Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe

Dafoe in September 2011
Born William J. Dafoe
July 22, 1955 (1955-07-22) (age 56)
Appleton, Wisconsin, U.S.
Occupation Actor, voice actor
Years active 1980–present
Spouse Giada Colagrande (2005–present)

Willem Dafoe (born July 22, 1955) is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group. He has had roles in a wide range of films, including Streets of Fire, To Live and Die in L.A., Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, The English Patient, The Last Temptation of Christ, Mississippi Burning, Wild at Heart, The Boondock Saints, Inside Man, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Spider-Man, Shadow of the Vampire, The Aviator, American Psycho, Antichrist, and voice roles in Fantastic Mr. Fox and Finding Nemo.

Dafoe has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice. The first was for his role in Platoon in 1986 and the second time for his performance in Shadow of the Vampire in 2000.

Contents

Early life

Dafoe was born William J. Dafoe[1] in Appleton, Wisconsin. He is the sixth of seven children of Muriel Isabel (née Sprissler), a nurse and Boston native, and Dr. William Alfred Dafoe, a surgeon.[2] (His brother Donald Dafoe is also a surgeon.[3]) His ancestry includes Irish, Scottish, German, and Canadian.[4]

Dafoe studied drama at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, but left before graduation to join the newly formed avant-garde group Theatre X.

Career

After touring with Theatre X for four years in the United States and Europe, he moved to New York City and joined the Performance Group. Dafoe's film career began in 1981, when he was cast in Heaven's Gate[5] but his role was removed from the film during editing. In the mid-1980s he was cast by William Friedkin to star in To Live And Die In LA, in which Dafoe portrays counterfeiter Rick Masters. A year later he starred as the leader of a motorcycle gang in The Loveless (and later played a similar role in Streets of Fire), but his first breakthrough film role was as the compassionate Sergeant Elias in Platoon (1986). Dafoe enjoyed the opportunity to play a 'good guy' and said that Platoon gave him a chance to display his versatility. "I think all characters live in you. You just frame them, give them circumstances, and that character will happen."[6]

In 1988, Dafoe starred in another film set during the Vietnam War, this time as CID Agent Buck McGriff in Off Limits. He has since become a popular character actor. He is often cast as unstable or villainous characters, such as the Green Goblin in Spider-Man and Barillo in Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Before that, he was briefly considered for the role of The Joker by Tim Burton and Sam Hamm for 1989's Batman. Hamm recalls "We thought, 'Well, Willem Dafoe looks just like The Joker.'" The role ended up going to Jack Nicholson.[7] However, Dafoe also faced challenges of being typecasted to playing villanous roles. When he played Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), he remarked "To this day, I can't believe I was so brazen to think I could pull off the Jesus role",[8] though Dafoe received acclaim despite the controversy surrounding the film.

He starred in the erotic drama Body of Evidence with Madonna. In 1991, Willem Dafoe portrayed a Manhattan drug dealer in the film Light Sleeper. Dafoe played an eccentric FBI agent in The Boondock Saints (1999) and a private investigator in American Psycho (2000). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1986 for Platoon and 2000 for Shadow of the Vampire. He played a rare heroic film role when he provided the voice of Gill in the animated film Finding Nemo. Dafoe also played as a leading man and hero in "Triumph of the Spirit", playing a Greek Jew, Salamo Arouch, who survived Auschwitz-Birkenau through his prowess as a boxer, based upon a true story.

He worked briefly as a model in a 1990 Prada campaign. In 2004, Dafoe lent his likeness and voice for the James Bond video game Everything or Nothing as the villain Nikolai Diavolo. In 2006, he played NYPD detective Stan Aubray on the hunt for a serial killer, the lead in New York-set thriller Anamorph, opposite Scott Speedman and Peter Stormare. He stars alongside Rowan Atkinson in the sequel to 1997's Bean, Mr. Bean's Holiday which was released worldwide March 30, 2007.

In 2011, Dafoe began narrating a series of television commercials for the Greek yogurt company Fage.[9][10] Additionally, the actor is featured in Jim Beam's "Bold Decisions" television ad campaign, which began airing April 2011.

Dafoe starred alongside Marina Abramović in 'The Life and Death of Marina Abramović' a theatrical masterpiece which premiered at the Manchester International Festival in 2011.

Dafoe since 2010 voices the Birdseye polar bear mascot on UK TV commercials[11]

Personal life

Dafoe met director Elizabeth LeCompte at the Performance Group. LeCompte and Dafoe were part of the restructuring of The Performance Group and became professional collaborators and founding members of The Wooster Group, and began a relationship. Their son, Jack, was born in 1982. The pair eventually split in 2004.[12] Dafoe married Italian director and actress Giada Colagrande on March 25, 2005. The couple spends most of the year in Colagrande's native Italy.[13]

Dafoe said in 2008 he is no longer a vegetarian.[14]

Dafoe's brother, Donald Dafoe, is a transplant surgeon and researcher.[15]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1980 Heaven's Gate Extra Uncredited
1982 Loveless, TheThe Loveless Vance
1983 Hunger, TheThe Hunger 2nd Phone Booth Youth
1984 Roadhouse 66 Johnny Harte
New York Nights Boyfriend
Streets of Fire Raven Shaddock
1985 To Live and Die in L.A. Erick 'Rick' Masters
1986 Platoon Sgt. Elias K. Grodin Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
1988 Off Limits Buck McGriff
Last Temptation of Christ, TheThe Last Temptation of Christ Jesus
Mississippi Burning Agent Alan Ward
1989 Triumph of the Spirit Salamo Arouch
Born on the Fourth of July Charlie – Villa Dulce
1990 Cry-Baby Hateful Guard
Wild at Heart Bobby Peru
1991 Flight of the Intruder Lt. Cmdr. Virgil 'Tiger' Cole
1992 White Sands Deputy Sheriff Ray Dolezal
Light Sleeper John LeTour
1993 Body of Evidence Frank Dulaney Nominated—Razzie Award for Worst Actor
Faraway, So Close! Emit Flesti
1994 Tom & Viv Tom Eliot
Clear and Present Danger John Clark
1995 Victory Axel Heyst
Night and the Moment, TheThe Night and the Moment The Writer
1996 Basquiat The Electrician
English Patient, TheThe English Patient David Caravaggio
1997 Speed 2: Cruise Control John Geiger Nominated—Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor
Affliction Rolfe Whitehouse
1998 Lulu on the Bridge Dr. Van Horn
New Rose Hotel X Also Co-Producer
1999 eXistenZ Gas
Boondock Saints, TheThe Boondock Saints Agent Paul Smecker
2000 American Psycho Det. Donald Kimball
Animal Factory Earl Copen
Shadow of the Vampire Max Schreck Jury Award for Best Actor at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival
Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor
Bullfighter Father Ramirez
2001 Pavilion of Women Father Andre
Edges of the Lord Priest
2002 Spider-Man Green Goblin/Norman Osborn Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Villain
Nominated -MTV Movie Award for Best Fight
Nominated-Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor 		Auto Focus John Henry Carpenter Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
2003 Finding Nemo Gill Voice Only
Reckoning, TheThe Reckoning Martin
Once Upon a Time in Mexico Armando Barillo
Camel Cricket City Camel Cricket Voice Only
Short Film
2004 Clearing, TheThe Clearing Arnold Mack
Spider-Man 2 Green Goblin/Norman Osborn
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, TheThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Klaus Daimler Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
Control Dr. Michael Copeland direct-to-video
Aviator, TheThe Aviator Roland Sweet
2005 xXx: State of the Union General George Deckert
Manderlay Grace's Father
Before It Had a Name Leslie a.k.a. The Black Widow (US title)
Ripley Under Ground Neil Murchison
2006 American Dreamz Chief of Staff
Inside Man Capt. John Darius
Tales from Earthsea Cob Voice Only: English Version
Paris, je t'aime The Cowboy Segment: Place des Victoires
2007 Walker, TheThe Walker Senator Larry Lockner
Mr. Bean's Holiday Carson Clay
Spider-Man 3 Green Goblin/Norman Osborn
Go Go Tales Ray Ruby
Anamorph Det. Stan Aubrey
2008 Fireflies in the Garden Charles Waechter
Adam Resurrected Commandant Klein
Dust of Time, TheThe Dust of Time A
2009 Antichrist He Bodil Award for Best Actor
Fantastic Mr. Fox Rat Voice Only
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant Gavner Purl
Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, TheThe Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day Paul Smecker Uncredited
Daybreakers Elvis
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done Detective Hank Havenhurst
L'affaire Farewell Feeney
2010 Miral Eddie
2011 The Hunter Martin David
4:44 Last Day on Earth Cisco
2012 John Carter Tars Tarkas post-production
Odd Thomas Wyatt Porter filming
The Wild Bunch Field Marshall in production
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1986 Hitchhiker, TheThe Hitchhiker Jeffrey Hunt "Ghostwriter"
1991 Fishing With John Himself Segment: Ice Fishing In Northern Maine
1997 Simpsons, TheThe Simpsons The Commandant Voice Only
"The Secret War of Lisa Simpson"
2007 Family Guy Himself Voice Only
Lois Kills Stewie
Video games
Year Title Role Notes
2002 Spider-Man Green Goblin / Norman Osborn
2004 James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing Nikolai Diavolo

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

Saturn Awards

Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards

Camerimage

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

Chlotrudis Awards

Fantasporto

Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival

Golden Globe Awards

Independent Spirit Awards

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

MTV Awards

MTV Awards, Mexico

Online Film Critics Society Awards

Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards

Razzie Awards

Sant Jordi Awards

Satellite Awards

Screen Actors Guild Awards

Sitges – Catalonian International Film Festival

San Sebastian International Film Festival

References

  1. ^ Willem Dafoe - Biography - Movies & TV - NYTimes.com
  2. ^ Willem Dafoe biography
  3. ^ http://www.newswise.com/articles/pancreas-transplant-director-donald-dafoe-joins-cedars-sinai
  4. ^ 1
  5. ^ "Spalding Gray’s Tortured Soul". The New York Times Magazine: 5 of online version. October 6, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/magazine/spalding-grays-tortured-soul.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=willem%20dafoe&st=cse. Retrieved November 6, 2011. 
  6. ^ BOMB Magazine: Willem Dafoe by Louis Morra
  7. ^ Batman Movie Online
  8. ^ Biography for Willem Dafoe at the Internet Movie Database
  9. ^ Murg, Stephanie (2011-03-10) Mullen Makes Mouths Water, Eyes Widen with Mesmerizing Yogurt Commercial, Mediabistro.com
  10. ^ Chapman, Mike (2011-03-04) Fage, "Plain Extraordinary", Adweek
  11. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/may/10/willem-dafoe-birds-eye-ad
  12. ^ Entertainment News and Celebrity News @ TVGuide.com
  13. ^ Willem Dafoe interview
  14. ^ "Willem Dafoe Is No Longer A Vegetarian", Starpulse.com, April 16, 2008
  15. ^ "Pancreas Transplant Director Donald Dafoe Joins Cedars-Sinai". Cedars-Sinai Medical Center press release via Newswise.com. May 13, 2005. Archived from the original on December 9, 2011. http://www.newswise.com/articles/pancreas-transplant-director-donald-dafoe-joins-cedars-sinai. Retrieved December 9, 2011. 

External links