Willem Dafoe
Born: 1955-07-22 in Appleton, Wisconsin, USA
Known For: Acting
Biography
William James "Willem" Dafoe (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, four Golden Globe Awards, four Critics' Choice Movie Awards, and five Screen Actors Guild 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 theatre company The Wooster Group. He made his film debut with an uncredited role in Heaven's Gate (1980). Dafoe's early career includes credits for 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 in the superhero film Spider-Man (2002), a role he reprised in its sequels Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007), and 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), Body of Evidence (1993), 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), Poor Things (2023), and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024).
Filmography
2026
2025
- The Phoenician Scheme as Knave
- The Legend of Ochi as Maxim
- Zero as (voice)
- The Man in My Basement as Anniston Bennett
- Late Fame as Ed Saxberger
- The Birthday Party as Marcos Timoleon
- Grande Envie as Count
- Pet Shop Days as Francis
- Avrio Vrady as Dancing man
- The Souffleur as Lucius
2024
- Nosferatu as Prof. Albin Eberhart von Franz
- Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as Jackson
- Kinds of Kindness as Raymond / George / Omi
- run 002
- Saturday Night as David Tebet
- Finally Dawn as Rufo Priori
- Can Creativity Save the World? as Self
- Nosferatu: An Inside Look as Self
- Jesus Goes to Hollywood as Self (archive footage)
2023
- Poor Things as Godwin Baxter
- Asteroid City as Saltzburg Keitel
- Inside as Nemo
- Gonzo Girl as Walker Reade
- The Wild One as Narrator (voice)
- Interior (The Spectator) as Narrator
- Willem Dafoe
2022
- The Northman as Heimir the Fool
- Dead for a Dollar as Joe Cribbens
- Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home as Self
- Creation of the Kingdom of Exodus as Self / Grand Duc
- Stasera c’è Cattelan su Raidue as Self
- 7 Deaths of Maria Callas as Film Actor
- Il coraggio di essere Franco as Sé stesso
- Mostra, Venise as Self
- Finding Satoshi as Narrator
- Franco Battiato - La voce del padrone
- Robert Wilson: The Beauty of the Mysterious as Self
2021
- Spider-Man: No Way Home as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin
- Zack Snyder's Justice League as Vulko
- Nightmare Alley as Clem Hoatley
- The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun as Albert 'the Abacus'
- The Card Counter as Gordo
- River as Narrator
- Maresco / Pasolini as Self
- Why Are We (Not) Creative? as Self
2020
- Tommaso as Tommaso
- Sportin' Life as Self
- Siberia as Clint
- Wim Wenders, Desperado as Self
- Babenco: Tell Me When I Die as Self
- The Last Thing He Wanted as Richard McMahon
- Wim Wenders - Von Filmen und Träumen as Self
- The Lighthouse: A Dark & Stormy Tale as Self
- Roy's World: Barry Gifford's Chicago
2019
- Togo as Leonhard Seppala
- The Lighthouse as Thomas Wake
- Motherless Brooklyn as Paul Randolph
- Manou the Swift as Manou's Father (voice)
- Vincent van Gogh Superstar as Vincent van Gogh (archive footage)
- Love, Antosha as Self
2018
- Aquaman as Nuidis Vulko
- The House That Jack Built ... (Thanks)
- Friedkin Uncut as Self
- At Eternity's Gate as Vincent van Gogh
- Vox Lux as Narrator (voice)
- Brothers in Arms as Self
- Opus Zero as Paul
- Theatron. Romeo Castellucci
- Under the Rainbow: Making The Florida Project as Self
2017
- What Happened to Monday as Terrence Settman
- Murder on the Orient Express as Gerhard Hardman
- The Florida Project as Bobby
- Mountain as Narrator (voice)
- Piazza Vittorio as Himself
- Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait as Self
- Death Note as Ryuk (voice)
- Ballad of a Righteous Merchant as Self
- NHK WORLD PRIME as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Sanctuary as Narrator
2016
- Finding Dory as Gill (voice)
- The Great Wall as Ballard
- A Family Man as Ed Blackridge
- Sculpt
- Father as James Verdun
- Dog Eat Dog as Mad Dog
- Nelson Algren Live as Role1 / Frankie Machine / Role2 / Blackie Cavanaugh
- My Hindu Friend as Diego Fairman
- Mind the Gap as Self
2015
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
- Don't F*#% With John Wick as Self
- John Wick: Calling in the Cavalry as Self
- Fukushima: A Nuclear Story as Narrator
- The Making of A Most Wanted Man as Self
2014
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self
- The Grand Budapest Hotel as Jopling
- Off Camera with Sam Jones as Self
- The Fault in Our Stars as Peter van Houten
- John Wick as Marcus
- Bad Country as Bud Carter
- A Most Wanted Man as Tommy Brue
- Pasolini as Pier Paolo Pasolini
- SPYMASTER: John le Carré in Hamburg as (archive footage)
2013
- Nymphomaniac: Vol. II as L
- Saving Norman as Lionel Pembrooke
- Out of the Furnace as John Petty
- The Smile Man as Willem
- Odd Thomas as Wyatt Porter
- Love's Routine as Barry
- The Benaki Museum as Narrator (voice)
2012
- John Carter as Tars Tarkas
- 4:44 Last Day on Earth as Cisco
- Tomorrow You're Gone as The Buddha
- Bob Wilson's Life & Death of Marina Abramovic as Self
2011
- The Hunter as Martin David
2010
- Conan as Self
- A Woman as Max Oliver
- Daybreakers as Lionel 'Elvis' Cormac
- Miral as Eddie
- My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done as Detective Hank Havenhurst
- The Making of Daybreakers as Self
- Into the Deep: America, Whaling & The World as Narrator
2009
- Fantastic Mr. Fox as Rat (voice)
- Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant as Gavner Purl
- Antichrist as He
- The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day as Paul Smecker
- Farewell as Feeney
2008
- Adam Resurrected as Commandat Klein
- The Dust of Time as A
- Fireflies in the Garden as Charles Waechter
2007
- The Graham Norton Show as Self
- Spider-Man 3 as Green Goblin / Norman Osborn
- Mr. Bean's Holiday as Carson Clay
- The Walker as Larry Lockner
- Anamorph as Stan Aubray
- To Each His Own Cinema as (segment "Occupations") (archive footage)
- Go Go Tales as Ray Ruby
- Wintergasten
- The Procedure as Christopher
- Cannes: All Access as Self
- Voom Portraits as Self
2006
- Inside Man as John Darius
- American Dreamz as Chief of Staff
- Paris Je T'aime as Le cow-boy (Place des Victoires)
2005
- The Colbert Report
- Manderlay as Grace's Father
- xXx: State of the Union as Gen. George Octavius Deckert
- Jiminy Glick in Lalawood as Willem Dafoe (uncredited)
- Before It Had a Name as Leslie
- On the Set: 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou' as Self / Klaus D.
- Ripley Under Ground as Neil Murchison
- This Is an Adventure as Self
- Matthew Gray Gubler's Life Aquatic Intern Journal as Self
2004
- Spider-Man 2 as Green Goblin / Norman Osborn
- The Aviator as Roland Sweet
- Kulturplatz as Self
- Control as Dr. Michael Copeland
- The Reckoning as Martin
- The Clearing as Arnold Mack
- The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou as Klaus Daimler
- Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate as Narrator (voice)
- Behind the Scenes of 'Spider-Man' as Self
- The Misbehavers as Self
- Love, Death, Elvis & Oz: The Making of Wild at Heart
2003
- Finding Nemo as Gill (voice)
- Once Upon a Time in Mexico as Armando Barillo
- Abel Ferrara: Not Guilty
- Overnight as Self
- Rockets Redglare! as Self
- Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.' as Self
2002
- Spider-Man as Green Goblin / Norman Osborn
- The Spider-Man Story as Self
- Behind the Ultimate Spin: The Making of 'Spider-Man' as Self
- Globehunters: An Around the World in 80 Days Adventure as Hunter (voice)
- Auto Focus as John Carpenter
- Spider-Mania as Self
2001
- Pavilion of Women as Father Andre
- Edges of the Lord as Priest
- A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting 'Platoon' as Self
2000
- American Psycho as Donald Kimball
- Animal Factory as Earl Copen
- Bullfighter as Father Ramirez
- Shadow of the Vampire as Max Schreck
1999
- eXistenZ as Gas
- The Boondock Saints as Paul Smecker
- New Rose Hotel as X
- The Directors as Self
- Forrest Bess: Key to the Riddle as Narrator
1998
- Lulu on the Bridge as Dr. Van Horn
1997
- The Wonderful World of Disney
- Speed 2: Cruise Control as Geiger
- Affliction as Rolfe Whitehouse
- Wrong Guys as Jack Straw
1996
- The Daily Show as Self
- Basquiat as The Electrician
- Victory as Axel Heyst
- The English Patient as David Caravaggio
1995
- The Night and the Moment as Lo scrittore
1994
- The Kingdom as Grand Duc
- Tom & Viv as Tom Eliot
- Clear and Present Danger as John Clark
- Inside the Actors Studio as Self
1993
- Brace Up! as Colonel Alexander Ignatyevich Vershinin
- Body of Evidence as Frank Dulaney
- Faraway, So Close! as Emit Flesti
- Rhyme 'Em to Death
- White Homeland Commando as Karl
1992
- Light Sleeper as John LeTour
- North on Evers
- White Sands as Deputy Sheriff Ray Dolezal
1991
- Flight of the Intruder as Lt. Cmdr. Virgil 'Tiger' Cole
- Fishing with John as Self
1990
- Wild at Heart as Bobby Peru
- Cry-Baby as Hateful Guard
1989
- The Simpsons as The Commandant / Jack Lassen (voice)
- Triumph of the Spirit as Salamo Arouch
- Born on the Fourth of July as Charlie
1988
- Mississippi Burning as Agent Alan Ward
- Off Limits as Buck McGriff
- The Last Temptation of Christ as Jesus
- Location Production Footage: The Last Temptation of the Christ as Self
1987
- Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam as Elephant Grass (voice)
1986
- Platoon as Sergeant Elias Grodin
1985
- To Live and Die in L.A. as Rick Masters
- O Panama
1984
- The Loveless as Vance
- Roadhouse 66 as Johnny Harte
- Atalanta Strategy as Immigration Staff
- Streets of Fire as Raven Shaddock
- New York Nights as Boyfriend
1983
- The Hitchhiker as Jeffrey Hunt
- The Hunger as 2nd Phone Booth Youth
1980
- Heaven's Gate as Willy (uncredited)
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
1962
1953
- The Oscars as Self