John Malkovich Steals the ‘Space Force’ Show, Poker Addicts Amazed He’s Not Just Russian Guy From ‘Rounders’

Photo: Netflix

John Malkovich is one of the most underrated actors of all time. There, we said it. In the pantheon of highly regarded thespians, Malkovich doesn’t get his due. He literally starred in a movie where John Cusack found a portal into his mind. His IMDB page lists 122 acting roles, but our favorite by far is his scene-stealing character of Teddy KGB in the 1998 film Rounders. He plays the heavily-accented, macho, poker addict, Oreo-loving nemesis to Matt Damon’s Mike McDermott. We can watch him splash the pot over and over again. We didn’t think he could steal scenes the way he did in that movie ever again. That is, until we watched Space Force.

Netflix unveiled the Steve Carell-starring Space Force to tepid reviews a few weeks ago. Created by Greg Daniels of The Office fame, it centers around the people who are invested in creating the sixth brand of the U.S. military: Space Force. Based on the actual military branch established by President Trump, Carrell plays General Mark R. Naird, the first ever Chief of Space Operations. But, it’s Malkovich’s Dr. Adrian Mallory who is the real star of the show.

His quick wit and undermining of General Naird are perfectly suited for an actor of Malkovich’s caliber. Some of his gems include explaining how “man and his barbaric nature will destroy space” and the fact that his budget was cut so that space could be “turned into an orgy of death.” Another great line centers around a mock battle in a moon environment. He says, “If we win all the events based on science and computing do we really need to compete in lunar laser tag?”

All in all, the show might have been a little more hyped than it should have been with the lineup of iconic actors. It’ll hit its stride and we’re just happy Dr. Adrian Mallory will be there to make fun of it.

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