MM.

[@Poetic_Justice1962]

In a just world, a world that appreciated greatness, this woud have gathered a million views and many thousands of likes by now, but...

[@tinaholman956]

Having a drink with Malcolm McDowell,Alan Bates and Larry Oliver would have been GREAT!!!!!

[@zylbher1]

Don´t forget that he was also the narrator of the truly first Beatles Documentary "the compleat Beatles" long before Anthology

[@diogostepha2228]

One of my favorite actors.

[@henriklarsen1504]

he is so wonderful

[@johnduncan4387]

I want to go to the pub with him

[@liubaify]

ok let's go :)

[@denniscat9395]

Awesome - If. . . is one of my favourite

[@dipannitaghosh3268]

He should be teaching in a film school. Very knowledgeable man. Years of experience. 👍

[@liubaify]

He is so Beautiful................................

[@angelayoung3978]

top show great stuff

[@kenderick100]

him and Terrance Stamp are one most incredible British actors on their time

[@TheKitchenerLeslie]

Kenderick Mills I think TS may be Australian.

[@grimm3310]

“ I am that duck” - Malcolm McDowell

[@jc0730]

Priceless!

[@AlekSandra665]

I love him.

[@kiely4561]

He’s on a par with Ian Mckellen and Patrick Stewart, brilliant man

[@Ami_E_Bowen]

On par with Alan Rickman (rip) as well.

[@MultiKarola]

one of my fav.actors!

[@Ami_E_Bowen]

I love when they get to Caligula. "How filthy can I be?" I've seen some of that movie. The un-edited version. I haven't ever been able to make it all the way through. It's pretty filthy alright. Not just sex. Violence too. Crazy torture-death scenes. What's funny about 20 years after trying to watch it, (since I was a huge fan of Malcolm McDowell and ancient Rome so the movie was like perfect for me, or so I thought), the only line I remember from Mr. McDowell in it came at the start of a homosexual experience between characters and it was something like "You have such pretty hair." Commence fellatio. Lol.

[@DanJanTube]

Of course! Guccione should have played Caligula! Brilliant insight

[@karenjanicehollick1545]

Yes he says things as they are , honestly

[@FormulaProg]

He’s a proper northerner still.

[@hannahoswald2838]

My boyfriends dad. 😆😆. I'm being serious. Love u Beckett

[@hugh-johnfleming289]

A very nice man.

[@zemxxi2765]

I can't imagine why he never got cast or even considered as Doctor Who.

[@Uubermensch]

a GOD

[@TheKitchenerLeslie]

I was a fan of the reboot of Fantasy Island he was on... it could have been a great show if it lasted. As much as I love Malcolm, I can't forgive him for killing Captain Kirk.

[@peterhagan8454]

its interesting cuase he reflects hunger games s in a good way the provences are the distticts and london is capital all provinces are subjegaded surpessed facinating

[@MYRNDmovies]

Joy

[@Rrtnns]

Malcolm might have noticed that in America it is the West and East coasts that "feel superior" like the South of England does to the North... Or then again, he may have missed it. Anyone who believes that there is a real North-South analogy between the UK and the US is completely nuts, or just plain silly.

[@TheRedneckAtheist]

Could you please use a sound engineer? When I lower my volume low enough so that the audience isn't overbearingly loud all I hear from the guests are mumbles. Also, why is there a microphone in the audience anyways?

[@isaiahwalking]

It's ya boi... dr. monty!

[@gianlucamazzi1626]

Whats Dr Monty doing here???

[@adamquiles2468]

Would like to meet him some day but I hope to God that he's not like Alex from Clockwork Orange

[@TTTT-lu8oh]

Probably better than Ian Mkcellen and Stewart...

[@lingtheking]

1:06:13 I Love That

[@NostalgiNorden]

wait...when was The simpsons ever a kid's show?

[@marcziegenhain8420]

Dr. Soran

[@ontologicallysteve7765]

40:00

[@adamlindsay4761]

DR. MONTY!!

[@isaiahwalking]

YES!!!

[@kevinryall9774]

Bruno Aries

[@joelattfield2418]

public school and working class....

[@dzenacs2011]

I like how woke crowd is become silent after brexit talk lol