[ clears throat ] hello, ladies and gentlemen, I'm john malkovich.

It's-- it's the-- I miss--

I'm really john malkovich. [ giggling ]

[ narrator ] from these inauspicious beginnings,

John malkovich's rise to stardom was fast and furious.

His breakout performance occurred at this year's emmy awards--

[ narration continues ] it's really good ! I look really amazing.

I'd fuck me.

If there's anything that upsets me about it,

It's feeling like if I move into it too quickly,

I'll be, you know, deemed an imitator.

But, um, I think that once we all get the courage...

To just follow through on our instincts, like malkovich has,

I think that, uh, a lot of us will move into puppetry.

[ narrator ] malkovich's rise to fame brought about a renaissance in puppeteering.

No, no, no. What are you doing ? What are you doing ?

- I'm making him weep, john. - You're making him weep, but you are not weeping.

Don't ever-- [ beep ] with your audience.

Until the-- the puppet becomes...

An extension of you, it's a novelty act.

It's, uh-- it's topo gigio.

No ?

[ man ] he's a technical genius.

He breathes life into inanimate objects.

It's a very godlike thing...

To be able to take something and, you know, make it live.

[ narrator ] he was the talk of the town...

From the beltway to broadway,

Aided in no small part by his new wife and manager, maxine lund.

In maxine, malkovich had found his mentor,

His muse, his inspiration.

In malkovich, maxine had found the love of her life.

[ panting ] there, there, my dear. Relax.

This travesty will all be over with by morning.

And the crowds have been absolutely sensational,

And, um, I'd just like to thank god for giving us this opportunity...

To share our creative vision.

[ narrator ] nothing was impossible for john and maxine in the early days.

Their union was a joyous one, and together they worked tirelessly...

To further malkovich's puppeteering career.