add site
services
publishers
database
health videos
toolbar
stats
live show
health store
more stuff
JOIN/LOGIN
| advertise add site services publishers database health videos
| | about toolbar stats live show health store more stuff JOIN/LOGIN |
William "Willem" Dafoe (born July 22, 1955) is an American film and stage actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group. He is best known for his roles in To Live and Die in L.A., Platoon, The Last Temptation of Christ, Shadow of the Vampire, Finding Nemo, Mississippi Burning, The Boondock Saints, American Psycho, the Spider-Man films and Antichrist.
[edit] Early lifeDafoe, the sixth of eight children, was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, the son of Muriel Isabel (née Sprissler), a nurse and Boston native, and Dr. William Alfred Dafoe, a surgeon.[1] His birth name is William Dafoe; he changed it to "Willem" (Dutch for "William") so people would not call him "Billy". He studied drama at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, but left before graduation in order to join the newly formed avant-garde group Theatre X. [edit] CareerAfter 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, but his role was removed from the film during editing. In the mid 80's 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). In 1988 Dafoe starred in another movie 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 the Spider-Man film series 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.[2] He also played Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). He once remarked "To this day, I can't believe I was so brazen to think I could pull off the Jesus role",[3] though Dafoe received acclaim despite the controversy surrounding the film.[citation needed]  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. This film received very good reviews by both critics and fans.[citation needed] 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 movie Finding Nemo. 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 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. Dafoe reprises his role as Agent Paul Smecker in The Boondock Saints 2 making a surprise cameo at the end of the film. Has also, like Harvey Keitel, appeared in a New Zealand Steinlager Pure beer commericial, where he walks around a US aircraft carrier, commenting on New Zealand's anti nuclear commitment, while in the background the speech by then New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange ( 1942 - 2005 ) is played from the 1985 Oxford Union Debate against Jerry Falwell of the US, on the subject of Nuclear weapons. One can hear Mr. Lange say to Dr. Falwell : " If you could hold your breath for one minute - I can smell the Uranium on it as you lean towards me . . . " Although New Zealand is not mentioned in either commercial, the one with Mr. Keitel has him walking around Coney Island talking about New Zealand's stance on a number of issues, such as genetic modification, it is clear from those watching who they are referring to. [edit] Personal lifeDafoe 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.[4] Dafoe married Italian director and actress Giada Colagrande on March 25, 2005. Dafoe's brother, Donald, is a transplant surgeon and researcher. [edit] Filmography [edit] Awards and nominations
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
MTV Movie Awards, Mexico
Online Film Critics Society Awards
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards
Sant Jordi Awards
Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival
San Sebastian International Film Festival
[edit] References[edit] External links
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ↑ top of page ↑ | about thumbshots |
