John Malkovich Dress Rehearsal Story: From Fan to Personal Meeting
I don't idolize anyone anymore. Therefore, I decided to write these two experiences of meeting John Malkovich on September 15 and 18, 2025, and taking photos with him twice, into a public memoir and seal them away.
If it weren't for me asking Anastasya Terenkova on Instagram last year about whether John Malkovich would be performing in Eisenstadt, Austria on 18.09.2025, I wouldn't have been able to find out the exact time of his performance so smoothly in advance, and it would have been impossible for me to prepare my Austrian visa five months ahead by DIY-ing the application process.
The Journey Begins
One day in mid-July 2025, after I had already purchased front row seats (row 8, seat 8) for "The Infamous Ramirez Hoffman," I unexpectedly discovered on Google that John Malkovich-events showed another performance at the Vienna Concert Hall on 15.09.2025 called "Address Unknown." According to my planned itinerary, he would be in Vienna at the same time as me. After hesitating for a few days, I finally purchased a second ticket for row 16, seat 3. While browsing the Wiener Konzerthaus official website, I discovered there was a backstage tour, and I immediately had the idea of whether I could use this as an opportunity to get close to John Malkovich on that day. Sending shameless emails to communicate with people has already become "routine" for me, after all, being "rebellious" is carved into my bones. From 7/31 to 9/11, I went back and forth with the Vienna Concert Hall in a total of thirteen "battles" via email. From waiting for a colleague in charge of the project to return from vacation after a month to the Vienna Academy Orchestra agreeing to let me watch the dress rehearsal, to finally getting permission for an exclusive tour from the Wiener Konzerthaus, it took nearly a month and a half. To this day, I still remember that I received the final confirmation email while transferring in Finland on my way to Vienna, and that excitement is something I will never forget.
Before going to the Vienna Concert Hall to watch the dress rehearsal on 15.09.2025, I spent the whole time strolling through the Belvedere Palace Gardens without holding much hope about whether I would get to see John Malkovich in the afternoon, since the email never confirmed the request I had made about wanting to meet and greet him.
| Prelude to the Big Moment | Viennese Morning Walk |
|---|---|
| 11:24AM: A cozy late breakfast | |
| 1:11PM: Strolling through Lower Belvedere Gardens, trying to distract myself from the anticipation | |
| 1:26PM: Upper Belvedere | |
| 1:41PM: Standing before the Wiener Konzerthaus, my heart pounding! |
I sat alone on the ÖBB subway on my way to the Vienna Concert Hall, feeling somewhat anxious. At 3:30 PM, I arrived on time at the entrance of the concert hall. My guide was waiting for me at the porter's station. Let me describe her: she was half a head shorter than me, looked very young, had great presence, was quite pretty, had a narrow small face with bangs, and was dressed very fashionably. I remember her jacket was similar to a batwing style with a vest underneath. She glanced at my invoice and told me she had never seen anything like it. This was the first time in all the backstage tours she had led that she had seen an invoice like this. In that instant, I realized how precious and hard-won this opportunity the Vienna Concert Hall and Vienna Academy Orchestra had given me was.
| BEHIND THE SCENES | SPACE |
|---|---|
| Berio-Saal: A modern space for rehearsals and jazz vibes | |
| Großer Saal: While the guide was introducing it to me, she suddenly went over to talk to the stage director for over a minute | |
| Green Room | |
| The final stop: Schubert-Saal. I plucked up the courage to ask if I could say "Hi" to Malkovich, but the guide cut me off with a firm "No" | |
| Dressing Room | |
| Backstage Storage / Tech Area |
Below: John Malkovich aka "👴🏻"
After the guide finished introducing me to the entire history of the Vienna Concert Hall and took me to tour the backstage areas and four main halls, she brought me to the Mozart Saal. Before opening the door, she asked: "Are you ready?" I said: "Yes, I'm ready!"
On the Mozart Saal stage, I could only see four members of the Vienna Academy Orchestra doing immersive rehearsals, and one performer's child running around in the audience area. The environment was quite dark, with only weak stage lighting illuminating the four performers. After entering, my eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. The guide told me I could sit anywhere, except I couldn't sit in the two large audience sections in front of the main aisle. Perhaps my subconscious felt that there were a few people in the large corridor on the right side, so I ultimately chose to sit in the first row of the audience section on the left behind the large corridor. The guide asked me if I wanted her to stay with me. If I needed her to stay, she could only keep me company for a maximum of 10 minutes before she would have to leave, after which everything would be arranged by the stage manager. I convinced her to stay, telling her I needed her to be with me for 10 minutes (actually it wasn't fear, but rather feeling awkward). So the guide sat down next to me.
I pretended to watch the four people performing in front of me, making myself look like I was lost in the music. Yet my mind was only thinking about where was 👴🏻?! I casually turned my head to the right and discovered that 👴🏻 was standing in the audience section on the right before the main corridor, communicating with the stage manager who had allowed me to watch the dress rehearsal. I had actually not noticed 👴🏻 when I first entered the Mozart Saal! (Now looking back, it really felt like that whole group of people were waiting for me.)
👴🏻 was looking at his phone. (My first thought was: Hey, the phone is so close to me, but I can't add him on iMessage) The weak lighting of the Mozart Saal made his white phone screen appear very bright. What was 👴🏻 looking at anyway?
Seeing John Malkovich's familiar silhouette, that kind of excitement & exhilaration I once thought I would feel seeing him in person, which I had carried from "14.04.2025 when I learned he would perform in Austria, when I started preparing my Austrian visa, DIY Vienna guides, bought plane tickets, booked Airbnb, researched ÖBB... etc." all became replaced by my composure, restraint, & decorum in that very moment.
| London, 2024. A mere wanderer who had no idea that a year later, Vienna would grant her a dream come true with John Malkovich |
|---|
(
In 2024, my dream was only this: as long as I could see John Malkovich just once from far away outside the theater, that would be enough. That long wait with absolutely no certainty, by the time I arrived in Vienna that day, had already worn down all my past excitement. The moment I sat down in my seat, my dream had basically been fulfilled, but in my heart there was still some lingering hope that he would notice me, even if just for a moment.)
His silhouette alone wouldn't make me nervous, after all he hadn't seen me yet and might very well choose to ignore me even if he did. I straightened my head and continued pretending to watch the four people performing on stage, unable to show in an overly "hungry" way that I wanted to draw his attention. I was extremely extremely restrained at that moment, trying hard not to look to the right, and was even a bit afraid to look. I even forgot whether Martin Haselböck and August Zirner were also on the right side with the stage manager.
Until my line of sight was suddenly interrupted, and when I looked up, I saw 👴🏻 suddenly walking over from the right area. My heart skipped a beat! (What? Why did you come over?) He held a folder with both hands crossed in front of him, and with a very polite manner, with his characteristic meek smile, nodded down towards the direction where the guide and I were sitting. I could tell he definitely looked at both me and the guide. I didn't expect him to suddenly come over. My instinctive reaction was wanting to draw slightly more of his attention than the guide could get, so I shyly said "Hello," with my voice slightly louder than the guide's. 👴🏻 softly said Hello back to us as well. But I faintly sensed that before he finished greeting and was about to turn and walk back to the right audience section, his eyes lingered more on my guide than on me. Whether the guide and Malkovich had met before the exclusive tour, I don't know I even unconsciously thought to myself: after all, he doesn't know me, astrology is indeed inaccurate, and Asians simply aren't popular.
This was the second time I felt disappointed (or maybe that's all there would be for today. At least 👴🏻 looked at me once and said Hello, this ending was already quite good), and the theater's allowing me to see him during the dress rehearsal was already breaking precedent.
After walking back to the right corridor area, I didn't stare longingly to the right (I really wanted to look but I couldn't bring myself to make that move trying to get his attention). To ease the sudden tension from his unexpected appearance, I turned my head to look at my guide on the left, wanting to ask her what had suddenly happened. I could feel the guide's eyes looking toward the right corridor area. I still didn't dare look. Before I had time to ask the guide, and just as I was turning my head back to continue watching the four people performing on stage, suddenly 👴🏻 took big strides and came back over. (From when he glanced at me and the guide, to when John Malkovich walked back to the right audience section, and then turned back toward me, it was only a few seconds.)
His meek smile was now more relaxed than before. 👴🏻 bent down, extended his hand to shake hands with me, and asked while doing so: "Hello, what's your name?"
My heart was shocked once again. This turnabout move caught my brain off guard for a moment. (Later I realized I had been sitting the whole time until I had to stand up for the photo, while 👴🏻 had been standing. I should have stood up then.)
I extended my hand and held his. (Wow, his hand felt really big! That feeling of being wrapped in his warm large palm made me want to squeeze it!)
I said "I'm Rhea" while feeling the temperature of his right hand being much hotter than mine over those few seconds. That feeling of 👴🏻 holding my hand without immediately letting go and gently shaking it up and down is something I'll never forget.
The stage manager also followed him over. (Why did she need to follow along? The stage manager was beside me the whole time anyway.)
In the dim Mozart Saal, I could vaguely make out 👴🏻's face, and combined with the fact that I didn't dare raise my eyes to look at him and make direct eye contact, but I could sense his smile was still there and that he was patiently listening to me. The guide was sitting on the left, he was directly in front of me, and the stage manager was standing on my right. Suddenly I felt a bit like being watched. To be honest, with this kind of scene, many things I had prepared to tell him got stuck in my throat all at once. Those private words, those words for telling on myself, how could I say them?
“I flew here from Shanghai specifically to watch you perform.”
Perhaps because it was the first time I was hearing his voice in person, 👴🏻's voice was unexpectedly soft and gentle, much softer than usual, with lots of "aww"s, rising several octaves.
I maintained a restrained posture the whole time. My legs were pressed together, my hands resting on my lap. I leaned in slightly with my body, and 👴🏻 also bent down to listen to what I was saying. The rehearsal sounds in the background somewhat drowned out my voice which was a bit timid.
They were all still watching me, listening attentively to those private things (very unsuitable for this kind of occasion, but exactly what I most wanted to express). I could only "concentrate the essence" in that one moment.
“you look more like a lenient grandpa to me.”
(What I actually meant was "dad" rather than "grandpa," but in that kind of setting, I was really afraid of being misunderstood. So I'd "play the family card" instead! Although "dad" and "grandpa" are completely different concepts.) I remember after he heard this, he kind of said "oh" and then straightened up, laughed a little. He probably didn't have the first reaction of "this girl might have daddy issues LOL.)
The guide said I seemed a bit nervous. I coyly laughed, made a little gesture🤏🏻 and said: "Just a little bit nervous."
(I was genuinely grateful that I was being listened to like this, but I was also very confused about one thing. Why wasn't 👴🏻 asking me any questions? Or was what I was saying somehow impossible to respond to?)
I could only continue saying "I'll be going to watch another performance of yours on 9/18." He suddenly said "Oh, Eisenstadt!" Me: "Yes."
(I felt myself to be especially restrained. Almost every sentence I said, I would catch a glimpse of the stage manager out of the corner of my eye, worried that my actions or words might give a bad impression to the "exceptional opportunity" the Vienna Concert Hall had given me. I was even worried that telling him I was going to watch another performance two days later would make them think I was a stalker. As it turned out, although the last email from the Vienna Concert Hall told me that the meet and greet couldn't be confirmed, I still wrote down the main content I had previously wanted to tell him on a card, and brought a black and white collage I had made of him in 2024. Maybe Gemini was right, this is a "statement of intent." It feels like without bringing something, I couldn't show how sincere I was.)
I carefully lowered my eyes, looking at my green woven bag. While trembling, I took out a card with plastic wrapping from my bag (the plastic wrapping was the card's original wrapping, kept inside to prevent it from getting damaged easily. Inside was the text I had written on the card and a collage I made.) These 2 things I had only brought along on my Austria trip, originally planning to give them to after the performance ended. I never expected that one day I would hand them to 👴🏻 in person. I carefully tore open the plastic wrapping while mumbling:
“I know this isn't the kind of thing you usually get, but I made this for you.”
From the moment I took it out, tore open the plastic, to handing it to 👴🏻, I kept my head down the whole time. I was just like a student back in school, sitting in a school chair, and the teacher came and I had to hand in my homework for the teacher to review. I truly never expected that when I handed the card and collage to him, he would look at them on the spot.
Looking at them on the spot instantly pulled my "shame" to maximum. (Why did I have to make this collage? Why did I have to write something like an invisible paternal force guiding me on the card?)
Whether 👴🏻 was looking at the card or the collage in that moment, I really couldn't tell. I also didn't dare look at his facial expression to see if he was praising me. I can't remember if he said 'thank you' or not. I only remember that after he finished looking, he said he would take them, and both the card and collage were slid into his folder.
(My first thought at that moment was: Oh my god, is what 👴🏻's showing today real or fake? How is it completely different from how I've seen him treat other fans on YouTube? Is this a completely different version of him? He's not going to just put it in there and throw it away later, right?)
At this moment, my brain suddenly flashed with the thought "and take a photo with Malkovich." I mustered up the courage once more to ask: "Can I take a pict...?" I hadn't even finished asking before John Malkovich got what I meant and said "Sure!"
Just before I was about to stand up, out of the corner of my eye I sensed that 👴🏻 had already positioned himself. He was lowering his head, as if there was some kind of gesture of arranging his clothes (an illusion?)
I stood up from my seat. 👴🏻 was on my right side. He was half a head taller than me. This moment's perspective was very similar to an elevator scene I had dreamed about before seeing him: walking into an elevator, emotionless and fierce-looking, standing on my right side, the wrinkles on his face clearly visible.
I didn't know what to do after standing up LOL. What surprised and delighted me was that the stage manager asked me to give her my phone so she could take the photo for us! I just wanted to say "Oh my god, you're actually half a head taller than me." Suddenly 👴🏻 turned toward me. (Maybe I also looked like I wanted to hug him, but I hadn't asked "can I hug you?")
The hug happened suddenly and unexpectedly. When we hugged, my head was on his right shoulder, and his arms were wrapped around me (I've forgotten how I hugged him back, maybe both hands around his waist). Then I suddenly felt 👴🏻 gently push me up toward his height. Immediately after, my right cheek suddenly felt his soft stubble🥹. I wasn't nervous enough for my heart to be racing before, but this action made my heart suddenly speed up. Then my hands slid down, and I naturally wrapped them around his waist, feeling the texture of that khaki jacket he was wearing. My hands felt it was studded all around. His palm was on my back, and I could feel 👴🏻 was pressing me quite firmly. I think his strength was quite large for a man who was already 72 years old. I'm not used to having my chest so tightly against someone's left armpit area. Unless 👴🏻 really pressed my body against him. The action of me wrapping my hands around his stomach was a bit unstable in weight, so my right leg needed support. So while wrapping my hands around his waist, my upper right thigh had to lean against his left leg for support, and at the same time I secretly wanted to nestle against his chest. The angle was with our backs to the stage. The stage manager said it was a bit backlit, and then 👴🏻 seemed to react faster than me. He turned first, and we maintained this posture, turned 180 degrees together. It felt like he was spinning me. What was really awkward was, my heart felt like it was pounding against his body at that moment. Even though my hands didn't shake. I was very worried he could feel my heartbeat. I have no idea how my leg ended up leaning against his like that. Including how my head ended up leaning against his lower left face, I was also very confused. After the stage manager said the photo was good, when I released my hands from his jacket on his back, I deliberately applied a little downward force. (This kind of tension was different from any kind I had experienced before. It wasn't hands shaking and blushing and ears turning red. It wasn't the kind of shaking panic I felt when opening my passport to see if I had gotten a visa. It was dry mouth; a bitter taste in my mouth.)
After the photo was taken, while 👴🏻 was getting ready to leave with the stage manager, I hugged him once more (I also have no idea how I just hugged him directly without asking). It was kind of sweet that, with me whispering in his ear
"I see you more as a grandpa like a Hollywood actor,"
I felt him lower his head a little to get closer to hear what I was saying. He nodded, then followed the stage manager away. He said "see you later" to me. I forgot whether I said it back or not.
I sat back in my original seat and watched 👴🏻 being led away slowly by the stage manager. I slowly sat back down in the first row seat where I had been, thinking in my mind: Man, this Austria trip is totally worth it!
The guide really had to leave soon. I felt a bit reluctant. I said "Thank you for showing me around blah blah, bye bye." Since I couldn't take photos during the dress rehearsal, I didn't dare immediately pull out my phone to see how the photos came out, worried I would be mistaken for sneakily taking photos during the rehearsal. I tried very hard to control the urge to pull out my phone, took a deep breath and tried to return to the state of pretending to watch the four performers before. The stage manager passed through the middle corridor after a while. Once she passed through the corridor, with my left hand I carefully raised my phone slightly to look at the two burst shot photos, and my heart was pounding once again...
Seriously, this was the closest I’ve ever been to getting John Malkovich’s phone number. I low-key regret not grabbing his phone to add myself as a contact! Leaning into 'Papa Malkovich'.Just wanted to stay in this hug forever LOL
It's extremely regrettable that because the Mozart Saal was too dark during the dress rehearsal, my iPhone's automatic live mode had stopped. The stage manager walked toward me from a door on the right side, smiled at me as she passed, walked toward the door on the left, and came back twice. After me and 👴🏻 took the photo, she let me watch another nearly 20 minutes of dress rehearsal. The third time she came toward me, she told me I could leave. I asked her where the restroom was (the stage manager was very tall, felt like she was about 180CM. She was smiling and wearing glasses.) After thanking her, before I went to the restroom, she asked me "Are you excited about tonight's performance?" I laughed and said "Very excited! The Rehearsal is always more interesting than the performance."
After the restroom, I felt like I could breathe again. I looked at the photos once more, raised my phone and filmed a small segment while going downstairs, wanting to capture the moment I was leaving the Vienna Concert Hall. I filmed 12 seconds, then thought there was no need to film.
As I rushed out of the Vienna Concert Hall and crossed the street back to my Airbnb, I heard the classic lyrics from Tomorrow by Moretti in my ears:
🎶you deserve the best!🎶
My heart will forever be grateful to the Vienna Concert Hall for giving me that one precious once-in-a-lifetime exclusive tour. I think I will definitely go to Austria again in the future!
| THE EVENT | AFTERGLOW |
|---|---|
| 7:02PM: Passing by the Karlskirche under the twilight sky, just minutes away from the big show | |
| 7:20PM: Seated in Mozart-Saal. The air is thick with anticipation | |
| 9:00PM: Curtain call | |
| 9:11PM: Wiener Konzerthaus at night | |
| 9:16PM: Spotted Malkovich again on the street! ROFL. He’s everywhere tonight | |
| 9:24PM: Heading back to Airbnb on the U4. A quiet ride to process the most surreal day of my life |
