MP stunned at actor's outburst
BBC News
Saturday, 4 May, 2002
A Scottish Labour MP is taking legal advice after the Hollywood star John Malkovich allegedly said he would like to shoot the politician.Malkovich is reported to have said that the Glasgow Kelvin MP, George Galloway, was one of two people he would most like to kill.
The source of Malkovich's anger appears to be Mr Galloway's condemnation of Israel's action against Palestinians and his criticism of the west's policies on Iraq.
The actor was addressing students at the Cambridge union debating society when he was asked who he would most like to "fight to the death".
Malkovich, star of movies including Dangerous Liaisons and the Killing Fields, replied: "I'd rather just shoot them."
He named Mr Galloway and The Independent newspaper's Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk.
Union spokesman Julian Blake said: "He had been speaking to the union president before the event and he mentioned then that he read the British press and had been following George Galloway's comments.
"People were fairly surprised when he brought him up though."
'Terrorism climate'
The actor did not explain exactly why he disliked Mr Galloway. He said only that Mr Galloway did not tell the truth.
Mr Galloway said he was astonished that the actor should have such animosity against him.
The MP said he assumed that his outspoken criticism of American policy in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Iraq was behind the outburst.
"In the current climate of terrorism and violence and so on, if it was a joke it is not very funny and if it wasn't a joke, he will be hearing from my lawyers," he added.
"We can have a high noon at the Old Bailey if he likes.
'Very strange man'
"His comments are especially dangerous because in a couple of days' time, I will be in the Palestinian Authority visiting President Arafat and there are a lot of bullets flying around there."
Malkovich is in the UK filming Johnny English with Rowan Atkinson and Natalie Imbruglia.
Mr Galloway asked: "Who can get inside the head of John Malkovich, a very strange man offering a dangerous liaison - indeed, offering a killing field?"
Last month, Mr Galloway renewed his call for people in Scotland to boycott goods from Israel in response to violence in the Middle East.
Malkovich was right.
Regards, Ivan