John Malkovich and Ben Schwartz on social media shitheads and whether they'd go to space
In Netflix’s new comedy series Space Force, John Malkovich and Ben Schwartz play character that are, in almost every way, diametric opposites. Malkovich’s Dr. Adrian Mallory is dry, scientific, and has spent his life in pursuit of a sustainable colony on the moon. Schwartz’s F. Tony Scarapiducci—the “f” stands for “fuck”—is superficial, self-absorbed, and views his role as Communications Director for the Space Force as a step down from his previous role at American Apparel, which he was fired from for some inappropriate conduct. In real life, though, Malkovich and Schwartz seem to get along quite swimmingly.
The A.V. Club talked to the pair via Zoom on the eve of Space Force’s launch later this week and inquired about, among several things, whether the pair would want to go to space. A left-field discussion of sinus problems and Malkovich’s time on a QE2 ocean liner that ran around in Newfoundland ensued, and was really quite adorable. It’s all above, and it’s very worth watching.