Malcolm McDowell, known for his role as Alex in Stanley Kubrick’s film Clockwork Orange, admitted that he had difficulty dealing with the sudden fame he received after starring in the 1971 movie.
“I don’t think I handled it particularly well, to be honest. In fact, it scared me a little,” the 82-year-old actor said in a recent interview with the website Page Six. “Everybody is pulling you. They don’t allow you to just enjoy it.”
Instead, he was flooded with offers and pressured to accept new projects because of the money on the table or the people he would be working with. When McDowell said the script was “very bad,” he was told: “Well, who cares?”
One film he regrets not making is the final film by Alfred Hitchcock, Frenzy (1972), even though he thought the script was “absolute trash.” “Now, in hindsight, I should have done the damn movie. I mean, just to work with him,” McDowell admitted.
“There are a few things I really should have done. But you know, at the time, I think the decisions I made about my career were because I knew what I could do, I knew what my limits were, and I knew I wouldn’t be good in certain roles.”
McDowell acknowledged that he received many offers for various roles because he was the “flavor of the month — every actor at some point is the flavor of the month.” “It’s a very hot period, and then it cools off,” the actor explained.
Although he never again reached that same level of fame, McDowell built a career with dozens of roles in film and television, including Star Trek Generations, Entourage, Mozart in the Jungle, and Dr. Samuel Loomis in the 2007 remake of Halloween, as well as its 2009 sequel, Halloween II.
Speaking about his career, McDowell also addressed the transition to character and supporting roles. “You’re not worried about what your personality is,” he shared.
“You just do it, do the job as honestly as you can and move on. And, you know, there’s been a great variety of roles that I’ve played. But I’ve always liked what I do, I think.”
Photos: Public domain / Creative Commons. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
