John Malkovich 'very sad' about disappearance of close friend Julian Sands
John Malkovich has described the disappearance of his close friend Julian Sands as "a very sad event".
The British actor was reported missing on 13 January after he failed to return from a hike in the Mount Baldy region of California.
Malkovich, who first met Sands on the set of 1984's The Killing Fields, addressed his co-star and friend's disappearance at the press conference for their new movie, Seneca - On the Creation of Earthquakes, at the Berlin International Film Festival on Monday.
"Julian and I were very, very close," Malkovich told reporters. "I'm a godfather to his first son from his first marriage to Sarah, who I know very well. I introduced him to his second wife, and we have been close since we met in (1983) on the set of The Killing Fields. It's a very sad event."
The pair temporarily lived together after Sands' marriage with Sarah Harvey ended. Malkovich later introduced the Leaving Las Vegas star to Evgenia Citkowitz, whom he went on to marry in 1990.
Search and rescue efforts continue across the San Gabriel Mountains to locate Sands. Earlier this month, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said they "remain hopeful" about finding the actor but know "the outcome may not be what we would like".
"Conditions on Mt Baldy remain a danger, and our aviation division still patrols the area when they are available. We also plan to search the area by ground in the future," the spokesperson said.
