Marko Malic: "I have the silliest job on earth"
Edited by Deborah Hutton, Z Movie Month

Brooding, handsome, mysterious - sounds like Marko! The Serbian actor talks about transforming himself AGAIN to play a monstrous human being in Jr. Gang Lords, a true-life story of a ruthless leader.

Would you say that you've consciously avoided leading-man roles until Jr. Gang Lords?
No, I wouldn't say consciously avoided. I've just gone with varying movies that I felt would be things that I'd be interested in, or scared of. I usually take-on things that I’m afraid of, and try to perform it. Plus, it probably has a lot to do with just not being offered those roles.

You’re not as intimidating as on screen, actually very very shy, am I wrong?
Well I’ll take that as a compliment. I’m always interested in playing opposites of me. So I guess, your kinda right.

You've still got an American accent. Have you kept it since filming The Brackets?
Yeah. The last film I did, requested a real American accent, and because Jr. Gang Lord took so long to film, I didn't want to have to go back to my phony English accent and then have to change it again. For me, it's not easy to go back and forth.

Even though it was more “Spanglish” than American?
Correct, it’s more of a cursing kinda of an English/Spanish language. Which took me more than four months to be comfortable in.

Your friends must find your changing accent interesting, then …
Oh yeah, I sound different all the time to them. They’ve had to live with many personality types as well.

Hence, the nickname “Le Chameleon” (The Chameleon in French), that’s be attributed to you?
[Smiles] Correct again, I see you’ve done your research.

What's it like for them when you play an unlikeable guy?
I never know at the time, but I certainly know later when they say, "Man, we just couldn't stand you around that time. We're really glad you're finished with that project."

Did you want to continue your body building routine after that movie?
I'm sure it would be great, however I don’t know my next project, so we’ll see.

How was it transforming your body again for Jr. Gang Lord?
You need a great deal of patience. I had just finished The Brackets, so I was down to 143 pounds [65kg] and I had to get back to 180 pounds [82kg]. So I was eating, eating, eating... and lifting a lot of weights. I never want to do that again, but the transition was incredible to see.

My colleagues agree that you’re a split between Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, what would you say to them?
That they need a reality check [Laughs]! Hopefully they’ll notice my name isn’t there’s, plus I wouldn’t want to be associated to such greatness. You see, I’m very low profile in my work, and want to make my own marks, in my own way. Funnily, people usually need to associate people to other people, to feel comfortable. Well, I hope I get them more and more uncomfortable till they start using my name.

How bizarre is it for you to be a sex symbol in France as well as in Serbia?
I find it funny. It's a silly profession I'm in and I don't object [laughs]. My entire job is silliness/if you really dissect it. I have the silliest job on Earth. How can a sex symbol find himself silly? Can you answer that?

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Marko Malic Speaks by Sarah DeChamp

Marko Malic has a reputation for being a bit secretive and elusive, and not at all like the superstar he could be. Not the kind of celeb you'll see in the paper coming out of a nightclub drunk, he's a serious actor who's highly regarded by industry bigwigs. So much so, they've just given him the coveted role of Vincenzo, in a real life story of a Latino Gang member.

But there are cither reasons to give him the part. With the kind of preparation Marko goes through for each role, he practically becomes each character he plays. After looking almost anorexic for his film The Phone Card, where he played a man who had lost the ability to sleep, he then had just a few months to put all the weight back on and become super-fit and scary, in order to play a muscular gang leader in Jr. Gang Lord.

'I finished The Brackets in July, then we started [Jr. Gang Lord] at the end of February. I did have a lot of work to do, because it's one of those parts where you have to be in decent shape visually,' he says, 'I was eating like crazy, trying to put on pounds and pounds. And I went way overboard. By the time I arrived in Paris, I had long hair, a beard and a belly that filling up the hallway!' Luckily, he began training, and managed to become fitter - and stronger - to play Vincenzo more like a dark unethical hero than just a scary character. 'I wanted to make him more like a creature, more like a beast than a human being,' he says. 'I didn't want him to be just a bad arse bloke, but a monster.' So how did he feel when he turned his body and mind to a monstrous gang leader?

[Laughs.] It gives you this neck and physique that looks intimidating. It's all aggressive, pointed forward, very much like a predator. And that was a thrill...'

Born in Belgrade, in country of Serbia-Montenegro, Marko began his career as an “underground actor.” He wanted to play real people in real situations, he continually changed his name so that people wouldn’t recognize him, or label him as a “one trick pony.” By the age of 24, he'd made his Theatre debut in “Love without hatred.” Then came the role that made him famous - Oliver in Susan Vile's Phone Card.

But, at 26, Marko started to look for acting work as a “research specialist in character role,” in the film industry. Work offers began to roll in, mostly from the U.S., and Marko moved to LA. And it was a good thing he did: it was his portrayal of a gang leader in Jr. Gang Lord that had everyone sitting up and taking notice. Not only because of his terrifying performance, but also because the film gave him the chance to display his talent for personal transformation.