Actor John Malkovich, in Toronto to perform the role of Casanova in the The Giacomo Variations at the Elgin Theatre, helped save the life of a man whose throat had been sliced open.
Jim and Marilyn Walpole, Ohio residents who were completing a cross-Canada train trip, had just finished their meal and were making their way back to their hotel. As they passed some scaffolding, Jim tripped—and cut his throat open on the metal.
Marilyn, a retired nurse, started yelling for help.
“The way he was spurting I thought it was the carotid [artery] or the jugular [vein],” she said.
Two men rushed to assist: Ben Quinn, the owner of P.J. O’Brien’s where the couple had just eaten, and John Malkovich, an award-winning film actor known for his roles in Con Air, Dangerous Liaisons, and Burn After Reading.
Using a towel, Malkovich applied pressure to Jim’s throat to stop the bleeding. When asked his name, he just answered, “John.”
An ambulance arrived shortly thereafter, having been called by the doorman. As it drove away, Malkovich made a subtle departure, no one realizing yet that the man who had helped save Jim’s life was an Oscar-nominated actor.
“Malkovich turned and thanked me,” Quinn said. “I thanked him. We couldn’t shake hands—I was covered in blood. He was just off, didn’t want any attention. He’s a gentleman and a compassionate person.”
Jim recalled after being released from the hospital with 10 stitches, “They were so helpful, so wonderful.”
Photo: Alsal Photogrophy/Flickr