Willem Dafoe

Highest Rated: 100% Roy's World: Barry Gifford's Chicago (2020)

Lowest Rated: 0% Lulu on the Bridge (1998)

Birthday: Jul 22, 1955

Birthplace: Appleton, Wisconsin, USA

Known for the darkly eccentric characters he often plays, Willem Dafoe is one of the screen's more provocative and engaging actors. Strong-jawed and wiry, he has commented that his looks make him ideal for playing the boy next door -- if you happen to live next door to a mausoleum.Although his screen persona may suggest otherwise, Dafoe is the product of a fairly conventional Midwestern upbringing. The son of a surgeon and one of seven siblings, he was born on July 22, 1955 in Appleton, Wisconsin. Dafoe began acting as a teenager, and at the age of seventeen he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Growing weary of the university's theatre department, where he found that temperament was all too often a substitute for talent, he joined Milwaukee's experimental Theatre X troupe. After touring stateside and throughout Europe with the group, Dafoe moved to New York in 1977, where he joined the avant-garde Wooster Group. Dafoe's 1981 film debut was a decidedly mixed blessing, as it consisted of a minor role in Michael Cimino's disastrous Heaven's Gate . Ultimately, Dafoe's screen time was cut from the film's final release print, saving him the embarrassment of being associated with the film but also making him something of a nonentity. He went on to appear in such films as The Hunger (1983) and To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) before making his breakthrough in Platoon (1986). His portrayal of the insouciant, pot-smoking Sgt. Elias earned him Hollywood recognition and a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.Choosing his projects based on artistic merit rather than box office potential, Dafoe subsequently appeared in a number of widely divergent films, often taking roles that enhanced his reputation as one of the American cinema's most predictably unpredictable actors. After starring as an idealistic FBI agent in Mississippi Burning (1988), he took on one of his most memorable and controversial roles as Jesus in Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). Dafoe then portrayed a paralyzed, tormented Vietnam vet in Born on the Fourth of July (1989), his second collaboration with Oliver Stone. Homicidal tendencies and a mouthful of rotting teeth followed when he played an ex-marine in David Lynch's Wild at Heart (1990), before he got really weird and allowed Madonna to drip hot wax on his naked body in Body of Evidence (1992). Following a turn in Wim Wenders' Faraway, So Close in 1993, Dafoe entered the realm of the blockbuster with his role as a mercenary in Clear and Present Danger (1994). That same year, he earned acclaim for his portrayal of T.S. Eliot in Tom and Viv, one of the few roles that didn't paint the actor as a contemporary head case. His appearance as a mysterious, thumbless World War II intelligence agent in The English Patient (1996) followed in a similar vein. In 1998, Dafoe returned to the contemporary milieu, playing an anthropologist in Paul Auster's Lulu on the Bridge and a member of a ragingly dysfunctional family in Paul Schrader's powerful, highly acclaimed Affliction. He then extended his study of dysfunction as a creepy gas station attendant in David Cronenberg's eXistenZ (1999). After chasing a pair of killers claiming to be on a mission from God in The Boondock Saints, Dafoe astounded audiences as he transformed himself into a mirror image of one of the screens most terrfiying vampires in Shadow of the Vampire (2000). A fictional recount of the mystery surrounding F.W. Murnau's 1922 classic Nosferatu, Dafoe's remarkable transformation into the fearsome bloodsucker had filmgoers blood running cold with it's overwhelming creepiness and tortured-soul humor. After turning up as a cop on the heels of a potentially homicidal yuppie in American Psycho that same year, the talented actor would appear in such low-profile releases as The Reconing and Bullfighter (both 2001), before once again thrilling audiences in a major release. As the fearsome Green Goblin in director Sam Raimi's long-ant

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Highest Rated Movies

Roy's World: Barry Gifford's Chicago
100%
Do Donkeys Act?
100%
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
100%
Finding Nemo
99%

Filmography

MOVIES

RATING	TITLE	CREDIT	BOX OFFICE	YEAR
71%	Zack Snyder's Justice League	Jesse Eisenberg	—	2021
No Score Yet	River	Actor	—	2021
77%	Tommaso	Tommaso	—	2020
14%	Swift (Birds of a Feather) (Manou the Swift)	Yves	—	2020
5%	The Last Thing He Wanted	Actor	—	2020
83%	My Hindu Friend (Meu amigo Hindu)	Actor	—	2020
100%	Roy's World: Barry Gifford's Chicago	Narrator	—	2020
No Score Yet	Sportin' Life	Actor	—	2020
64%	Motherless Brooklyn	Actor	—	2019
90%	The Lighthouse	Actor	—	2019
No Score Yet	El faro	Thomas Wake	—	2019
86%	Friedkin Uncut	Actor	—	2019
97%	Love, Antosha	Actor	—	2019
78%	Pasolini	Pier Paolo Pasolini	—	2019
80%	Babenco: Tell Me When I Die (Babenco - Alguém tem que ouvrir o coraçã e dizer parou)	Actor	—	2019
92%	Togo	Leonhard Seppala	—	2019
No Score Yet	Der Leuchtturm	Thomas Wake	—	2019
65%	Aquaman	Vulko	—	2018
78%	At Eternity's Gate	Vincent Van Gogh	—	2018
No Score Yet	Van Gogh - Ved evighedens port	Vincent van Gogh	—	2018
87%	Mountain	Narrator	—	2018
No Score Yet	Brothers in Arms	Actor	—	2018
No Score Yet	Brothers in Arms	Actor	—	2018
60%	Murder On The Orient Express	Gerhard Hardman	$101.6M	2017
96%	The Florida Project	Bobby	$5.5M	2017
16%	A Family Man	Ed Blackridge	—	2017
50%	Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait	Actor	$9.2k	2017
35%	The Great Wall	Ballard	$45.2M	2017
38%	Death Note	Ryuk	—	2017
61%	What Happened to Monday	Terrence Settman	—	2017
100%	Do Donkeys Act?	Actor	—	2017
42%	Opus Zero	Actor	—	2017
49%	Dog Eat Dog	Mad Dog	—	2016
94%	Finding Dory	Gill	$486.3M	2016
No Score Yet	The Great Wall	Ballard	—	2016
No Score Yet	Padre	James Verdun	—	2016
No Score Yet	Ojciec	James Verdun	—	2016
86%	John Wick	Marcus	—	2014
85%	A Most Wanted Man	Tommy Brue	$14.1M	2014
81%	The Fault In Our Stars	Van Houten	—	2014
No Score Yet	Bad Country	Bud Carter	—	2014
60%	Nymphomaniac: Volume II	L	$0.3M	2014
76%	Nymphomaniac: Volume I	L	$0.7M	2014
92%	The Grand Budapest Hotel	Jopling	$57M	2014
38%	Odd Thomas	Sheriff Wyatt Porter	—	2014
54%	Out of the Furnace	John Petty	$8.4M	2013
7%	Tomorrow You're Gone	The Buddha	—	2013
72%	The Hunter	Martin	$0.2M	2012
45%	4:44 Last Day on Earth	Cisco	$16.2k	2012
No Score Yet	North On Evers	Actor	—	2012
No Score Yet	The Jesuit	Actor	—	2012
22%	Fireflies in the Garden	Charles Taylor	$37.4k	2011
18%	Miral	Eddie	$0.4M	2011
No Score Yet	Gauguin: Maker of Myth	Narrator	—	2011
43%	Gedo senki (Tales from Earthsea)	Cob	$48.5k	2010
86%	Farewell (L'affaire Farewell)	Feeney	$0.4M	2010
69%	Daybreakers	Lionel 'Elvis' Cormac	$30.1M	2010
49%	My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done	Detective Hank Havenhurst	—	2010
No Score Yet	A Woman	Max Oliver	—	2010
93%	Fantastic Mr. Fox	Rat	$21.1M	2009
53%	Antichrist	He	$0.3M	2009
38%	Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant	Gavner Purl	$13.9M	2009
35%	Adam Resurrected	Commandant Klein	—	2008
27%	Anamorph	Stan	—	2008
53%	The Walker	Larry Lockner	$43.7k	2007
51%	Mr. Bean's Holiday	Carson Clay	$32.6M	2007
86%	Paris Je T'aime	The Cowboy	$4.9M	2007
No Score Yet	The Procedure	Actor	—	2007
68%	Go Go Tales	Ray Ruby	—	2007
38%	American Dreamz	Chief of Staff	$7.2M	2006
86%	Inside Man	Capt. John Darius	$88.5M	2006
50%	Manderlay	Grace's Father	—	2006
No Score Yet	Ripley Under Ground	Neil Murchison	—	2005
No Score Yet	Movies 101	Actor	—	2005
No Score Yet	Before It Had a Name	Screenwriter Leslie	—	2005
17%	xXx: State of the Union	Gen. George Octavius Deckert	$26.1M	2005
No Score Yet	Control	Copeland	—	2005
86%	The Aviator	Roland Sweet	$102.6M	2004
56%	The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou	Klaus Daimler	$24M	2004
78%	Overnight	Actor	—	2004
33%	Rockets Redglare!	Actor	—	2004
43%	The Clearing	Arnold Mack	$5.6M	2004
93%	Spider-Man 2	Norman Osborn	$373.4M	2004
39%	The Reckoning	Martin	—	2004
No Score Yet	Spider-Man 2.1 (Extended Cut)	Actor	—	2004
No Score Yet	Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate	Narrator	—	2004
66%	Once upon a Time in Mexico	Barillo	$56M	2003
99%	Finding Nemo	Gill	$380.6M	2003
No Score Yet	Bullfighter	Father Ramirez	—	2003
No Score Yet	Festival Pass with Chris Gore	Actor	—	2002
71%	Auto Focus	John Carpenter	$1.9M	2002
90%	Spider-Man	Green Goblin/Norman Osborn	$403.8M	2002
No Score Yet	Al Borde de la Muerte	Priest	—	2001
6%	Pavilion of Women	Father Andre	—	2001
No Score Yet	A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting 'Platoon'	Actor	—	2001
82%	Shadow of the Vampire	Max Schreck	$7.6M	2000
83%	Animal Factory	Earl Copen	—	2000
69%	American Psycho	Det. Donald Kimball	—	2000
28%	The Boondock Saints	Paul Smecker	—	1999
19%	New Rose Hotel	X	—	1999
74%	Existenz	Gas	—	1999
0%	Lulu on the Bridge	Dr. Van Horn	—	1998
4%	Speed 2 - Cruise Control	John Geiger	—	1997
88%	Affliction	Rolfe Whitehouse	—	1997
85%	The English Patient	David Caravaggio	—	1996
68%	Basquiat	The Electrician	—	1996
No Score Yet	The Night and the Moment	The Writer	—	1995
No Score Yet	Victory	Axel Heyst	—	1995
31%	Tom & Viv	Tom Eliot	—	1994
80%	Clear and Present Danger	Clark	—	1994
58%	Faraway, So Close! (In weiter Ferne, so nah!)	Emit Flesti	—	1993
No Score Yet	Fishing With John	Actor	—	1992
8%	Body of Evidence	Frank Dulaney	—	1992
44%	White Sands	Ray Dolezal	—	1992
88%	Light Sleeper	John LeTour	—	1992
25%	The Flight of the Intruder	Lt. Cdr. Virgil Cole	$14.6M	1991
67%	Wild At Heart	Bobby Peru	—	1990
73%	Cry-Baby	Hateful Guard	—	1990
85%	Born on the Fourth of July	Charlie	—	1989
57%	Triumph of the Spirit	Salamo Arouch	—	1989
84%	Mississippi Burning	Ward	—	1988
81%	The Last Temptation of Christ	Jesus	—	1988
50%	Off Limits	Buck McGriff	—	1988
100%	Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam	Narrator	—	1987
87%	Platoon	sier?ant EliasSgt. Elias	—	1986
85%	To Live and Die in L.A.	Eric Masters	—	1985
69%	Streets of Fire	Raven	—	1984
No Score Yet	Roadhouse 66	Johnny Harte	—	1984
No Score Yet	New York Nights	Punk Boy Friend	—	1984
55%	The Hunger	Phone Booth Youths	—	1983
73%	Vida Sin Rumbo	Vance	—	1983
59%	Heaven's Gate	Actor	—	1980

TV

RATING	TITLE	CREDIT	YEAR
No Score Yet	The Late Late Show With James Corden 2015	Guest	2020 2018 2017
No Score Yet	Inside the Actors Studio 1994-2019	Guest	2019
No Score Yet	The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 2014	Guest	2019 2018
No Score Yet	Close Up With the Hollywood Reporter 2015-2020	Guest	2018
No Score Yet	Late Night With Seth Meyers 2014	Guest	2018
No Score Yet	Sunday Morning 2011-2018	Appearing	2018
No Score Yet	The Late Show With Stephen Colbert 2015	Guest	2018
No Score Yet	Variety Studio: Actors on Actors 2015-2019	Guest	2018
No Score Yet	Last Call With Carson Daly 2007-2019	Guest	2017
No Score Yet	Tavis Smiley 2013-2018	Guest	2017
85%	The Simpsons 1989	Voice	2014 1997 1995
No Score Yet	Colbert Report 2005-2014	Guest	2012
No Score Yet	Charlie Rose 2013-2017	Guest	2011
No Score Yet	American Experience 1988	Voice	2010
No Score Yet	Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 2009-2014	Guest	2009
No Score Yet	The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 2015	Guest	2004
No Score Yet	The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 1992-2014	Guest	2002
No Score Yet	The Hitchhiker 1983-1991	Actor

Quotes from Willem Dafoe's Characters

Dr. Mendel Stromm:	We need to take the whole line back to formula.
Green Goblin/Norman Osborn:	Back to formula?

Van Houten:	Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why you care so much about your silly questions?
Hazel:	Oh, go fuck yourself.

Bud Carter:	Your looking at life to 200 years.
Jesse Weiland:	200 years? I can do that standing on my head.

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	I've been like a father to you. Be a son to me.
Peter Parker/Spider-Man:	I have a father. His name was Ben Parker.
Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	God's speed, Spiderman.

Van Houten:

The important thing is not what nonsense the voices are saying... but what the voices are feeling.

Van Houten:

You are a side effect of an evolutionary process that cares little for individual lives. You are a failed experiment in mutation.

Lionel 'Elvis' Cormac:	We're the folks with the crossbows
Lionel 'Elvis' Cormac:	We're the folks with the crossbows.

Lionel 'Elvis' Cormac:	Day time driving man nothing beats it no traffic no cops trouble is if you ain't carefully you can get yourself one hell of a sunburn
Lionel 'Elvis' Cormac:	Day time driving man nothing beats it no traffic no cops trouble is if you ain't carefully you can get yourself one hell of a sunburn.

Bobby Peru:

Bobby Peru, just like the country.

Cisco:	The World's going to end
Cisco:	The world's going to end.
Tina:	Let's get some Vietnamese food. So yummy!

Lionel 'Elvis' Cormac:

Being human in a world full of vampires is about as safe as barebacking a five dollar whore.

Dr. Miles Copeland:	Your only alive because of me, so why don't you answer the question.
Lee Ray Oliver:	I'm everything you hate in the world, huh Doc?

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout, down came the goblin, and took the spider out.

Tars Tarkas:

Did I not tell you he could jump!

Lionel 'Elvis' Cormac:	We're the guys with the crossbows
Lionel 'Elvis' Cormac:	We're the guys with the crossbows.

Bobby Peru:	It`s full of dummies...dummy!
Bobby Peru:	It`s full of dummies, dummy!

Tars Tarkas:

Mars. So you name it and think that you know it. The red planet, no air, no life. But you do not know Mars, for its true name is Barsoom. And it is not airless, nor is it dead, but it is dying. The city of Zodanga saw to that.

Martin:

I wish I was half the man my father was and half the father you deserve.

Martin:	For heaven's sake, we're actors, not judges.
Nicholas:	That's exactly what we have become.

Jack Flint:	Who dares play things that happen in this world?
Tobias:	It was just a question o time.
Tobias:	It was just a question of time.
Martin:	But this is the way plays will be made in times to come.

Grace's Father:

When push comes to shove, you've made everything worse, like you did with Tweety.

Donald Kimball:	Do you remember where you were the night of Paul's disappearance, which was on the 20th of December?
Patrick Bateman:	God....I guess I was probably returning videotapes.
Patrick Bateman:	God... I guess I was probably returning videotapes.

Rat:	That's my job!

He:	Exposure. That's the only thing that works. Everything else is just talk. You have to have to courage to stay in the situation that frightens. And then you'll learn that fear isn't dangerous.

He:	Acorns don't cry, you know that as well as I do. That's what fear is, thoughts distort reality. Not the other way around.

Patrick Bateman:	Am I being cross examined?
Donald Kimball:	Do you feel like you are?
Patrick Bateman:	No I Dont.
Patrick Bateman:	No I dont.
Patrick Bateman:	No I don't.

Norman Osborne/Green Goblin:	(throws new spinning pumpkin blades)
Norman Osborne/Green Goblin:	[throws new spinning pumpkin blades]
Peter Parker/Spider-Man:	God, I hate those things!!!
Peter Parker/Spider-Man:	God, I hate those things!

Green Goblin/Norman Osborn:

[To Harry Osbourn] Now you know the truth about Peter, Avenge me... AVENGE ME!

Harry Osborn:	Out, am I?
Green Goblin/Norman Osborn:	Out, am I?

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:

No one says no to me!

Martin:

What you want you will never get. It is gone forever now.

Chris Taylor:	''Hey I will go with you''
Chris Taylor:	Hey I will go with you.
Sgt. Elias Grodin:	''no I move faster when i'm alone
Sgt. Elias Grodin:	No I move faster when I'm alone.

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:

The little spider went up the water spout then came the Goblin to take the spider out!

Lucy:	Jarrah thought that someone was following him
Lucy:	Jarrah thought that someone was following him.
Martin:	Who?

Sass:	Are you looking for my dad?
Martin:	No.
Sass:	But if you see him, you'll tell him to come home?

Martin:	Where is your father?
Sass:	Up there.

Tars Tarkas:	Sola, are you mad?
Sola:	No. The blood of my father drives me.

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:

Despite of everything you've done for them, eventuelly they will hate you.

Lucy:	You washed me.
Martin:	The children helped.

FW. Murnau:	Why him, you monster? Why not the... script girl?
Max Schreck:	Oh. The script girl. I'll eat her later.

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:

We are who we choose to be... Now choose!

Martin:

She eats the heart first.

Martin:

I'd like to go on alone.

Tars Tarkas:

You are ugly, but you are beautiful.

Tars Tarkas:

VIRGINIA!!

Jesus Christ:

I want God to hate me.

Paul Smecker:

Now, you Irish cops are perking up. That's two sound theories in one day, neither of which deal with abnormally sized men. Kind of makes me feel like Riverdancing.

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	You're pathetically predictable, like a moth to the flame. What about my generous proposal? Are you in or are you out?
Peter Parker/Spider-Man:	It's you who's out, Gobbie. Out of your mind.
Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	Wrong answer.

Gill:	I'll tell you what we're going to do. We're going get him out of here. We're going to help him escape!
Nemo the Clownfish:	Escape! Really?
Gill:	Yeah we're all going to escape!
Gurgle:	Gill, please! Not another one of your escape plans.
Deb and Flo:	Sorry, but they just don't work.
Bloat:	Yeah what makes this any difference?

Tars Tarkas:

You are Ugly but you are beautiful!

Tars Tarkas:	VIRGINA!
Tars Tarkas:	VIRGINIA!
John Carter:	NO!...John Carter from Virgina!
John Carter:	NO!...John Carter from Virginia!

Tars Tarkas:

Did I not tell you he can jump?

Tars Tarkas:

You are ugly, but you are beautiful. HE WILL FIGHT FOR US!

Tars Tarkas:	When I saw you, I believed it was a sign--that something new could come into this world
Tars Tarkas:	When I saw you, I believed it was a sign--that something new could come into this world.

Tars Tarkas:

Did I not tell you he could jump!

Tars Tarkas:

You are ugly, but you are beautiful. HE WILL FIGHT FOR US!

Klaus Daimler:

Who the shit is Kingsley Zissou?

He:	The thoughts distort reality, not the other way around.

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	You are incredibly predictable like a moth to a flame. What about my generous preposal are you in or are you out?
Peter Parker/Spider-Man:	Its you who's out gobby out of mind.
Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	Wrong answer.
Peter Parker/Spider-Man:	Oh, great.

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	"God's speed Spider-man!"
Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	God's speed Spider-man!

Tars Tarkas:

When I saw you, I believed that something new, could come into this world.

Mr. Fox:	You've aged badly, Rat.
Rat:	You gettin' a little long-in-the-tooth yourself, partner.

Paul Smecker:	AAARGH! THERE WAS A FIREFIGHT!
Paul Smecker:	There was a firefight!

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	Peter, don't tell Harry.
Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	Peter, don't tell Harry

Sgt. Elias Grodin:	I love this place at night. The stars... there's no right or wrong in them. They're just there.
Sgt. Elias Grodin:	I love this place at night. The stars ...there's no right or wrong in them, they're just there.

Young Michael Taylor:	Get away from her.
Charles Taylor:	Who are you, Mommy's little protector? [grabs the baseball bat from Michael's grasp]

Eric Masters:

You're beautiful.

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:

So am I out?

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	(To Mary Jane) Hello beauty.
Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	[to Mary Jane) Hello beauty.

He:	Is there any woods in particular?pause
He:	Is there any woods in particular? [pause]
She:	pauseEden.
She:	Eden.

He:	Grief is not a disease. It's a natural healthy reaction.

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	now that youve just really pisted me off im gonna finsh her nice and slow
Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	If you had not been so selfish, your little girlfriend's death would have been quick and painless, but now that you've really pissed me off, I'm gonna finish her nice and slow.

Aunt May:	Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us....
Aunt May:	Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us... [the Green Goblin bursts through the window]
Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	Hahaha!
Aunt May:	[screams] DELIVER US!
Aunt May:	DELIVER US!
Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	[laughing maniacally] Finish it. FINISH IT!
Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	Finish it. FINISH IT!
Aunt May:	FROM EVIL!
Aunt May:	FROM EVIL!

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	A word to the "not-so-wise" about your little girlfriend. Do what you need to with her, then broom her fast!
Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	A word to the 'not-so-wise' about your little girlfriend. Do what you need to with her, then broom her fast!

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	Do you know how much I sacrificed!?!?
Norman Osborn/Green Goblin:	Do you know how much I sacrificed!?

Paul Smecker:	I'm an expert in nameology.
Paul Smecker:	Yeah, well, I'm an expert in... nameology!

Sgt. Elias Grodin:	Barnes believes in what he's doing.
Chris Taylor:	And you?
Sgt. Elias Grodin:	Back in '65? Yeah. Now, no. What happened today is just the beginning. We're gonna lose this war.
Chris Taylor:	Come on! You really think so? Us?
Sgt. Elias Grodin:	We've been kicking other peoples asses for so long I figured it's time we got ours kicked
Sgt. Elias Grodin:	We've been kicking other peoples asses for so long I figured it's time we got ours kicked.