William James “Willem” Dafoe was born on July 22, 1955 in Appleton, Wisconsin (United States).
About Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and producer who has achieved considerable success in both independent and mainstream films. Born Willem Dafoe in Appleton, Wisconsin in 1955, he began his professional acting career at the age of 17 when he joined the experimental Theater X in Milwaukee. He quickly gained recognition for his stage work and made his film debut in 1981 with The Loveless, followed by a starring role in Streets of Fire (1984). His breakout performance came two years later with Platoon (1986), for which he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Since then, Willem Dafoe has appeared in many critically acclaimed films such as Shadow of the Vampire (2000), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and At Eternity’s Gate (2018). In addition to being a highly respected actor, Willem Dafoe has also been involved in several directing projects including The Last Moment (2001) and Inside Man: Most Wanted (2019). Throughout his impressive career, Willem Dafoe has received numerous accolades including three Golden Globe nominations, multiple Screen Actors Guild awards, an Independent Spirit Award and numerous other awards.
We love Antichrist and The House that Jack Bulit, both directed by Lars von Trier.
Sometimes I think women are lucky because they can develop in ways men can’t. The old-boy network may be oppressive to women, but it actually stunts men in terms of personal growth.
Willem Dafoe
Video: The Strange World Of Willem Dafoe
In films you do a scene, you play around with it and unless you’re doing a lot of reshooting, which no one has the luxury to do, you deal with the problem for a day and then you move on. On some level, it never allows you to go very deep into what performing is about.
Willem Dafoe