Malina's first job in the film business was as a production assistant on the Chevy Chase comedy "Fletch Lives", an ill-received sequel to the star's hit movie "Fletch." His first on-screen appearance was a three-line, five-word role in the film version of "A Few Good Men", where he has said he appreciated the dedication that star Jack Nicholson showed by performing his lines in the scene himself even though his character was off screen and could easily have been played for him by a crew member. In his next film, Sorkin's "The American President", Malina had a somewhat larger role as assistant to Annette Bening's environmental-activist character.