John Malkovich has said he had an affair with Michelle Pfeiffer while filming the 1988 drama Dangerous Liaisons and that the relationship ultimately ended both of their marriages, the actor told the Fashion Neurosis podcast.
The 71-year-old, who played the Vicomte de Valmont in the period film, said the emotional intensity of the work can create fast, powerful bonds. "It's not something I've ever really talked about," he said. "Put it this way, in the work I do, you make emotional bonds with people very quickly. That's part of the work. For me, she was someone I valued greatly as a colleague, was great fun and moving and, with me, incredibly fair. And I certainly wasn't. I've learned over the course of my life that a great colleague is actually rarer than anything. And when that relationship becomes more than collegial or more than a friendship – even a profound friendship – then at least in my experience, and it might be my particular psychology or stupidity or ineptness or all of th..."
Malkovich's comments were the first time he has publicly acknowledged a romantic relationship with Pfeiffer stemming from the film, which drew attention for the palpable chemistry between its leads. He framed the liaison as emerging from professional collaboration and emotional intensity on set and said he had not previously spoken about its personal consequences.
Dangerous Liaisons, a period adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's novel, was released in 1988 and drew critical attention for its performances and production design. The film's depiction of manipulation and desire and the interactions among its principal actors have long been discussed in interviews and retrospectives; Malkovich's new remarks revisit those discussions and add a personal dimension to accounts of the film's production.
Michelle Pfeiffer has not publicly commented on Malkovich's new statements. Representatives for Malkovich did not immediately provide additional comment beyond the podcast conversation.
Malkovich has had a decades-long career on stage and screen, often discussing the demands of character work and the emotional investments required by certain roles. In the podcast, he emphasized that close professional relationships can sometimes evolve into more intimate attachments and described a sense of regret about the consequences of such developments for those involved.
The disclosure is likely to renew interest in both actors' recollections of the period and in the film's legacy. Dangerous Liaisons remains widely referenced in discussions of late-20th-century cinema for its performances and its adaptation of classic source material. Malkovich's account contributes to continued public attention on how intense creative collaborations can blur boundaries between professional and personal life.
Further reporting may clarify timelines and the perspectives of other participants in the film's production. For now, Malkovich's remarks stand as a rare personal admission from one of the principal performers in a film that has continued to draw critical and cultural interest more than three decades after its release.