Which living person do you most admire, and why?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

The Guardian's Q&A repeatedly uses this prompt, sometimes dropping 'living' while retaining the same comparative judgment.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Recorded John Malkovich said elsewhere, not written here
I admire the mother of my children a great deal, because she’s interesting, smart and funny.

The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 10 March 2018 source ↗

Others on this question

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Jason Byrne Irish comedian
My mother, because she raised all of us. I do have a dad, but in those days dads never helped with the kids.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 16 November 2012 source ↗
Joely Richardson British actress
The elderly, because it takes courage to get through the day when there isn’t some glorious future ahead.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 18 July 2015 source ↗
Chlöe Swarbrick who is co-leader of the New Zealand Greens. She’s demonstrating the bold leadership that I look to do every single day.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 6 December 2025 source ↗

More from John Malkovich

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Question Are you afraid of death? Death & what remains
I don’t think so! You can’t really know that until the moment of your death, at which point you will probably not be afraid because you won’t be there. I have a very old friend who called me last year to say, “Okay I am done. I am not fighting this anymore. I am checking out. I am calling to say goodbye because I am not really conscious most of the time. I am cutting off the pain killers.” He seemed okay. That was not the moment of his death, but it was within two or three days.
Recorded The Talks, 8 February 2023 source ↗

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