Willem Dafoe is a highly acclaimed American actor recognized for his versatility in portraying a wide range of characters across mainstream and independent films. He has received numerous accolades, including a Volpi Cup Award for Best Actor and an Honorary Golden Bear. Dafoe has also garnered nominations for four Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, and four Golden Globe Awards, solidifying his status as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry.
Willem Dafoe appeared at the Tribeca Film Festival in support of Patricia Arquette's directorial debut, 'Gonzo Girl'. The film received reviews during the festival, highlighting Arquette's venture into directing.
In 1917, Dr. William Alfred Dafoe, Willem Dafoe's father, was born.
In 1922, Muriel Isabel (née Sprissler), Willem Dafoe's mother, was born.
In 1982, The Loveless film paid homage to the 1953 film The Wild One.
On July 22, 1955, William James "Willem" Dafoe was born in Appleton, Wisconsin.
In 2014, Willem Dafoe collaborated with Ferrara on the drama "Pasolini", where he played Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini during his last days before his murder in 1975.
In 1976, Willem Dafoe moved to New York City after studying drama and joining the experimental theater company Theatre X in Milwaukee.
In 1977, Willem Dafoe began a relationship with director Elizabeth LeCompte.
In 1980, Willem Dafoe made his film debut in Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate, although his role was mostly cut from the film.
In 1982, Willem Dafoe starred as the leader of an outlaw motorcycle club in the drama The Loveless, marking his first leading role.
In 1982, Willem Dafoe's son, Jack, was born with Elizabeth LeCompte.
In 1983, Willem Dafoe had a brief bit part in The Hunger.
In 1984, Willem Dafoe played the main antagonist in Walter Hill's action film Streets of Fire.
In 1985, Willem Dafoe appeared in the film To Live and Die in L.A.
In 1985, Willem Dafoe starred in Roadhouse 66 and To Live and Die in L.A., where he portrayed a counterfeiter named Rick Masters.
In 1986, Willem Dafoe received an Academy Award nomination for his role as a compassionate army Sergeant in the war drama Platoon.
In 1987, Willem Dafoe provided his voice to the documentary Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam.
In 1988, Willem Dafoe appeared in the film The Last Temptation of Christ.
In 1988, Willem Dafoe starred in Off Limits and portrayed Jesus in Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ, which caused controversy.
In 1988, Willem Dafoe starred opposite Gene Hackman in the crime thriller Mississippi Burning, a film that generated controversy regarding its fictionalization of events.
In 1989, Willem Dafoe appeared in the film Born on the Fourth of July.
In 1989, Willem Dafoe starred in Triumph of the Spirit and made a small appearance in Born on the Fourth of July. He was also considered for the role of the Joker in Batman.
In 1990, Willem Dafoe made a cameo in Cry-Baby and co-starred in Wild at Heart, where he played a villainous role.
In 1991, Willem Dafoe starred in the action film Flight of the Intruder, which received negative reviews. He was also slated to star in Arrive Alive, but the film was canceled during production.
In 1992, Willem Dafoe had leading roles in White Sands and Paul Schrader's drama Light Sleeper, receiving praise for his performance in the latter.
In 1993, Willem Dafoe starred in Body of Evidence with Madonna, which was critically panned, and appeared in Wim Wenders' German film Faraway, So Close!.
In 1994, Willem Dafoe co-starred in Clear and Present Danger and portrayed T.S. Eliot in Tom & Viv.
In 1994, Willem Dafoe filmed the movie Victory.
In 1995, Willem Dafoe played an 18th-century writer in the period drama The Night and the Moment.
In 1996, Willem Dafoe appeared in the film The English Patient.
In 1996, Willem Dafoe had a cameo in Basquiat and played an operative in The English Patient, filmed in Tuscany.
In 1997, Willem Dafoe played a villain in "Speed 2: Cruise Control" and expressed his need to appear in both independent and blockbuster films. He played Geiger, a hacker hijacking a cruise ship. The movie received negative reviews, and Dafoe was nominated for a Razzie. Also in 1997, Dafoe worked with Paul Schrader in "Affliction" and voiced the commandant in "The Simpsons" episode "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson".
In 1998, Willem Dafoe starred in Abel Ferrara's cyberpunk drama "New Rose Hotel", playing X, a corporate raider. Despite largely negative reviews, Dafoe's performance was noted as a "compensation".
In 1998, the film Victory, filmed in 1994, premiered in Europe, in which Willem Dafoe played a role.
In 1999, Willem Dafoe had a supporting role in David Cronenberg's "Existenz", playing a gas station owner, Gas. He also starred in "The Boondock Saints" as an eccentric FBI agent. The latter received negative reviews but has become a cult film. Dafoe's role in The Boondock Saints was praised by some critics.
In 2000, Willem Dafoe appeared in the film American Psycho.
In 2000, Willem Dafoe played a supporting role in "American Psycho" as a private investigator. He also acted in Steve Buscemi's "Animal Factory" as an incarcerated veteran. His performance in Animal Factory was particularly praised by critics.
In 2000, Willem Dafoe received an Academy Award nomination for playing Max Schreck in the mystery film Shadow of the Vampire.
In 2000, Willem Dafoe won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his role in Shadow of the Vampire.
In 2001, Willem Dafoe took on two leading roles as priests. In "Pavilion of Women", he played an American priest in China. In "Edges of the Lord", he played a priest helping a Jewish boy during Nazi Germany's occupation of Poland.
In 2002, Willem Dafoe played the Green Goblin in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man". He portrayed Norman Osborn, who becomes the Green Goblin after testing a strength enhancer on himself. Reviews of his performance were mixed, with some criticizing the costume.
In 2002, Willem Dafoe portrayed Norman Osborn in the superhero film Spider-Man.
In 2002, Willem Dafoe starred in Paul Schrader's "Auto Focus", portraying John Henry Carpenter, an electronics expert. This marked Dafoe's third collaboration with Schrader.
Like Alfred Molina, Dafoe was digitally de-aged for the character's 2002 self.
In 2003, Willem Dafoe voiced Gill in the animated film "Finding Nemo". He also appeared in "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" as a drug lord.
In 2003, Willem Dafoe voiced a role in the animated film Finding Nemo.
In 2004, Willem Dafoe acted in "The Reckoning" and lent his voice and likeness to the video game "James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing" as the villain Nikolai Diavolo.
In 2004, Willem Dafoe and Elizabeth LeCompte separated after a long-term relationship but were never married.
In 2004, Willem Dafoe appeared in the film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
In 2004, Willem Dafoe co-starred in "The Clearing" as a kidnapper. He reprised his role as Norman Osborn in "Spider-Man 2" and appeared in "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou", his first film with Wes Anderson.
In 2004, Willem Dafoe had a role in "The Aviator", narrated "Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate", and co-starred in "Control".
On March 25, 2005, Willem Dafoe married Italian actress Giada Colagrande after meeting on the set of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
In 2005, Willem Dafoe co-starred in "Manderlay", beginning a collaboration with Lars von Trier. He also co-wrote and starred in "Before It Had a Name" with his wife, Giada Colagrande.
In 2005, Willem Dafoe co-starred in "XXX: State of the Union" as a U.S. Secretary of Defense attempting a coup. The film was largely panned, but Dafoe did not regret appearing in it.
In 2006, Willem Dafoe had a supporting role in Spike Lee's "Inside Man" and co-starred in "American Dreamz", a comedy satirizing entertainment and politics.
In 2007, Willem Dafoe continued portraying Norman Osborn in the superhero film Spider-Man.
In 2007, Willem Dafoe played a film director in "Mr. Bean's Holiday" and starred in Abel Ferrara's "Go Go Tales". He also voiced a villain in "Tales from Earthsea" and had a cameo in "Spider-Man 3".
In 2008, Willem Dafoe starred in "Fireflies in the Garden" as an English professor, co-starred in "Adam Resurrected" as a Nazi officer, and starred in "The Dust of Time" as an American film director.
Between October and December 2009, Willem Dafoe starred in Richard Foreman's surrealist play, "Idiot Savant", which was performed at The Public Theater.
In 2009, Willem Dafoe appeared in the film Antichrist.
In 2009, Willem Dafoe recalled that his five sisters primarily raised him due to his parents' demanding work schedules as a surgeon and a nurse.
In 2009, Willem Dafoe voiced a role in the animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox.
In 2010, Willem Dafoe appeared in Julian Schnabel's "Miral" and starred in Giada Colagrande's "A Woman". Also in 2010, Dafoe began voicing Clarence, the Birds Eye polar bear mascot in television commercials in the United Kingdom, and narrated Ric Burns' documentary "Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World".
In 2010, Willem Dafoe recalled his impromptu marriage to Giada Colagrande, highlighting its spontaneous nature.
In 2011, Willem Dafoe had leading roles in Abel Ferrara's "4:44 Last Day on Earth" and starred in the Australian drama "The Hunter". In 2011, Dafoe began narrating commercials for Fage and starred in a Jim Beam commercial titled "Bold Choices". Dafoe starred alongside Marina Abramović and Gretchen Mol in the play "The Life and Death of Marina Abramović", which premiered at The Lowry in 2011.
In 2012, Muriel Isabel (née Sprissler), Willem Dafoe's mother, passed away.
In 2012, Willem Dafoe appeared in the film John Carter.
In 2012, Willem Dafoe played Martian chieftain Tars Tarkas in the Disney film "John Carter", using motion capture. He also co-starred in the crime thriller "Tomorrow You're Gone" in 2012.
In 2013, Willem Dafoe played a police officer in "Odd Thomas" and co-starred in the video game "Beyond: Two Souls". Dafoe played a supporting role in "Out of the Furnace" and appeared in Lars von Trier's "Nymphomaniac". Also in 2013, Dafoe played the devil in a Mercedes-Benz Super Bowl commercial and starred in three short student films as part of a competition sponsored by Jameson Irish Whiskey.
In May 2014, Willem Dafoe served as a member of the main competition jury at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.
In November 2014, Dafoe made his second guest appearance on "The Simpsons", voicing a new school teacher.
In 2014, Dr. William Alfred Dafoe, Willem Dafoe's father, passed away.
In 2014, Willem Dafoe portrayed a banker in "A Most Wanted Man", worked with Wes Anderson in "The Grand Budapest Hotel", and starred in "Bad Country" as a detective.
In 2015, Willem Dafoe starred in Héctor Babenco's final film, "My Hindu Friend", as a film director close to death.
In 2016, Willem Dafoe starred in "Dog Eat Dog", reprised his voice role in "Finding Dory", played in "A Family Man", starred in "Sculpt", and appeared in "The Great Wall". Also in 2016, Dafoe appeared in a Snickers Super Bowl commercial, recreating Marilyn Monroe's iconic white dress scene.
In 2017, Willem Dafoe co-starred in Sean Baker's drama "The Florida Project", voiced Ryuk in Netflix's "Death Note", narrated "Mountain", co-starred in "Murder on the Orient Express", and played Nuidis Vulko in "Justice League". Dafoe earned his third Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 2017.
In 2017, Willem Dafoe received an Academy Award nomination for playing a motel manager in the film The Florida Project.
In 2017, Willem Dafoe won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his role in The Florida Project.
In 2018, Willem Dafoe played Nuidis Vulko in a leading role in James Wan's film "Aquaman". The same year, Dafoe played Vincent van Gogh in the biographical drama "At Eternity's Gate", for which he received the Volpi Cup for Best Actor and an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination.
In 2018, Willem Dafoe received an Academy Award nomination for his role as Vincent van Gogh in the biopic At Eternity's Gate.
In 2019, Willem Dafoe appeared in the film The Lighthouse.
In 2019, Willem Dafoe had a supporting role in "Motherless Brooklyn", played a lighthouse keeper in "The Lighthouse", and portrayed Leonhard Seppala in "Togo".
In 2020, The New York Times ranked Willem Dafoe No. 18 in its list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century.
In 2021, Willem Dafoe acted in "The French Dispatch" and "Nightmare Alley", and voiced the Australian ABC-television documentary "River".
In 2021, Willem Dafoe reprised his role as Green Goblin in "Spider-Man: No Way Home". Upon the release of No Way Home in 2021, Dafoe's reprisal was met with universal acclaim.
In 2021, Willem Dafoe reprised his role as Norman Osborn in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
On January 18, 2022, it was announced that Willem Dafoe would host Saturday Night Live on January 29, 2022, featuring Katy Perry as the musical guest.
On January 29, 2022, Willem Dafoe hosted Saturday Night Live with Katy Perry as the musical guest.
On May 22, 2022, Willem Dafoe was invited to serve as the keynote speaker for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's commencement ceremony and received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from his alma mater.
Willem Dafoe acted in Robert Eggers's historical epic "The Northman", released in 2022.
In October 2023, it was announced that Willem Dafoe would provide the English language voice for Elder Pelican in Hayao Miyazaki's animated film, The Boy and the Heron.
In 2023, Willem Dafoe voiced a role in the animated film The Boy and the Heron.
On January 8, 2024, Willem Dafoe received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
On September 6, 2024, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, featuring Dafoe as Wolf Jackson, was released to critical and commercial success.
On October 11, 2024, Saturday Night, a biographical comedy-drama film where Dafoe portrays David Tebet, was released.
On December 25, 2024, Nosferatu, a gothic horror film starring Dafoe as Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz, was released.
In 2024, Dafoe performed a dramatic reading of a poem titled Judas at the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, staged in front of Peter Paul Rubens' Last Supper painting.
In 2024, Willem Dafoe appeared in the film Nosferatu.
On April 25, 2025, The Legend of Ochi, an A24 fantasy adventure film where Dafoe plays Maxim, is set to be released.
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