TORONTO

He may not often play one in the movies but even John Malkovich can nail the role of the hero when presented the opportunity.

The stage and screen legend is versatile and talented and no one knows this better now than Jim Walpole.

“John Malkovich saved my life,” the 77-year-old from Defiance, Ohio, said in an interview Friday.

The two-time Academy Award nominated actor, in Toronto to perform at the Elgin Theatre in The Giacomo Variations With John Malkovich as Casanova, did just that — with the help of a King Edward Hotel doorman and member of a famous family of Toronto publicans.

You just couldn’t write this script. Real life can be stranger than fiction. Sometimes there is a happy ending.

We’ll call this one Being (Saved By) John Malkovich.

Jim and Marilyn Walpole, on a weekend bus tour to Toronto with fellow seniors from around the United States, are staying at the King Eddy.

“I went out for a walk and just stumbled,” said the 77-year-old retired General Motors auto worker. “Bang. I fell right into the scaffolding along the hotel wall.”

Down he went.

What happened next was a horror — he slit his throat as he fell down the scaffolding.

“The blood was coming out so fast,” said Marilyn, who started to yell for help.

Out of nowhere — believed to have been having a cigarette at the side of the King St. E. hotel — a man darted in and quickly assessed the situation.

“He started to press on my neck,” said Jim. “He said he was trying to stop the bleeding.”

Driving by at that point was Ben Quinn, of the legendary Quinn family who operate P.J. O’Brien’s and The Irish Embassy pubs.

“The guy really seemed to know what he was doing,” said Ben. “We didn’t know who he was. I just asked if I could hold the man’s head and he said yes.”

Third on the scene was longtime King Edward doorman Chris Mathias, who called 911.

The 911 operator offered helpful tips on just what to do until paramedics arrived.

Jim said he was conscious through the whole thing and was so grateful to all of them.

“I owe them all my life,” Jim told his fellow tour group members. “But the first guy really seemed to know what to do.”

As the paramedics took over, Jim said he looked up at him and said, “What’s your name?”

“He said, ‘my name is John and you are going to be all right.’ ”

Turns out it was John Malkovich, who while in his movie career has played many killers, I wasn’t sure if he’d taken on the role of a doctor before.

A little research shows the 59-year-old actor actually has played a physician.

Dr. Jekyll, in the 1996 Mary Reilly with Julia Roberts.

Imagine lying on the sidewalk bleeding to death and it’s Dr. Jekyll standing over you with his hand on your neck?

Jim, who admits he didn’t know Malkovich from such movies as Dangerous Liaisons, Secretariat and In the Line of Fire, said he isn’t complaining about any part he has played before because this was his best one yet.

“I want to hug them all,” said Marilyn. “They are all heroes.”

In the midst of it all Jim wasn’t sure when they said they were going to take him to hospital and it was Malkovich who calmed him down.

“He told the man don’t worry, the Canadian medical system is excellent,” said Ben. “He assured the man everything was going to be first class.”

And that it was, said Jim.

“The paramedics and the nurses and doctors in the trauma unit at St. Michael’s Hospital where just wonderful,” he said. “They told me not to worry about the insurance and payment right now and just took care of me. I want to thank Canada for all of this.”

With the help of Sun photographer Ernest Doroszuk, we tracked down Malkovich but he politely declined to comment on what happened on King St. E. Thursday night.

But Toronto can give him an extra round of applause Saturday as he appears on stage at the Elgin Theatre at 8 p.m.