John Malkovich already writing his Oscar acceptance speech?

When John Malkovich was asked about his Oscar buzz, he appeared to downplay it.

As an actor, he is receiving much praise for his portrayal of CIA agent Chris in Wild Horse Nine.

A darkly comedic drama directed by Martin McDonagh and premiering at the Venice Film Festival.

Despite the laurel and the joke about whether he had started writing his Oscar speech, Malkovich remained grounded and modest.

“That is incredibly kind,” the actor said.

He continued, “I’ve had a long career, and I’ve had spectacular collaborations with writers, directors and actors."

"I never feel in competition with any of them. For me, it’s a very nice thing. But the nicest thing is the film getting attention."

Regarding Wild Horse Nine's success, Malkovich said, "The film has several terrific performers, and it’s beautifully written and directed. That’s what matters to me.”

The actor added that he liked the film's idea so much that he instantly agreed to do it.

“I had been sent a couple of things that Martin had written before, which I was unable to consider because of other commitments,” Malkovich added, referring to the director sending him scripts previously for other projects.

“When this came around, I decided absolutely I’d do it. Thankfully, I didn’t have anything standing in the way.”

Wild Horse Nine's synopsis "follows two CIA agents sent to Easter Island right before the 1973 Chilean coup."