Craig Schwartz
Craig Schwartz is an out of work puppeteer married to Lottie. They have a slew of pets, including a monkey named Elijah, but no kids. Craig is unfulfilled in his life, and after taking a job at a filing company, Lester Corp., falls in love with Maxine. He does everything he can to be with her, but his dreams as a puppeteer of being inside another person’s skin become all too real when he discovers a portal that places him in John Malkovich’s body. Thus starting a chain of events that will alter the rest of his life along with Lottie, Maxine, and unfortunately for him, John Malkovich.
Lottie Schwartz
Lottie Schwartz is married to Craig, and works at a pet shop. She’s financially providing for them while Craig is out of work. She desires to have children, but Craig isn’t ready. When Craig discovers the portal to John Malkovich’s body she goes in, and when she comes out she is awakened to a new understanding of who she is, and knows exactly what she wants: a new life with Maxine.
John Malkovich
John Malkovich plays himself, or a version of himself in this film where nearly everyone takes a turn inside of his body. Once Craig enters him, and begins to take over he has a major freak out that leads to him seeking to put an end to this passageway to his body. But Craig and Dr. Lester have different plans for John’s vessel, and end up completely taking over his body and life.
Dr. Lester
Dr. Lester runs Lester Corp., a filing company located in a building, strangely between floors seven and eight on floor 7 ½ . He talks excessively about his yearning for women. He’s 105 years old, so he tells Craig. And it turns out that he is actually Captain Mertin, a sea captain who discovered how to enter human beings and take over their body as a vessel for his own pleasure, and each time he finds a new vessel he is able to take them over on their 44th birthday. He welcomes Lottie into his secret society, and helps her to get Craig to relinquish Malkovich’s body.
