Willem Dafoe
William James "Willem" Dafoe (/dəˈfoʊ/ 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 is the recipient of various accolades, including a Volpi Cup Award for Best Actor, with nominations for four Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, and four Golden Globe Awards. He received an Honorary Golden Bear in 2018. Born in Appleton, Wisconsin, Dafoe made his film debut with an uncredited role in Heaven's Gate (1980). He is known for collaborating with both mainstream and auteur filmmakers, including Paul Schrader, Abel Ferrara, Sam Raimi, Yorgos Lanthimos, Lars von Trier, Julian Schnabel, Andrew Stanton, Wes Anderson, and Robert Eggers. He received Academy Award nominations for playing a compassionate army sergeant in the war drama Platoon (1986), Max Schreck in the mystery film Shadow of the Vampire (2000), a kindly motel manager in the coming-of-age film The Florida Project (2017), and Vincent van Gogh in the biopic At Eternity's Gate (2018). His other films credits include To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Wild at Heart (1990), The English Patient (1996), American Psycho (2000), Animal Factory (2000), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), Antichrist (2009), The Hunter (2011), John Carter (2012), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), John Wick (2014), The Lighthouse (2019), Togo (2019), Poor Things (2023), and Nosferatu (2024). Dafoe was a founding member of experimental theatre company The Wooster Group. He portrayed Norman Osborn in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man film trilogy (2002–2007) and reprised the role in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). He has also voiced roles in the animated films Finding Nemo (2003), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), and The Boy and the Heron (2023). Description above from the Wikipedia article Willem Dafoe, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Credits
- 2026 · Werwulf as
- 2026 · Late Fame as Ed Saxberger
- 2026 · The Birthday Party as Marcos Timoleon
- 2026 · The Souffleur as Lucius
- 2025 · Pet Shop Days as Francis
- 2025 · The Man in My Basement as Anniston Bennett
- 2024 · Nosferatu: An Inside Look as Self
- 2024 · Can Creativity Save the World? as Self
- 2024 · Finally Dawn as Rufo Priori
- 2023 · Gonzo Girl as Walker Reade
- 2022 · Finding Satoshi as Narrator
- 2020 · Wim Wenders - Von Filmen und Träumen as Self
- 2020 · Siberia as Clint
- 2020 · The Lighthouse: A Dark & Stormy Tale as Self
- 2020 · Tommaso as Tommaso
- 2019 · Manou the Swift as Manou's Father (voice)
- 2018 · Brothers in Arms as Self
- 2018 · Friedkin Uncut as Self
- 2018 · Under the Rainbow: Making The Florida Project as Self
- 2017 · Mountain as Narrator (voice)
- 2017 · Piazza Vittorio as Himself
- 2017 · Ballad of a Righteous Merchant as Self
- 2017 · Sanctuary as Narrator
- 2016 · Dog Eat Dog as Mad Dog
- 2015 · Fukushima: A Nuclear Story as Narrator
- 2014 · Pasolini as Pier Paolo Pasolini
- 2013 · Love's Routine as Barry
- 2013 · Saving Norman as Lionel Pembrooke
- 2012 · Tomorrow You're Gone as The Buddha
- 2012 · 4:44 Last Day on Earth as Cisco
- 2010 · Miral as Eddie
- 2010 · A Woman as Max Oliver
- 2009 · Farewell as Feeney
- 2008 · Adam Resurrected as Commandat Klein
- 2008 · Go Go Tales as Ray Ruby
- 2007 · Wintergasten as
- 2007 · Voom Portraits as Self
- 2007 · The Walker as Larry Lockner
- 2005 · Ripley Under Ground as Neil Murchison
- 2005 · Before It Had a Name as Leslie
- 2005 · This Is an Adventure as Self
- 2005 · Matthew Gray Gubler's Life Aquatic Intern Journal as Self
- 2005 · On the Set: 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou' as Self / Klaus D.
- 2004 · Love, Death, Elvis & Oz: The Making of Wild at Heart as
- 2004 · The Clearing as Arnold Mack
- 2003 · Abel Ferrara: Not Guilty as
- 2003 · Rockets Redglare! as Self
- 2002 · Globehunters: An Around the World in 80 Days Adventure as Hunter (voice)
- 2001 · Edges of the Lord as Priest
- 2001 · Pavilion of Women as Father Andre
- 1999 · New Rose Hotel as X
- 1998 · Lulu on the Bridge as Dr. Van Horn
- 1998 · Affliction as Rolfe Whitehouse
- 1996 · Victory as Axel Heyst
- 1994 · Inside the Actors Studio as Self
- 1994 · Tom & Viv as Tom Eliot
- 1993 · Faraway, So Close! as Emit Flesti
- 1993 · Brace Up! as Colonel Alexander Ignatyevich Vershinin
- 1992 · Light Sleeper as John LeTour
- 1989 · Triumph of the Spirit as Salamo Arouch
- 1988 · Location Production Footage: The Last Temptation of Christ as Self
- 1987 · Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam as Elephant Grass (voice)
- 1984 · Roadhouse 66 as Johnny Harte
- Future · Tropico as Raymond
- Future · Tenzing as Colonel John Hunt
- 2026 · The Resurrection of Christ as
- 2025 · Avrio Vrady as Dancing man
- 2025 · The Phoenician Scheme as Knave
- 2025 · Grande Envie as Count
- 2025 · The Legend of Ochi as Maxim
- 2025 · Zero as (voice)
- 2024 · Nosferatu as Prof. Albin Eberhart von Franz
- 2024 · Jesus Goes to Hollywood as Self (archive footage)
- 2024 · run 002 as
- 2024 · Saturday Night as David Tebet
- 2024 · Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as Jackson
- 2024 · Kinds of Kindness as Raymond / George / Omi
- 2023 · Poor Things as Godwin Baxter
- 2023 · Interior (The Spectator) as Narrator
- 2023 · Willem Dafoe as
- 2023 · Asteroid City as Saltzburg Keitel
- 2023 · The Wild One as Narrator (voice)
- 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
- 2022 · 7 Deaths of Maria Callas as Film Actor
- 2022 · Il coraggio di essere Franco as Sé stesso
- 2022 · Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home as Self
- 2022 · The Northman as Heimir the Fool
- 2022 · Robert Wilson: The Beauty of the Mysterious as Self
- 2021 · Spider-Man: No Way Home as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin
- 2021 · Nightmare Alley as Clem Hoatley
- 2021 · The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun 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 · Babenco: Tell Me When I Die as Self
- 2020 · Sportin' Life as Self
- 2020 · Wim Wenders, Desperado as Self
- 2020 · Roy's World: Barry Gifford's Chicago as
- 2020 · The Last Thing He Wanted as Richard McMahon
- 2019 · Togo as Leonhard Seppala
- 2019 · Vincent van Gogh Superstar as Vincent van Gogh (archive footage)
- 2019 · Motherless Brooklyn as Paul Randolph
- 2019 · The Lighthouse as Thomas Wake
- 2019 · Love, Antosha as Self
- 2018 · Opus Zero as Paul
- 2018 · Aquaman as Nuidis Vulko
- 2018 · At Eternity's Gate as Vincent van Gogh
- 2018 · Vox Lux as Narrator (voice)
- 2018 · Theatron. Romeo Castellucci as
- 2017 · Murder on the Orient Express as Gerhard Hardman
- 2017 · NHK WORLD PRIME as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2017 · The Florida Project as Bobby
- 2017 · Death Note as Ryuk (voice)
- 2017 · What Happened to Monday as Terrence Settman
- 2017 · Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait as Self
- 2016 · The Great Wall as Ballard
- 2016 · Father as James Verdun
- 2016 · A Family Man as Ed Blackridge
- 2016 · Sculpt as
- 2016 · Finding Dory as Gill (voice)
- 2016 · Nelson Algren Live as Role1 / Frankie Machine / Role2 / Blackie Cavanaugh
- 2016 · My Hindu Friend as Diego Fairman
- 2016 · Mind the Gap as Self
- 2015 · The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Zylander Quark
- 2015 · Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
- 2015 · The Making of A Most Wanted Man as Self
- 2015 · John Wick: Calling in the Cavalry as Self
- 2015 · Don't F*#% With John Wick 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 · Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self - Guest
- 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 · The Smile Man as Willem
- 2013 · Odd Thomas as Wyatt Porter
- 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 · Into the Deep: America, Whaling & The World as Narrator
- 2010 · Daybreakers as Lionel 'Elvis' Cormac
- 2009 · The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day as Paul Smecker (uncredited)
- 2009 · Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant as Gavner Purl
- 2009 · Fantastic Mr. Fox as Rat (voice)
- 2009 · Antichrist as He
- 2008 · The Dust of Time as A
- 2008 · Fireflies in the Garden as Charles Waechter
- 2007 · To Each His Own Cinema as (segment "Occupations") (archive footage)
- 2007 · Cannes: All Access as Self
- 2007 · Anamorph as Stan Aubray
- 2007 · The Procedure as Christopher
- 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 · Paris Je T'aime as Le cow-boy (Place des Victoires)
- 2006 · Inside Man as John Darius
- 2006 · American Dreamz as Chief of Staff
- 2005 · The Colbert Report as
- 2005 · Manderlay as Grace's Father
- 2005 · Jiminy Glick in Lalawood as Willem Dafoe (uncredited)
- 2005 · xXx: State of the Union as Gen. George Octavius Deckert
- 2004 · The Aviator as Roland Sweet
- 2004 · The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou as Klaus Daimler
- 2004 · Control as Dr. Michael Copeland
- 2004 · The Misbehavers as Self
- 2004 · Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate as Narrator (voice)
- 2004 · Kulturplatz as Self
- 2004 · Spider-Man 2 as Green Goblin / Norman Osborn
- 2004 · Behind the Scenes of 'Spider-Man' as Self
- 2004 · The Reckoning as Martin
- 2003 · Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.' as Self
- 2003 · Once Upon a Time in Mexico as Armando Barillo
- 2003 · Overnight as Self
- 2003 · Finding Nemo as Gill (voice)
- 2002 · Auto Focus as John Carpenter
- 2002 · The Spider-Man Story as Self
- 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 · A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting 'Platoon' as Self
- 2000 · Animal Factory as Earl Copen
- 2000 · Bullfighter as Father Ramirez
- 2000 · Shadow of the Vampire as Max Schreck
- 2000 · American Psycho as Donald Kimball
- 1999 · eXistenZ as Gas
- 1999 · The Boondock Saints as Paul Smecker
- 1999 · The Directors as Self
- 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 · Basquiat as The Electrician
- 1996 · The Daily Show as Self
- 1995 · The Night and the Moment as Lo scrittore
- 1994 · The Kingdom as Grand Duc
- 1994 · Clear and Present Danger as John Clark
- 1993 · White Homeland Commando as Karl
- 1993 · Body of Evidence as Frank Dulaney
- 1993 · Rhyme 'Em to Death as
- 1992 · White Sands as Deputy Sheriff Ray Dolezal
- 1992 · North on Evers as
- 1991 · Fishing with John as Self
- 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 · 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
- 1988 · The Last Temptation of Christ as Jesus
- 1988 · Off Limits as Buck McGriff
- 1986 · Platoon as Sergeant Elias Grodin
- 1985 · To Live and Die in L.A. as Rick Masters
- 1985 · O Panama as
- 1984 · Streets of Fire as Raven Shaddock
- 1984 · Atalanta Strategy as Immigration Staff
- Future · Time Out as
- 1984 · New York Nights as Boyfriend
- 1984 · The Loveless as Vance
- 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
- Future · The Sleeping Shepherd as
- Future · A Christmas Carol as Ebenezer Scrooge
- Future · Cuddle as Dante