Actor John Malkovich Rescues Bleeding Man in Toronto; `I Never had the Opportunity to Thank Him’

John Malkovich rescued a bleeding man in Toronto on Thursday. Actor John Malkovich is being called a hero for coming to the aid of an Ohio man who tripped on a curb and cut his neck in downtown Toronto.

Actor John Malkovich, famous for his roles in “Being John Malkovich” and “Dangerous Liaisons,” is in Toronto to play Casanova in the play “The Giacomo Variations” at the Elgin Theatre.

John Malkovich rescued Jim Walpole, 77, who was visiting the city with his wife Marilyn, 79, after completing a cross-Canada trip by train. The couple had just finished eating at P.J. O'Brien's restaurant and were on their way to the King Edward Hotel, when Walpole tripped on a curb and cut his throat on a piece of scaffolding. Marilyn, who is a retired nurse, was worried that her husband might have sliced his carotid artery or the jugular vein. She called for assistance. Malkovich responded immediately and stopped the flow of blood until paramedics arrived.

In a telephone interview from his home in Defiance, Ohio, Jim Walpole told Star Magazine, “I’m forever grateful to him, he really helped me out. I was bleeding so bad on my neck and Chris bought him a towel and John kept pressure on my bleeding neck and then Quinn kept me from turning over and made me stay there until EMS arrived.”

The doorman from the King Edward Hotel, Chris Mathias, also ran to help the man and found Walpole lying on his back in a pool of blood. Mathias said, “I believe (Malkovich) was having a cigarette and witnessed the whole thing happening, he placed his hand and started applying pressure to the man’s neck didn’t let go until the ambulance arrived.” The owner of P.J. O'Brien's, Ben Quinn, was driving by when Walpole fell and also stopped to help.

Walpole got 10 stitches at St. Michael's Hospital. He was told “if it was an 8th of an inch further I would have had real trouble.”

Malkovich, a two-time Academy Award nominee, was not available for comment.

Walpole said he intends to catch up on all Malkovich’s films. He said “I never had the opportunity to see him and thank him after the incident. I asked him what his name was and he said it was John.”