Aficionado: John Malkovich

An Oscar-nominated actor best known for his roles in Dangerous Liaisons, In the Line of Fire and, of course, Being John Malkovich – not to mention a theatre career that includes opera-singing in The Infernal Comedy  and The Giacomo Variations  – John Malkovich is also a director, producer and menswear designer. He lives in southern France and Cambridge, Massachusetts , with his long-term partner Nicoletta Peyran  and their two children Amandine  and Loewy . He also has a home in Lisbon, where he is part-owner of the waterfront restaurant Bica do Sapato  and the Lux nightclub.

Architecture is one of my passions. Lisbon, Istanbul and Chicago all have great buildings, but my favourite city for architecture is Porto. It’s very decadent-looking, because it was once super-wealthy. I always find it interesting to visit places that had an empire but lost it. There’s a certain humility about them. Porto and Lisbon couldn’t be more different. They’re like dark and light. Porto is not a happy-go-lucky, easy-going town, but it’s a great city nonetheless.

South Africa is a fantastically beautiful country. Everything is on a much grander scale. I remember driving through the Karoo  on the way to Johannesburg and seeing what looked like nuclear flashes up ahead, they were so bright and immense. I nudged the guy I was travelling with and said, “Peter, wake up. What’s going on? Is it Armageddon ?” And he said, “No, it’s just lightning.”

When it comes to wilderness, the American West is hard

Article source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/travel/72789/aficionado-john-malkovich.html