The Performing Garage is an off-off-Broadway theater in SoHo , New York City . Established in 1968, it is the permanent home of the experimental theater company originally named The Performance Group (under Richard Schechner ) that morphed in 1980 into The Wooster Group (under Elizabeth LeCompte ), and their primary performance venue.
116-506: Since 1978, it also hosts their annual "Visiting Artist Series" or "Emerging Artist Series". Located at 33 Wooster Street, it seats approximately 60. Actors such as Willem Dafoe debuted in earnest here and regularly come back. The location was originally not a garage but a metal stamping/flatware factory, back when SoHo was an empty warehouse district being colonized by artists. It was acquired in 1968 by its first artistic and theater director , Richard Schechner . The Performing Garage
232-674: A New York Daily News reviewer who felt he put "the scare in archvillain" and Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian who deemed him "strong support". Conversely, critic A. O. Scott wrote that his performance was "uninspired and secondhand". IGN 's Richard George commented that Green Goblin's armor, particularly the helmet, was "almost comically bad... Not only is it not frightening, it prohibits expression". Steven Scaife at Vice wrote that Dafoe's Goblin "represents everything that’s fun about superhero villains, as well as everything that’s great about Raimi's campy films", also commending Dafoe's voice and body language, which helped overcome
348-528: A cameo appearance in John Waters ' musical comedy Cry-Baby (1990) as a prison guard who gives a brief lecture on values to the title character, who is played by Johnny Depp . Rita Kempley of The Washington Post found the scene to be one of the film's highlights. In the same year, Dafoe co-starred in David Lynch 's crime film Wild at Heart with Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern . Dafoe played
464-583: A concentration camp internee. In his final release of 2008, Dafoe starred in the Greek drama The Dust of Time as an American film director of Greek descent making a film his mother's (played by Irène Jacob ) life. The critic Peter Brunette felt the cast's performances, especially Dafoe's, were unconvincing. Dafoe appeared in seven films in 2009, the first of which was in Lars von Trier's experimental film Antichrist . Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg played
580-413: A counterfeiter named Rick Masters who is being tracked by two Secret Service agents. Film critic Roger Ebert commended his "strong" performance in the film. Dafoe's sole film release of 1986 was Oliver Stone 's Vietnam War film Platoon , gaining him his widest exposure up to that point for playing the compassionate Sergeant Elias Grodin. He enjoyed the opportunity to play a heroic role and said
696-627: A film adaptation of Agatha Christie 's detective novel Murder on the Orient Express , directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh ; and played Atlantean scientist Nuidis Vulko in a deleted role in Zack Snyder 's Justice League . He later played Nuidis Vulko in a leading role in James Wan 's 2018 film Aquaman . The same year, Dafoe played Vincent van Gogh in the biographical drama At Eternity's Gate , for which he received
812-461: A backstage story about the measures that a director will take to realize his vision", and that Dafoe "embodies the Schreck of Nosferatu so uncannily that when real scenes from the silent classic are slipped into the frame, we don't notice a difference." Ebert later awarded the film his Special Jury Prize on his list of "The Best 10 Movies of 2000", writing of Dafoe's "astonishing performance" and of
928-399: A couple vacationing on a luxury cruise that has been hijacked by Dafoe's character, Geiger, a hacker that has programmed the ship to crash into an oil tanker . Speed 2 was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics, with Dafoe himself receiving a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Supporting Actor . For his next film, Affliction (1997), Dafoe worked with Paul Schrader for
1044-605: A couple whose relationship becomes increasingly sexually violent and sadomasochistic after retreating to a cabin in the woods following the death of their child. The film received a polarized response from critics and audiences, receiving both applause and boos at the Cannes Film Festival and was called the "most shocking movie" to be shown at the festival because of its graphic sex scenes. Roger Ebert commended Dafoe's and Gainsbourg's performances as being "heroic and fearless". During an interview with L Magazine , it
1160-409: A criminal who engages in a robbery with Cage's character before demonstrating his dark side. He wore fake, corroded teeth and grew a pencil moustache that bore resemblance to his previous collaborator, John Waters. Entertainment Weekly critic Owen Gleiberman felt the role proved Dafoe as a "master of leering, fish-faced villainy". In 1991, Dafoe starred with Danny Glover and Brad Johnson in
1276-591: A disciplined and noteworthy portrayal of Ward", although they felt it was Hackman "who steals the picture". As with The Last Temptation of Christ , the film was the subject of controversy, this time among African-American activists who criticized its fictionalization of events. Dafoe was briefly considered for the role of the super-villain the Joker in the Tim Burton -directed superhero film Batman (1989), as screenwriter Sam Hamm noticed physical similarities, but
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#17327916669811392-579: A disfigured scientist who resurrects a Victorian woman. For his performance, he earned Golden Globe and SAG nominations. He portrayed Walter Reade based on Hunter S. Thompson acting opposite Camila Morrone in Patricia Arquette 's directorial film debut Gonzo Girl based on the Cheryl Della Pietra novel of the same name. The film is set to debut at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival . Also in 2023 he starred in
1508-401: A film director close to death who befriends a Hindu 8-year-old boy while hospitalized. The black comedy Dog Eat Dog (2016), Dafoe's sixth film with Paul Schrader, starred Dafoe and Nicolas Cage as a pair of ex-convicts hired to kidnap a baby. In the same year, Dafoe reprised his voice role as Gill, a Moorish idol fish, from Finding Nemo in its sequel Finding Dory . He next played
1624-494: A former vampire who has a cure that can save the human species in the science fiction horror film Daybreakers , which starred Ethan Hawke as a vampire hematologist . Richard Corliss of Time magazine wrote that Dafoe "triumphs over some awful dialogue by giving the role his nutsy-greatsy weirdness". Dafoe had a voice role in Wes Anderson's stop-motion animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox starring George Clooney as
1740-942: A ghost detective who was a B movie action star in life. The film was released on September 6, 2024, to critical and commercial success. He then starred as real-life television talent executive David Tebet in Jason Reitman 's biographical comedy-drama film Saturday Night , released on October 11, 2024. He will play Maxim, the overly-protective father in the A24 fantasy adventure film The Legend of Ochi with Helena Zengel , Emily Watson , and Finn Wolfhard , set for release on February 28, 2025. He will play Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz in Robert Eggers ' upcoming gothic horror film Nosferatu , set for release on December 25, 2024. He will also star in
1856-537: A hostage negotiation during a bank heist on Wall Street. Dafoe co-starred as the White House Chief of Staff in American Dreamz , a comedy satirizing both popular entertainment and American politics. His character was described as a "diminutive version of Dick Cheney , with wire-rimmed glasses and a fringe of white hair" by The Times writer Caryn James . He starred with Juliette Binoche in
1972-523: A leading man. The film was co-directed by Kathryn Bigelow and Monty Montgomery and paid homage to 1953 film The Wild One , starring Marlon Brando in a similar role. Following a brief bit part in The Hunger (1983), Dafoe again played the leader of a biker gang in Walter Hill 's 1984 action film Streets of Fire . His character in the film served as the main antagonist , who captures
2088-673: A local married woman (played by the film's screenwriter Luo Yan ) while giving her son a Western education. He then starred opposite Haley Joel Osment in Edges of the Lord , playing a compassionate priest helping a young Jewish boy pose as a Catholic to protect him during Nazi Germany 's occupation of Poland . Dafoe played the supervillain the Green Goblin in Sam Raimi 's 2002 superhero film Spider-Man , starring Tobey Maguire as
2204-471: A more sympathetic approach. Dafoe co-starred as a man who kidnaps his former boss (played by Robert Redford ) in exchange for a ransom . The film received mixed reviews, although Peter Travers felt that he added a note of "vulnerability to the menace he has made his stock in trade". Dafoe reprised his role as Norman Osborn in Spider-Man 2 (2004), appearing to his son Harry in an hallucination. The cameo
2320-572: A motel in Kissimmee, Florida who houses a toxic mother and her six-year-old daughter. The film and his performance received enormous critical acclaim, with The Washington Post critic Ann Hornaday writing that "Dafoe delivers his finest performance in recent memory, bringing to levelheaded, unsanctimonious life a character who offers a glimmer of hope and caring within a world markedly short on both". Dafoe earned his third Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination, as well as nominations at
2436-485: A play small-town sheriff who impersonates a dead man after finding his dead body and a suitcase containing $ 500,000 to solve the case, resulting in an FBI investigation. In his next starring role, Paul Schrader 's drama Light Sleeper , Dafoe played John LeTour, a lonely, insomniac , New Yorker working as a delivery man for a drug supplier, who is played by Susan Sarandon . Roger Ebert praised Dafoe's "gifted" portrayal of LeTour and Owen Gleiberman opined that "even when
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#17327916669812552-540: A psychopath". At the 59th Academy Awards , Dafoe was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor . Dafoe provided his voice to the documentary Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam (1987) and, in 1988, Dafoe starred in another film set during the Vietnam War , this time as Criminal Investigation Command Agent Buck McGriff in the action thriller Off Limits . His second release of 1988
2668-416: A second time, playing the brother of Nick Nolte 's character and served as the film's narrator. Also in 1997, Dafoe took on a voice acting role in an episode of the animated sitcom The Simpsons titled " The Secret War of Lisa Simpson ", voicing the commandant of a military academy that Bart and Lisa Simpson are attending. Following a villainous supporting role in the romantic mystery drama Lulu on
2784-478: A short film directed by Nobuhiro Suwa as part of the 2006 anthology film Paris, je t'aime . In 2007, Dafoe played a pretentious film director in the British comedy film Mr. Bean's Holiday , starring Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean . The Hollywood Reporter thought that Dafoe appeared to think he was "in a pantomime ", while a New York Times reviewer felt he was "amusing" in the role. Dafoe starred as
2900-611: A small role as a tabloid magazine editor in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator (2004), a biographical film about Howard Hughes starring Leonardo DiCaprio . Also in 2004, Dafoe narrated the documentary Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate , chronicling the production of Heaven's Gate and co-starred as a neuropharmacologist in the direct-to-video thriller Control (2004) alongside Ray Liotta and Michelle Rodriguez . Dafoe co-starred in XXX: State of
3016-478: Is a character actor. To involve himself fully in his role , Schreck will only appear amongst the cast and crew in makeup, will only be filmed at night and will never break character. After filming scenes in a studio with leading actress Greta Schröder , Murnau takes his cast and crew to a remote inn in Czechoslovakia to film on location. The landlady becomes distressed at Murnau removing crucifixes around
3132-421: Is a close friend of Parker. The role required Dafoe to wear an uncomfortable costume and mask that made it impossible to emote using his face, confining Dafoe to convey emotion through his voice and head movements. Dafoe also had to wear a prosthetic teeth for his part as Norman whereas the hallucinations of the character had Dafoe in his natural teeth. Dafoe's role in the film was generally well-received, including
3248-624: Is at Wolfgang's neck. Grau orders filming ended for the night, and the crew rushes from the castle, leaving Schreck behind. Alone, Schreck examines the camera equipment, fascinated by footage of a sunrise. With Wolfgang near death, Murnau is forced to bring in another cameraman, Fritz Arno Wagner , after chastising Schreck in private for attacking his crew members. Murnau threatens Schreck with harm if he does not control himself in Murnau's absence—a threat that Schreck challenges due to his immortality . While Murnau returns to Berlin to calm financiers of
3364-399: Is confused when Murnau tells him that he originally found Schreck in the castle. Soon after the completion of the scene, Wolfgang is found collapsed in the tunnel into which Schreck had receded. While filming a dinner scene between Gustav and Schreck, Gustav accidentally cuts his finger. Schreck reacts wildly and tries drinking from Gustav's wound. The lights fail and when they return, Schreck
3480-526: Is one block north of Canal Street and one block east of West Broadway in SoHo , New York. Since 1978, the Performing Garage has hosted an annual "Visiting Artist Series". In 1999, they started an "Emerging Artist Series", a three-week program intended to spotlight up-and-coming multimedia performers by granting three individuals or groups a week of rehearsal time and a weekend of performances in
3596-422: Is talented acting. Later that night, Schreck attacks and kills a crewmember on the film's set. The production moves to the island of Heligoland to film the final scenes. Murnau, in a laudanum -induced stupor, admits to Grau and Fritz that Schreck is an actual vampire, and in return for his cooperation, Murnau has promised him Greta. The two realize they are trapped on the island, leaving no choice but to complete
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3712-467: 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
3828-814: The Birds Eye polar bear mascot in the company's television commercials in the United Kingdom, and narrated Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World , a Ric Burns documentary about the history of the whaling industry in the United States. Dafoe's first of two leading roles in 2011 was in Abel Ferrara's apocalyptic drama 4:44 Last Day on Earth , his third film with Ferrara. He played an actor spending his last hours on Earth before
3944-675: The COVID-19 pandemic . Dafoe voiced the Australian ABC-television documentary River in 2021, which was written to highlight the precaricity of rivers worldwide. In 2020, The New York Times ranked him No. 18 in its list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century. Dafoe reprised his role as Green Goblin from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). To avoid having his role in
4060-500: The Disney film John Carter (2012), using motion capture to portray the multi-limbed character. The film was a box office failure and ranks among the biggest box-office bombs of all time . Later in 2012, Dafoe co-starred in the low-budget crime thriller Tomorrow You're Gone with Stephen Dorff and Michelle Monaghan . In 2013, Dafoe played a police officer in the supernatural thriller Odd Thomas , starring Anton Yelchin as
4176-586: The Golden Globes , SAG Awards , and BAFTA Awards . In 2017, Dafoe also played and voiced the character of Ryuk , a demonic death god from Japanese mythology, in Netflix's Death Note , and adaptation of the Japanese supernatural-thriller manga of the same name. He then narrated Australian documentarian Jennifer Peedom 's documentary Mountain . Also that year, he co-starred as Gerhard Hardman in
4292-573: The Great Wall of China from a horde of monsters, in which Dafoe played a former adventurer working as a teacher in China. Also in 2016, Dafoe appeared in another Super Bowl commercial, this time for Snickers , recreating Marilyn Monroe 's iconic white dress scene from the film The Seven Year Itch . In 2017, Dafoe co-starred in Sean Baker 's drama The Florida Project as the manager of
4408-1187: 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), Kinds of Kindness (2024), Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), and Saturday Night (2024). William James Dafoe
4524-658: The Middle Ages and saw Dafoe play the leader of acting troupe that recreate the events surrounding a woman accused of witchcraft and murder, who they believe is innocent. Dafoe lent his voice and likeness to the James Bond video game James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing (2004) as the villain Nikolai Diavolo . The following year, Dafoe took on another villainous role in The Clearing , albeit with
4640-598: The Swiss-French surname Thévou. Half of his family pronounced Dafoe as / ˈ d eɪ f oʊ / DAY -foh , while half pronounced it / d ə ˈ f oʊ / də- FOH ; he did go with the former as a young actor, but ultimately settled with the latter. In high school, he acquired the nickname Willem, the Dutch version of the name William. He later grew more accustomed to it than his birth name. After attending Appleton East High School , Dafoe studied drama at
4756-606: The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee , but left after 18 months to join the experimental theater company Theatre X in Milwaukee , before moving to New York City in 1976. He then apprenticed under Richard Schechner , the director of the avant-garde theater troupe The Performance Group , where he met and became romantically involved with director Elizabeth LeCompte . Following tensions between Schechner and other members after they started staging their own productions outside of
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4872-491: The Volpi Cup for Best Actor and an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination. His performance drew raves from film critics. Peter Keough of Boston Globe said Dafoe "may be the best actor around for expressing an inner life in extremis." In 2019, he had a supporting role in Edward Norton 's period crime drama Motherless Brooklyn where he played powerful developer Moses Randolph's "beaten and broken" brother. In
4988-519: 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 2014, Dafoe portrayed a wealthy private banker with connections to the Russia mafia opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman in Anton Corbijn 's espionage thriller A Most Wanted Man . Dafoe worked with Wes Anderson for a third time with
5104-518: The titular character that possesses supernatural powers to see the dead. Using motion-capture acting technology, Dafoe co-starred alongside Elliot Page in David Cage 's video game Beyond: Two Souls (2013) as a paranormal activity researcher who acts as the surrogate-father-figure to a girl who possesses supernatural powers. The game polarized reviewers, although Dafoe and Page's performance were widely praised. In Scott Cooper 's Out of
5220-757: The 2023 Berlin International Film Festival, and was released in the United States in March by Focus Features . That same year he reunited with Wes Anderson, playing Saltzburg Keitel in Asteroid City (2023). He starred opposite Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo in Yorgos Lanthimos 's Poor Things (2023) which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival . He played Dr. Godwin "God" Baxter,
5336-518: The Bridge , Dafoe starred alongside Christopher Walken and Asia Argento in Abel Ferrara 's cyberpunk drama New Rose Hotel in 1998. It follows X (Dafoe) and Fox (Walken), a pair of corporate raiders attempting to lure a Japanese scientist from one megacorporation to another. Although the film was largely dismissed by critics, critic David Stratton found there to be "compensation" in
5452-497: The Furnace (2013), starring Christian Bale , Dafoe played the supporting role of a bookmaker running an illegal gambling operation. Dafoe next appeared in Lars von Trier's two-part erotic art film Nymphomaniac , his third and final film release of 2013. In the film, Dafoe played a perverse businessman who hires Charlotte Gainsbourg's character to work as a debt collector using sex and sadomasochism. Also in 2013, Dafoe played
5568-731: The Italian period drama Finally Dawn with Lily James . In October 2023 it was announced that Dafoe would provide the English language voice for Elder Pelican for Hayao Miyazaki 's animated film The Boy and the Heron . He reunited with Yorgos Lanthimos in Kinds of Kindness starring Emma Stone , Jesse Plemons , and Margaret Qualley . Dafoe also acted in the upcoming the British romantic thriller Pet Shop Days . In Tim Burton ’s sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice , he appeared as Wold Jackson,
5684-627: The Performing Garage became home to the troupe renamed The Wooster Group under Elizabeth LeCompte , with their 1975–1980 independent works being retroactively considered productions of the new Group. The Performing Garage is owned and operated by the Wooster Group as a shareholder in the Grand Street Artists Co-op (originally established as part of the Fluxus art movement in the 1960s). Located at 33 Wooster Street, it
5800-451: The Performing Garage. Selected among 20 candidates, the first series featured: 40°43′20.2″N 74°0′10.62″W / 40.722278°N 74.0029500°W / 40.722278; -74.0029500 Willem Dafoe William James " Willem " Dafoe ( / d ə ˈ f oʊ / də- FOH ; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. Known for his prolific career portraying diverse roles in both mainstream and arthouse films, he
5916-562: The Union (2005), an action film sequel starring Ice Cube in which Dafoe played a US Secretary of Defense attempting a coup d'état against the President of the United States. It was largely panned by critics, although Dafoe stated he did not regret appearing in the film. With the avant-garde drama Manderlay in 2005, Dafoe began another actor-director collaboration, this time with Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier . Dafoe co-starred in
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#17327916669816032-657: 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
6148-659: 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 . In 1977, Dafoe began a relationship with director Elizabeth LeCompte . Their son, Jack, was born in 1982. They separated in 2004 and were never married, with Dafoe later explaining that "marriage represented ownership" to her. Dafoe met Italian actress Giada Colagrande on
6264-430: The Vampire is frightening, compelling, and funny, and features an excellent performance by Willem Dafoe." On Metacritic , the film has a 71 out of 100 rating, based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Roger Ebert gave the film 3½ stars out of 4, writing that "director E. Elias Merhige and his writer, Steven Katz, do two things at the same time. They make a vampire movie of their own, and they tell
6380-454: The Vampire was released on DVD in widescreen format on March 29, 2001. On January 5, 2010, In2Film released the film on Region 2 DVD. Critical reaction has been mostly positive with Dafoe's performance as Schreck/Orlok receiving particular praise. The film holds an 82% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on 140 reviews, with an average rating of 7.0/10. The site's critical consensus states: " Shadow of
6496-533: The action film Flight of the Intruder . The film follows a pair of United States Navy pilots, played by Dafoe and Johnson, who scheme and participate in an unauthorized air strike on Hanoi . Directed by John Millius , the film received negative reviews. He was due to star opposite Joan Cusack in the comedy Arrive Alive in 1991, but the film was canceled during production. Dafoe had two lead roles in 1992. The first to be released, White Sands , saw Dafoe
6612-492: The aesthetic of old film, cinematographer Lou Bogue shot much of the film with Kodak Vision 800T film stock – a high speed specialty stock with very coarse grain – in Super 35mm format, which further enhanced the effect when cropped and enlarged to anamorphic. Shadow of the Vampire had its world premiere at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival . It was given a limited release in the United States on December 29, 2000. Shadow of
6728-691: The animated Pixar film Finding Nemo in 2003. Dafoe voiced Gill, a moorish idol fish who helps Nemo, a clownfish , in his struggle to return home to the ocean. In the same year, Dafoe appeared in a small but pivotal role as a drug cartel kingpin planning a coup d'état against the President of Mexico in Robert Rodriguez 's action film Once Upon a Time in Mexico . He acted in the murder mystery film The Reckoning (2004), in which he starred with Paul Bettany . The film takes place during
6844-427: The best part of being an actor sometimes is the opportunity to transform yourself superficially, and deeply." —Dafoe on his avoidance of being typecast as a villain, 1998 In 1997, Dafoe returned to playing a villainous role in the action thriller Speed 2: Cruise Control , expressing the necessity of appearing in both independent and blockbuster films. The film starred Sandra Bullock and Jason Patric as
6960-561: The biographical drama Basquiat . Next, he played a Canadian Intelligence Corps operative in the romantic war drama The English Patient , which starred Ralph Fiennes as desert explorer Count László Almásy . The English Patient was filmed in Tuscany , where Dafoe said he particularly enjoyed the "quiet moments in the monastery between shoots". In the period drama Victory —which was filmed in 1994 and premiered in Europe in 1996, but
7076-565: The boss of Gerard Butler 's character in the drama A Family Man and starred in Loris Gréaud 's arthouse science fiction film Sculpt , which was only screened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for one person at a time. His final film of the year was the monster film The Great Wall , a Chinese-American co-production directed by Zhang Yimou starring Matt Damon as an Irish mercenary in China defending
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#17327916669817192-426: The bulky Green Goblin costume that he compared to that of a Power Rangers villain. Later in 2002, Dafoe starred with Greg Kinnear in Paul Schrader's biographical film Auto Focus , Dafoe's third collaboration with Schrader. Dafoe portrayed John Henry Carpenter , an electronics expert who develops a strange friendship with the actor Bob Crane , leading Crane into a downward spiral. Dafoe provided his voice to
7308-409: The character's 2002 self. Upon release of No Way Home , Dafoe's reprisal was met with universal acclaim. The Lantern 's Brett Price wrote that Dafoe was "on another level" in No Way Home and not having his mask made him even more intimidating than he was in the 2002 film. Peter Travers of Good Morning America and Jade King at The Gamer praised Dafoe and Molina, with King asserting that
7424-450: The classic vampire film Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens , directed by F. W. Murnau , during which the film crew begin to have disturbing suspicions about their lead actor. The film borrows the techniques of silent films , including the use of intertitles to explain elided action, and iris lenses . It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Makeup , losing to How the Grinch Stole Christmas . For his performance, Dafoe
7540-435: The comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel (also 2014), featuring as the henchman of Adrien Brody 's character alongside an ensemble cast led by Ralph Fiennes . Dafoe next starred alongside Matt Dillon as a detective in the crime thriller Bad Country , which critic Justin Chang dismissed as being "blandly constructed". In May 2014, Dafoe served as member of the main competition jury at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival . He
7656-415: The course of Nosferatu ' s production, the cast and crew come to discover that Schreck is actually a vampire himself. Much of the film's critical praise went to Dafoe; Roger Ebert wrote that Dafoe "embodies the Schreck of Nosferatu so uncannily that when real scenes from the silent classic are slipped into the frame, we don't notice a difference". The Chicago Reader critic Jonathan Rosenbaum felt
7772-480: The disappearance of a co-worker of Patrick Bateman (played by Christian Bale ), an investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer. He then acted in Steve Buscemi 's crime drama Animal Factory , starring as an incarcerated veteran con-man who takes a young inmate (played by Edward Furlong ) under his wing and introduces to him to his gang. The film was positively received by critics and Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times wrote that "Dafoe steals
7888-449: The end of the world with his much-younger lover (played by Shanyn Leigh). The film garnered a poor reaction critics, with a reviewer for Paste stating "there's only so much depth [Dafoe] can bring to such a shallow character". Dafoe then starred in the Australian drama The Hunter , playing a professional hunter who travels to Tasmania to hunt down the world's only remaining thylacine . Critic Stephen Holden wrote in his review of
8004-531: The ex-girlfriend of a mercenary, played by Diane Lane and Michael Paré , respectively. Janet Maslin of The New York Times felt there were no great performances in the film, but praised Dafoe's "perfectly villainous" face. Dafoe starred alongside Judge Reinhold in Roadhouse 66 (1985) as a pair of yuppies who become stranded in a town on U.S. Route 66 . Later in 1985, Dafoe starred with William Petersen and John Pankow in William Friedkin 's thriller To Live and Die in L.A. , in which Dafoe portrays
8120-430: The film as the father of Bryce Dallas Howard 's character, a woman who discovers a plantation still thriving as if slavery had never been abolished . Along with his wife Giada Colagrande , Dafoe co-wrote and starred in Before It Had a Name (2005), which Colagrande directed. Dafoe played the caretaker of a house that is inherited by the lover of its deceased owner, engaging in a sexual relationship with her. The film
8236-440: The film doesn't gel, one is held by Willem Dafoe's grimly compelling performance." Dafoe next starred in the erotic thriller Body of Evidence (1993) with Madonna . The story concerns a lawyer, played by Dafoe, who engages in a sadomasochistic sexual relationship with the woman he is representing in a murder case. The film was panned by critics and performed poorly at the box office, with some audience members laughing during
8352-505: The film gave him a chance to display his versatility, saying "I think all characters live in you. You just frame them, give them circumstances, and that character will happen." Principal photography for the film took place in the Philippines and required Dafoe to undergo boot camp training . Los Angeles Times writer Sheila Benson praised his performance and found it to be "particularly fine" to see Dafoe play "something other than
8468-408: The film prematurely revealed, Dafoe wore a cloak on-set to conceal his appearance from being outed publicly. The star of the film, Tom Holland , said that he got scared after bumping into Dafoe by accident one day on set and only then found out about his role in the film. Also, like Alfred Molina (who reprised his role as Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus in the film), Dafoe was digitally de-aged for
8584-429: The film that night. On set, Greta becomes hysterical after noticing Schreck casts no reflection. Murnau, Grau and Fritz drug her with Murnau's laudanum, and film as Schreck feeds on Greta, with the laudanum in her blood putting Schreck to sleep. At dawn, the three attempt to open a metal door and let in sunlight to destroy Schreck but discover that the vampire had previously cut the chain to the mechanism, trapping them in
8700-419: The film's "only redeeming quality" was Dafoe's "enjoyably over-the-top, eye-rolling performance". Dafoe received numerous awards and nominations for his performance, including his second Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination. Dafoe took on two leading roles in 2001, both of which were as priests. In the drama Pavilion of Women , he played an American priest living in China who falls in love with
8816-746: The film, "Even in the "toughest, most macho roles... [Dafoe] retains a tinge of Christ-like sweetness and vulnerability". In 2011, Dafoe began narrating a series of television commercials for the Greek yogurt company 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 , where he played six different roles including Abramović's father Vojin, Abramović's brother Velimir and Abramović's partner Ulay , and which premiered at The Lowry in 2011. Dafoe played Martian chieftain Tars Tarkas in
8932-479: The film, Murnau asks for an end slate to his rattled crew. After they oblige, he stops the camera and calmly states, "I think we have it." The film's working title was Burned to Light , but Merhige decided to change the name of the film when Dafoe asked, "Who's Ed?"; the actor thought the title was Burn Ed to Light . The film was produced by Nicolas Cage 's Saturn Films . Cage originally intended to play Schreck, but later cast Dafoe when he expressed interest in
9048-494: The film, Schreck approaches Grau and the screenwriter, Henrik Galeen , who believe he is still in character. Schreck points out Dracula 's loneliness and the sadness of him trying to remember how to do otherwise mundane chores that he has not needed to perform for centuries. When they ask how he became a vampire, Schreck says it was a woman. Schreck snatches a bat and viciously sucks its blood. Grau and Galeen, thanks to their drunkenness on schnapps , are impressed by what they assume
9164-625: The foppish vampire Gavner Purl . Between October and December 2009, Dafoe appeared in Richard Foreman 's surrealist play Idiot Savant at The Public Theater . Dafoe appeared in two films that premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2010, making a brief appearance in Julian Schnabel 's political thriller Miral , which some reviewers found to be distracting. and starred in his wife Giada Colagrande's film A Woman . Also in 2010, Dafoe began voicing Clarence,
9280-502: The grace of martial arts, but then the bang of the gun". His performance in the film was generally well received by critics, including Peter Travers who felt he provided "ample compensation". Dafoe made his second guest appearance on The Simpsons in November 2014, voicing a new school teacher who bullies Bart Simpson profusely. Dafoe starred in the late Brazilian director's Héctor Babenco 's final film My Hindu Friend (2015) as
9396-523: The group, Schechner left and the remaining members (including LeCompte and her ex-boyfriend Spalding Gray ) renamed themselves The Wooster Group . Dafoe soon joined the new company and is credited as one of its co-founders. He continued his work with the group into the 2000s, well after establishing himself as a Hollywood film star. Dafoe made his film debut in a supporting role in Michael Cimino 's 1980 epic Western film Heaven's Gate . Dafoe
9512-537: The inn, and the cameraman, Wolfgang Muller, falls into a strange, hypnotic state. Gustav discovers a bottle of blood amongst the team's food supplies, and someone delivers a caged ferret in the night to a not yet fully revealed Schreck. One night, Murnau rushes his team up to a nearby ancient Slovak castle for the first scene featuring Count Orlok. Schreck appears for the first time, and his appearance and behavior impress and disturb them. The film's producer, Albin Grau ,
9628-465: The keynote speaker for the university's commencement ceremony and to receive an honorary Doctor of Arts degree. Shadow of the Vampire Shadow of the Vampire is a 2000 independent period vampire Gothic mystery film directed by E. Elias Merhige and written by Steven Katz . The film stars John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe . It is a fictionalized account of the making of
9744-484: The lead role in the psychological thriller Anamorph , in which Dafoe played a detective who notices the case he is investigating bears similarities to a previous case of his. He also reprised his role again as Norman Osborn in Spider-Man 3 (2007) in a brief cameo. Dafoe starred with Ryan Reynolds , Julia Roberts , and Emily Watson in the drama Fireflies in the Garden , which premiered at Berlinale in 2008 but
9860-435: The marriage. Dafoe is a pescetarian , and believes that "animal farms are one of the main causes of the destruction of the planet". He signed a letter calling to act strongly against the threats of climate change and biodiversity loss . He practices ashtanga vinyasa yoga every day. On May 22, 2022, Dafoe was invited back to his alma mater the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee by Chancellor Mark Mone to serve as
9976-461: The name starring Harrison Ford as CIA operative Jack Ryan . Dafoe played John Clark , a CIA agent conducting a covert operation against a drug cartel in Colombia with Jack Ryan. Dafoe portrayed the poet T. S. Eliot in the drama Tom & Viv (also in 1994), which tells the story of Eliot and his first wife, Vivienne Haigh-Wood Eliot , who was played by Miranda Richardson . The film
10092-424: The owner of a strip club in Abel Ferrara's Go Go Tales (2007); Manohla Dargis praised his "twitchy, sympathetic performance" in the film. In the same year, Dafoe voiced the main villain, an evil wizard, in the English dub of the Japanese animated fantasy film Tales from Earthsea , had a supporting role as a US Senator in the drama The Walker , his fourth collaboration with Paul Schrader, and took on
10208-714: The performances. In 1999, Dafoe gave a supporting performance in David Cronenberg 's Existenz , a science fiction thriller in which he played a gas station owner named Gas. Later in the year, Dafoe starred in the action film The Boondock Saints . He played an eccentric, gay FBI agent assigned with investigating a series of murders committed by the MacManus twins (played by Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus ) who are acting as vigilantes in Boston , Massachusetts after an act of self-defense. The Boondock Saints
10324-466: The physical similarities between Dafoe and Pasolini, although felt Dafoe had too little screen time in the film. His final film of 2014 was the action thriller John Wick starring Keanu Reeves , in which Dafoe appeared as the mentor to the titular character, a former hitman who is forced out of retirement to seek vengeance for the killing of his puppy. Dafoe stated he found the use of gun fu combat created an interesting mix of action, stating "you have
10440-533: The picture with his comic timing". That same year he starred in Shadow of the Vampire , his final film of the year. He portrayed a fictionalized version of the German actor Max Schreck during the production of the 1922 horror film Nosferatu , in which Schreck starred as the vampire Count Orlok . Dafoe's co-star John Malkovich portrayed the film's director, F. W. Murnau . The film delves into fiction when, over
10556-439: The process. Fritz and Grau attack Schreck, only to be killed. Murnau resumes filming and, crazed, completely ignores the deaths of his colleagues and the malicious glare Schreck is giving him. Instead, he instructs Schreck to return to his mark for another take. Schreck returns to feed on Greta as Murnau films. Galeen and the crew arrive and lift the door, destroying Schreck with the sunlight. Having become completely obsessed with
10672-626: The role. Cage stated he always wanted Malkovich as Murnau. Members of the online game the Hollywood Stock Exchange were able to donate a small sum towards the film's production in exchange for listing their names on the DVD release of the film as "virtual producers". Producer Cage has previously acted with Malkovich in Con Air (1997) and Dafoe in Wild at Heart (1990). To create
10788-1003: The same year, he played a lighthouse keeper on a storm-swept island in Robert Eggers ' psychological horror The Lighthouse opposite Robert Pattinson . It had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where the film and Dafoe's performance received high praise. Owen Gleiberman of Variety said "Both actors are sensational (and they work together like one), but in terms of sheer showboating power it’s Dafoe’s movie." Dafoe portrayed sled dog breeder, trainer, and musher Leonhard Seppala in Togo . Dafoe acted in Wes Anderson 's ensemble period comedy The French Dispatch and Guillermo del Toro 's neo-noir thriller Nightmare Alley , which were both released in 2021, and Robert Eggers 's historical epic The Northman , released in 2022. All projects pushed their release dates due to
10904-497: The set of Wes Anderson 's film, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou . They were married on March 25, 2005. Dafoe recalled in 2010, "We were having lunch and I said, 'Do you want to get married tomorrow?'" They did so the following afternoon at a small ceremony with two friends as witnesses. They have since worked together on her films Before It Had a Name and A Woman . They split their time between Rome, Los Angeles, and New York City. Dafoe acquired Italian citizenship through
11020-463: The sex scenes. In his review of the film, Vincent Canby felt that Dafoe lacked sensuality in the role. Later in 1993, Dafoe appeared in a supporting role as Emit Flesti (an anagram of Time Itself ) in the German fantasy film Faraway, So Close! , directed by Wim Wenders . Dafoe then co-starred in the spy thriller Clear and Present Danger (1994), an adaptation of the Tom Clancy novel of
11136-559: The titular Marvel Comics superhero. Dafoe played the Norman Osborn incarnation of the Green Goblin, the billionaire founder and owner of the corporation Oscorp , becoming the Green Goblin after testing an unstable strength enhancer on himself, turning him insane and making him extremely powerful. Osborn is a family friend of Spider-Man's secret identity Peter Parker as Osborn's son, Harry Osborn (played by James Franco ),
11252-593: The titular Roald Dahl character. Fresh Air critic David Edelstein felt Dafoe was one of the film's highlights as a "hep-cat, knife-wielding rat security guard". Dafoe reprised his role from The Boondock Saints in The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day , making a brief cameo appearance. His final appearance of the year was in Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant , another film centring around vampires in which Dafoe played
11368-599: The two "stole the show as Green Goblin and Doc Ock" and described the depictions as brilliant. Amelia Emberwing of IGN praised the performances of Dafoe, Molina, and Foxx in No Way Home , while Vulture 's Bilge Ebiri said Dafoe "once again gets to have some modest fun with his character's divided self". On January 18, 2022, it was announced that Dafoe would host Saturday Night Live on January 29, 2022, with musical guest singer Katy Perry . The psychological thriller film Inside had its world premiere at
11484-523: The upcoming film adaptation of Walter Mosley 's novel The Man In My Basement and Wes Anderson 's next feature, The Phoenician Scheme . Dafoe has received numerous accolades including nominations for four Academy Awards , a BAFTA Award , four Critics' Choice Movie Awards , three Golden Globe Awards , four Critics' Choice Movie Awards and five Screen Actors Guild Awards . He has received four Independent Spirit Award nominations winning twice for Best Supporting Male for his roles in Shadow of
11600-462: Was Martin Scorsese 's epic drama The Last Temptation of Christ , in which Dafoe portrayed Jesus. The film was adapted from the novel of the same name and depicts his struggle with various forms of temptation throughout his life. Like the novel, the film sparked controversy for departing from the biblical portrayal of Jesus and was branded as being blasphemous. Dafoe's performance in the film
11716-479: Was a founding member of experimental theater 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
11832-475: Was born on July 22, 1955, in Appleton, Wisconsin , to Muriel Isabel (née Sprissler; 1922–2012) and Dr. William Alfred Dafoe (1917–2014). He recalled in 2009, "My five sisters raised me because my father was a surgeon, my mother was a nurse and they worked together, so I didn't see either of them much." His brother, Donald , is a surgeon and research scientist. His surname, Dafoe , is the English version of
11948-556: Was established there in 1968 as a home for Schechner's company The Performance Group (1967–1980), starting with Dionysus in 69 (1968). Because of the group's name, the theater is sometimes erroneously called the Performance Garage . In 1975, some members began to develop their own productions and perform them at the Performing Garage but not under the name of The Performance Group, starting with Sakonnet Point (1975). In 1980, Richard Schechner resigned as director and
12064-554: Was excoriated by a Variety reviewer as a "wannabe haunted house tale laced with silly sex scenes" and an "embarrassment". His fourth and final film appearance of 2005 was the crime thriller Ripley Under Ground , in which he played a museum curator . Dafoe had a supporting role in Spike Lee 's 2006 crime thriller Inside Man , playing a veteran captain of the NYPD Emergency Services Unit helping with
12180-476: Was lauded by some critics; Peter Travers of Rolling Stone felt he gave a "disciplined performance" and Janet Maslin thought he was "harrowingly good". Dafoe reunited with Platoon director Oliver Stone for a small appearance in the biographical war drama Born on the Fourth of July (1989). Dafoe played a paraplegic, wheelchair-using Vietnam veteran who befriends the film's subject Ron Kovic (played by Tom Cruise ), another paraplegic veteran. Dafoe made
12296-483: Was met with a mixed reception from critics, although Caryn James of The New York Times felt that Dafoe's "stunningly sharp, sympathetic portrait raises the film above a script that is full of serious holes and stilted dialogue". In 1995, he played an 18th-century writer in the period drama The Night and the Moment . In his first of three film appearances in 1996, Dafoe made a cameo appearance as an electrician in
12412-462: Was negatively received by film critics, largely for its extreme violence and lack of emotional depth, though some critics praised Dafoe's role in the film. The film performed poorly at the box office, but has since been branded as being a cult film . In his first film of the 2000s, Dafoe was featured in a supporting role in American Psycho (2000) as a private investigator investigating
12528-535: Was never offered the part that eventually went to Jack Nicholson . Dafoe starred in the drama Triumph of the Spirit in 1989 as Jewish Greek boxer Salamo Arouch , an Auschwitz concentration camp inmate who was forced to fight other internees to death for the Nazi officers' entertainment. It was filmed on location at Auschwitz, the first major film to do so. While the film was negatively received, Dafoe's performance
12644-438: Was next featured in a supporting role as a mean-spirited, alcoholic author who is visited by a pair of cancer patients, who are played by Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort , in the romantic drama The Fault in Our Stars . Dafoe once again collaborated with Ferrara on the drama Pasolini , in which he played Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini during his last days before his murder in 1975. Film critic Peter Bradshaw noted
12760-461: Was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor . In 1921, German director F. W. Murnau is shooting Nosferatu , an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker 's novel Dracula . Murnau keeps his team in the dark about their schedule and the actor playing the vampire Count Orlok . It is left to the film's other main actor, Gustav von Wangenheim , to explain that the lead is an obscure Russian theater performer named Max Schreck , who
12876-565: Was not released theatrically until 2011. Dafoe played a cold, domineering English professor who has a strained relationship with his family. The film received mostly negative reviews, although the performances were generally praised. Roger Ebert thought that Dafoe was "fearsome" in the role, while Manohla Dargis felt he and Roberts were "awkwardly matched" as a married couple. Dafoe co-starred as SS Nazi officer in Paul Schrader's Adam Resurrected (2008), which starred Jeff Goldblum as
12992-547: Was not released until 1998—Dafoe played a European living on an island in the Southeast Asia who becomes the target of redemption after preventing a woman, played by Irène Jacob , from being raped. "I really made a conscious effort to mix it up, not because in itself it's not the job of an actor to do all different things, but for me that's what I'm interested in. You've got to be careful because you've got to work with what you have, not just for vanity's sake, but I think
13108-417: Was only present for the first three months of an eight-month shoot. His role, that of a cockfighter who works for Jeff Bridges ' character, was removed from a majority of the film during editing but was visible during a cockfight scene. Dafoe did not receive a credit for his work on the film. In 1982, Dafoe starred as the leader of an outlaw motorcycle club in the drama The Loveless , his first role as
13224-695: Was revealed Dafoe had a stand in for scenes where his character's penis was on screen as his own was too big. Dafoe next had a small role in the French thriller Farewell as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and co-starred opposite Michael Shannon in Werner Herzog 's My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? , in which he played a detective attempting to figure out why a troubled man killed his own mother. Dafoe played
13340-431: Was suggested by Dafoe, comparing it to the ghost of Hamlet's father visiting his son to ask him to avenge his death. Dafoe was next seen in the comedy-drama The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), his first of three films with director Wes Anderson . He played the "hilariously doltish" German first mate of a research vessel owned by the eponymous lead character, who is played by Bill Murray . Dafoe then had
13456-453: Was widely praised, however, with Janet Maslin opining that Dafoe brought a "gleaming intensity" to the role. In his final release of 1988, Dafoe starred opposite Gene Hackman in the crime thriller Mississippi Burning as a pair of FBI agents investigating the disappearance of three civil rights workers in fictional Jessup County, Mississippi during the civil rights movement . Variety praised Dafoe's performance, writing, "Dafoe gives
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