Nicoletta Peyran- The Woman Behind John Malkovich

Nicoletta Peyran is a woman of many talents and interests. She is an actress, a director, a scholar, and a partner of one of the most acclaimed actors in Hollywood. She was born in France but she has lived and worked in various countries, including China, Italy, and the US. She has a passion for Chinese culture and language, which led her to study at Peking University in the late 1970s. She also has a flair for filmmaking, which she demonstrated as an assistant director on several movies, such as The Last Emperor and The Sheltering Sky. She is best known for being the long-time partner of John Malkovich, whom she met on the set of The Sheltering Sky. They have two children together, Amandine and Loewy, who are both pursuing their own careers. Nicoletta Peyran is a remarkable woman who has lived a rich and diverse life. In this article, we will explore her life, career, and relationship with John Malkovich.

Wiki/Bio Facts

Fact	Value
Full name	Nicoletta Peyran
Date of birth	December 9, 1953
Place of birth	France
Zodiac sign	Sagittarius
Citizenship	French
Gender	Female
Sexuality	Straight
Education	Peking University, Beijing, China
Occupation	Actress and assistant director
Notable works	The Last Emperor (1987), Not for Love (1979), The Sheltering Sky (1990)
Spouse	John Malkovich (m. 1989)
Children	Amandine Malkovich (b. 1990), Loewy Malkovich (b. 1992)
Residence	Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Interests	Travelling, animals, Chinese culture
Height (approx)	5 feet 6 inches (168 cm)
Eye color	Brown
Hair color	Brown
Ethnicity	Caucasian
Religion	Unknown
Languages spoken	French, English, Italian, Mandarin
Net worth	Estimated at $2 million as of 2024
Social media presence	None
First on-screen kiss in China	She played Wei Na in Not for Love (1979), which featured the first on-screen kiss in China
Lived in France for a while	She and John Malkovich moved to France in the early 1990s and lived there for several years
Left directing and became an academic	She stopped working as an assistant director after The Sheltering Sky (1990) and pursued a career in academia
Studied at Peking University in the late 1970s	She studied at Peking University, one of the most prestigious universities in China, during the late 1970s
Loves travelling and exploring new cultures	She has travelled to many countries and regions with John Malkovich, such as Morocco, Italy, China, Japan, and Australia
Loves animals and has a pet dog	She is an animal lover and has a pet dog
Interested in Chinese culture and history	She has a keen interest in Chinese culture and history, which she developed during her studies at Peking University

Early Life and Education

Nicoletta Peyran was born on December 9, 1953, in France. She grew up in a family of intellectuals and developed an interest in Chinese culture and language at an early age. She studied at Peking University in Beijing, China, in the late 1970s, where she learned Mandarin and immersed herself in the local culture. She also acted in a Chinese romantic drama film called Not for Love in 1979, where she performed the first on-screen kiss in China.

Career as an Assistant Director

After returning to France, Nicoletta Peyran pursued a career as an assistant director in the film industry. She worked on several films in the 1980s and 1990s, mostly with Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci. She was the third assistant director for The Last Emperor in 1987, a historical epic that won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. She was also the second assistant director for Transformations in 1988, a horror film based on a novel by Robert H. Rimmer. Her most notable work was as the second assistant director for The Sheltering Sky in 1990, a romantic drama based on a novel by Paul Bowles, starring John Malkovich and Debra Winger.

Relationship with John Malkovich

Nicoletta Peyran met John Malkovich in North Africa during the filming of The Sheltering Sky in 1989. They fell in love and since have been together. They have two children: Amandine, born in 1990, and Loewy, born in 1992. The family lived in France for some time, then moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Nicoletta Peyran has been a supportive partner to John Malkovich throughout his career as an actor, producer, director, and fashion designer. She has also accompanied him to various events and festivals around the world.

Interest in Chinese Culture

Nicoletta Peyran has maintained her interest and passion for Chinese culture and language over the years. She has visited China several times and has participated in cultural exchanges and academic conferences. She is fluent in Mandarin and can read and write Chinese characters. She has also introduced John Malkovich to Chinese culture and cuisine, and they have collaborated on some projects related to China.

Current Status

As of 2024, Nicoletta Peyran has left directing and become an academic. She is currently working on a book about Chinese cinema and culture. She lives with John Malkovich in their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They have been together for more than three decades and are still going strong. They are also proud parents of their two grown-up children, who have pursued their own careers and interests.

Rumors & Controversies

Here are some of the rumors and controversies that have surrounded Nicoletta Peyran over the years.

• One of the most notable rumors about Peyran is that she is not actually married to Malkovich, despite being referred to as his wife by some sources. The couple has never confirmed or denied their marital status, and it is unclear whether they have a legal or symbolic union. Some speculate that they prefer to keep their relationship private and unconventional, while others suggest that they have encountered difficulties in obtaining a marriage license due to their different nationalities.
• Another rumor about Peyran is that she was the first person to perform an on-screen kiss in China. This stems from her role in the 1979 Chinese romantic drama film Not For Love, in which she played Wei Na, a foreign student who falls in love with a Chinese man. The film was one of the first to depict a cross-cultural romance in China, and it featured a scene where Peyran and her co-star kissed passionately. This was considered a groundbreaking and controversial moment in Chinese cinema, as kissing was rarely shown on screen at the time.
• A controversy that involved Peyran was the loss of her and Malkovich’s savings in the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. In 2008, it was revealed that Madoff had defrauded thousands of investors out of billions of dollars, and Malkovich was one of his victims. The actor said that he was not angry or bitter about the situation, but rather accepted it as a fact of life.
• Another controversy that affected Peyran was the death of three of Malkovich’s siblings in their 50s. Between 2009 and 2014, Malkovich lost his brother Danny, his sister Amanda, and his sister Rebecca to various causes. Peyran had to support her partner through these difficult times, while also raising their two children. Malkovich said that he was devastated by the losses, but also grateful for the time he had with his family.