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Willem Dafoe | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Dafoe at the 2024 Venice Film Festival | |
| Born | William James Dafoe July 22, 1955 Appleton, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Citizenship | United States, Italy |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Works | Filmography |
| Spouse | |
| Partner | Elizabeth LeCompte (1977–2004) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Donald Dafoe (brother) |
| Awards | Full list |
William James "Willem" Dafoe (/dəˈfoʊ/ də-FOH; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. Known for his prolific career portraying diverse roles in both mainstream and arthouse films, he is the recipient of various accolades, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor as well as nominations for four Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, and four Golden Globe Awards. He received an Honorary Golden Bear in 2018.
Dafoe made his film debut with an uncredited role in Heaven's Gate (1980).[1] He went on to receive Academy Award nominations for playing a compassionate army Sergeant in the war drama Platoon (1986), Max Schreck in the gothic mystery Shadow of the Vampire (2000), a kindly motel manager in the coming of age film The Florida Project (2017), and Vincent van Gogh in the biopic At Eternity's Gate (2018).
He is known for collaborating with auteur filmmakers like Paul Schrader, Abel Ferrara, Lars von Trier, Julian Schnabel, Wes Anderson, and Robert Eggers. He has acted in films such as The Hunger (1983), Roadhouse 66 (1984), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Light Sleeper (1992), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Victory (1996), New Rose Hotel (1998), American Psycho (2000), Auto Focus (2002), American Dreamz (2006), John Carter (2012), The Lighthouse (2019), Asteroid City (2023), and Saturday Night (2024).
Dafoe was a founding member of experimental theater company The Wooster Group. He portrayed supervillain Norman Osborn in the superhero film trilogy Spider-Man (2002–2007), and reprised the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). He has also voiced roles in the animated films Finding Nemo (2003), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), and The Boy and the Heron (2023).
- ^ "Willem Dafoe got fired from his first film role for lying about speaking Dutch". The A.V. Club. November 6, 2019. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.