John Malkovich, 72, has dismissed rumors about retiring from Hollywood, stating he has no intention of stepping away from acting. The veteran actor is currently at the Venice Film Festival, promoting Wild Horse Nine, the latest film from director Martin McDonagh. Speaking to reporters, Malkovich said, "As far as what I want to do — carry on. I mean, I’m pretty much doing, and I’ve been doing what I love my whole life, and I plan to carry on doing that." He added that he doesn’t plan to retire, saying, "I think they will retire me when it’s time. That seems to be the natural course of things." In Wild Horse Nine, Malkovich stars alongside Sam Rockwell as CIA agents sent to Easter Island. He explained that he chose to take the role because of the script's quality and his long-standing admiration for McDonagh’s work. "I think it’s a beautifully written script," Malkovich said. "I had been sent a couple of things Martin had written before, which I was unable to even consider because I had other commitments, which I read and loved. So when this one came around, I decided absolutely I would do it." While the film has been speculated to be an Oscar contender, Malkovich downplayed the competition, saying, "I never feel in competition with any of them because generally I love them too." He emphasized the importance of the film itself, stating, "The nicest thing is that the film gets attention and the film has several terrific performers and it’s beautifully written and beautifully directed and that’s what matters the most to me." Malkovich also reflected on past decisions to turn down roles, explaining that they were often based on financial terms rather than artistic ones. "The reason I didn’t do them had nothing to do with any artistic considerations whatsoever," he said. "I didn’t like the deals they made, at all." He noted the demanding nature of film work, saying, "These films are quite grueling to make. If you’re going to hang from a crane in front of a green screen for six months, pay me. You don’t want to pay me, it’s cool, but then I don’t want to do it, because I’d rather be onstage, or be directing a play, or doing something else." Despite his reluctance to take on certain film roles, Malkovich did agree to a small part in Fantastic Four: The First Steps. However, his scene was ultimately cut from the final version of the film.