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