Willem Dafoe
Born
July 22, 1955 (69 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Appleton, Wisconsin, USA
William James "Willem" Dafoe (/dəˈfoʊ/də-FOH or /ˈdeɪfoʊ/ DAY-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 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).
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The Legend of Ochi
Maxim
2025
Saturday Night
David Tebet
2024
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Jackson
2024
Kinds of Kindness
Raymond / George / Omi
2024
Finally Dawn
Rufo Priori
2024
Poor Things
Godwin Baxter
2023
Gonzo Girl
Walker Reade
2023
Pet Shop Days
Francis
2023
Asteroid City
Saltzburg Keitel
2023
The Wild One
Narrator (voice)
2023
Inside
Nemo
2023
Franco Battiato - La voce del padrone
2022
Creation of the Kingdom of Exodus
Self / Grand Duc
2022
Il coraggio di essere Franco
Sé stesso
2022
Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home
Self
2022
Finding Satoshi
Narrator
2022
Robert Wilson: The Beauty of the Mysterious
Self
2022
Why Are We (Not) Creative?
Self
2021
Celebrating Marvel's Stan Lee
Self / Norman Osborn/ Green Goblin (archive footage)
2019
Vincent van Gogh Superstar
Vincent van Gogh (archive footage)
2019
Brothers in Arms
Self
2018
The Great Wall
Ballard
2016
Dog Eat Dog
Mad Dog
2016
A Family Man
Ed Blackridge
2016
My Hindu Friend
Diego Fairman
2016
The Making of A Most Wanted Man
Self
2015
John Wick: Calling in the Cavalry
Self
2015
Don't F*#% With John Wick
Self
2015
John Wick
Marcus
2014
Bad Country
Bud Carter
2014
Pasolini
Pier Paolo Pasolini
2014
SPYMASTER: John le Carré in Hamburg
(archive footage)
2014
A Most Wanted Man
Tommy Brue
2014
The Fault in Our Stars
Peter van Houten
2014
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Jopling
2014
Nymphomaniac: Vol. II
L
2013
Out of the Furnace
John Petty
2013
Love's Routine
Barry
2013
The Smile Man
Willem
2013
Saving Norman
Lionel Pembrooke
2013
Odd Thomas
Wyatt Porter
2013
Tomorrow You're Gone
The Buddha
2012
4:44 Last Day on Earth
Cisco
2012
John Carter
Tars Tarkas
2012
The Hunter
Martin David
2011
Miral
Eddie
2010
A Woman
Max Oliver
2010
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done
Detective Hank Havenhurst
2010
Daybreakers
Lionel 'Elvis' Cormac
2010
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day
Paul Smecker
2009
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
Gavner Purl
2009
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Rat (voice)
2009
Farewell
Feeney
2009
Antichrist
He
2009
The Dust of Time
A
2008
Adam Resurrected
Commandat Klein
2008
Fireflies in the Garden
Charles Waechter
2008
Anamorph
Stan Aubray
2007
The Procedure
Christopher
2007
Go Go Tales
Ray Ruby
2007
Spider-Man 3
Green Goblin / Norman Osborn
2007
Mr. Bean's Holiday
Carson Clay
2007
The Walker
Larry Lockner
2007
Paris Je T'aime
Le cow-boy (Place des Victoires)
2006
Inside Man
John Darius
2006
American Dreamz
Chief of Staff
2006
Ripley Under Ground
Neil Murchison
2005
Before It Had a Name
Leslie
2005
Manderlay
Grace's Father
2005
Matthew Gray Gubler's Life Aquatic Intern Journal
Self
2005
xXx: State of the Union
Gen. George Octavius Deckert
2005
The Aviator
Roland Sweet
2004
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Klaus Daimler
2004
Control
Dr. Michael Copeland
2004
The Misbehavers
Self
2004
The Clearing
Arnold Mack
2004
Spider-Man 2
Green Goblin / Norman Osborn
2004
The Reckoning
Martin
2004
Once Upon a Time in Mexico
Armando Barillo
2003
Finding Nemo
Gill (voice)
2003
Rockets Redglare!
Self
2003
Auto Focus
John Carpenter
2002
Spider-Man
Green Goblin / Norman Osborn
2002
Edges of the Lord
Priest
2001
Pavilion of Women
Father Andre
2001
Animal Factory
Earl Copen
2000
Bullfighter
Father Ramirez
2000
Shadow of the Vampire
Max Schreck
2000
American Psycho
Donald Kimball
2000
eXistenZ
Gas
1999
New Rose Hotel
X
1999
The Boondock Saints
Paul Smecker
1999
Forrest Bess: Key to the Riddle
Narrator
1999
Affliction
Rolfe Whitehouse
1997
Speed 2: Cruise Control
Geiger
1997
Victory
Axel Heyst
1996
The English Patient
David Caravaggio
1996
Basquiat
The Electrician
1996
The Night and the Moment
Lo scrittore
1995
Clear and Present Danger
John Clark
1994
Tom & Viv
Tom Eliot
1994
Faraway, So Close!
Emit Flesti
1993
White Homeland Commando
Karl
1993
Body of Evidence
Frank Dulaney
1993
Light Sleeper
John LeTour
1992
White Sands
Deputy Sheriff Ray Dolezal
1992
Flight of the Intruder
Lt. Cmdr. Virgil 'Tiger' Cole
1991
Wild at Heart
Bobby Peru
1990
Cry-Baby
Hateful Guard
1990
Born on the Fourth of July
Charlie
1989
Mississippi Burning
Agent Alan Ward
1988
The Last Temptation of Christ
Jesus
1988
Off Limits
Buck McGriff
1988
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
Elephant Grass (voice)
1987
To Live and Die in L.A.
Rick Masters
1985
Roadhouse 66
Johnny Harte
1984
Streets of Fire
Raven Shaddock
1984
The Loveless
Vance
1984
The Hunger
2nd Phone Booth Youth
1983
Heaven's Gate
Willy (uncredited)
1980
The Man in My Basement
Anniston Bennett
Triumph of the Spirit
Salamo Arouch
1989
American Nails
Late Fame
Ed Saxberger
Tenzing
Colonel John Hunt
Interior (The Spectator)
Narrator
2023
The Northman
Heimir the Fool
2022
Nightmare Alley
Clem Hoatley
2021
The French Dispatch
Albert 'the Abacus'
2021
The Card Counter
Gordo
2021
Babenco: Tell Me When I Die
Self
2020
Wim Wenders, Desperado
Self
2020
Siberia
Clint
2020
Roy's World: Barry Gifford's Chicago
2020
The Last Thing He Wanted
Richard McMahon
2020
Tommaso
Tommaso
2020
Togo
Leonhard Seppala
2019
Motherless Brooklyn
Paul Randolph
2019
The Lighthouse
Thomas Wake
2019
Love, Antosha
Self
2019
Manou the Swift
Manou's Father (voice)
2019
Opus Zero
Paul
2018
Aquaman
Nuidis Vulko
2018
At Eternity's Gate
Vincent van Gogh
2018
Friedkin Uncut
Self
2018
Vox Lux
Narrator (voice)
2018
Theatron. Romeo Castellucci
2018
Under the Rainbow: Making The Florida Project
Self
2018
Mountain
Narrator (voice)
2017
Murder on the Orient Express
Gerhard Hardman
2017
The Florida Project
Bobby
2017
Piazza Vittorio
Himself
2017
Death Note
Ryuk (voice)
2017
What Happened to Monday
Terrence Settman
2017
Ballad of a Righteous Merchant
Self
2017
Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait
Self
2017
Father
James Verdun
2016
Finding Dory
Gill (voice)
2016
Nelson Algren Live
Role1 / Frankie Machine / Role2 / Blackie Cavanaugh
2016
Mind the Gap
Self
2016
Fukushima: A Nuclear Story
Narrator
2015
Bob Wilson's Life & Death of Marina Abramovic
Self
2012
The Making of Daybreakers
Self
2010
Into the Deep: America, Whaling & The World
Narrator
2010
Cannes: All Access
Self
2007
Voom Portraits
Self
2007
This Is an Adventure
Self
2005
On the Set: 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou'
Self / Klaus D.
2005
Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate
Narrator (voice)
2004
Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.'
Self
2003
Abel Ferrara: Not Guilty
2003
Globehunters: An Around the World in 80 Days Adventure
Hunter (voice)
2002
Platoon
Sergeant Elias Grodin
1986
New York Nights
Boyfriend
1984
Tropico
Raymond
The Birthday Party
Marcos Timoleon
The Phoenician Scheme
Knave
2025
Wick Is Pain
(archive footage)
2025
Zero
(voice)
2025
Nosferatu: An Inside Look
Self
2024
Nosferatu
Prof. Albin Eberhart von Franz
2024
Jesus Goes to Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
2024
run 002
2024
Da Suisa - Tributo
Himself
2024
Can Creativity Save the World?
Self
2024
Dead for a Dollar
Joe Cribbens
2022
Stasera c’è Cattelan su Raidue
Self · (1 episode)
2022
Mostra, Venise
Self - "Tapis Rouge" Guest · (1 episode)
2022
7 Deaths of Maria Callas
Film Actor
2022
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Norman Osborn / Green Goblin
2021
River
Narrator
2021
Maresco / Pasolini
Self
2021
Zack Snyder's Justice League
Vulko
2021
Wim Wenders - Von Filmen und Träumen
Self · (4 episodes)
2020
Sportin' Life
Self
2020
The Lighthouse: A Dark & Stormy Tale
Self
2020
NHK WORLD PRIME
Self - Narrator (voice) · (1 episode)
2017
Sanctuary
Narrator
2017
Sculpt
2016
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self · (1 episode)
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · (1 episode)
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self · (2 episodes)
2014
Off Camera with Sam Jones
Self · (1 episode)
2014
The Benaki Museum
Narrator (voice)
2013
Nymphomaniac: Vol. I
L
2013
Conan
Self · (1 episode)
2010
Wintergasten
(1 episode)
2007
To Each His Own Cinema
(segment "Occupations") (archive footage)
2007
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (1 episode)
2007
The Colbert Report
(1 episode)
2005
Jiminy Glick in Lalawood
Willem Dafoe (uncredited)
2005
Love, Death, Elvis & Oz: The Making of Wild at Heart
2004
Kulturplatz
Self · (1 episode)
2004
Behind the Scenes of 'Spider-Man'
Self
2004
Overnight
Self
2003
The Spider-Man Story
Self
2002
Spider-Mania
Self
2002
Behind the Ultimate Spin: The Making of 'Spider-Man'
Self
2002
A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting 'Platoon'
Self
2001
The Directors
Self · (1 episode)
1999
Lulu on the Bridge
Dr. Van Horn
1998
Abel/Asia
Self (archival footage)
1998
The Wonderful World of Disney
(1 episode)
1997
Wrong Guys
Jack Straw
1997
The Kingdom
Grand Duc · (3 episodes)
1994
Fishing with John
Self · (1 episode)
1991
The Simpsons
Commandant (voice) · (1 episode)
1989
Location Production Footage: The Last Temptation of the Christ
Self
1988
The Sleeping Shepherd
The Souffleur
Cuddle
Dante
A Christmas Carol
Ebenezer Scrooge
The Daily Show
Self · (1 episode)
1996
Inside the Actors Studio
Self · (1 episode)
1994
Brace Up!
Colonel Alexander Ignatyevich Vershinin
1993
Rhyme 'Em to Death
1993
North on Evers
1992
The Simpsons
The Commandant / Jack Lassen (voice) · (1 episode)
1989
O Panama
1985
Atalanta Strategy
Immigration Staff
1984
The Hitchhiker
Jeffrey Hunt · (1 episode)
1983
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1975
Saturday Night Live
Self - Cameo (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1975
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self · (1 episode)
1962
The Oscars
Self · (2 episodes)
1953
The Oscars
Self - Presenter · (1 episode)
1953