Willem Dafoe
William James "Willem" Dafoe (/dəˈfoʊ/;[1] 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 BAFTA Award, and four Golden Globe Awards. He has frequently collaborated with filmmakers Paul Schrader, Abel Ferrara, Lars von Trier, Julian Schnabel, Wes Anderson, and Robert Eggers. Dafoe was a founding member of experimental theater company The Wooster Group.
Willem Dafoe
He made his film debut with an uncredited role in Heaven's Gate (1980).[2] Dafoe's early career includes credits such as The Loveless (1982), Streets of Fire (1984), and To Live and Die in L.A. (1985). He earned his first Academy Award nomination for the war drama Platoon (1986), followed by nominations for his roles in Shadow of the Vampire (2000), The Florida Project (2017), and the Vincent Van Gogh biopic At Eternity's Gate (2018). He also gained acclaim and wide recognition for his roles as Jesus Christ in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and as the supervillain Norman Osborn / Green Goblin in the superhero film Spider-Man (2002), a role he reprised in cameo roles in its sequels Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007), and in a central role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
His other film appearance include roles in Mississippi Burning (1988), Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Wild at Heart (1990), Light Sleeper (1992), Clear and Present Danger (1994), The English Patient (1996), Affliction (1997), New Rose Hotel (1998), Existenz (1999), The Boondock Saints (1999), American Psycho (2000), Auto Focus (2002), Finding Nemo (2003), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), Inside Man (2006), Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007), Antichrist (2009), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), Nymphomaniac (2013), The Fault in Our Stars (2014), John Wick (2014), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Aquaman (2018), The Lighthouse (2019), Nightmare Alley (2021), and Poor Things (2023).
Dafoe has received numerous accolades including nominations for four Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, four Critics' Choice Movie Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has received four Independent Spirit Award nominations winning twice for Best Supporting Male for his roles in Shadow of the Vampire (2000), and The Florida Project (2017).
Over his career he has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the following performances:
On January 8, 2024, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[196]