Willem Dafoe Net Worth

Willem Dafoe's Quotes

• [on his role in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)]: "To this day, I can't believe I was so brazen to think I could pull off the Jesus role."
• I don't think people want to see me as a regular guy, besides, I'm a regular guy in real life. I guess I just want to be reckless in my work.
• Casting people feel that they have to get someone who looks a certain way, and I think that the jury is still out whether people find me attractive or not.
• I wish to Christ I could make up a really great lie. Sometimes, after an interview, I say to myself, 'Man, you were so honest - can't you have some fun? Can't you do some really down and dirty lying?' But the puritan in me thinks that if I tell a lie, I'll be punished.
• Weirdness is not my game. I'm just a square boy from Wisconsin.

Interesting Facts about Willem Dafoe

1. He has a son, Jack, born in 1982, with Elizabeth LeCompte.
2. His high school nickname, Willem, stuck with him.
3. Says he feels like he's missed out on more conventional roles because he's perceived as an eccentric actor in dark little films, kind of the boy-next-door type - if you lived next door to a mausoleum.
4. He attended Einstein Junior High School in Appleton, Wisconsin, where he was known as "Billy."
5. He did practically all of his own stunts on the glider in Spider-Man (2002). So when you see the Green Goblin moving around on it, when it's not CG, then it's Willem pretty much the whole time.
6. He was delirious for 24 hours after coming down with yellow fever on the set of Platoon (1986).
7. Attended Appleton East High School in Appleton, Wisconsin.
8. Quite possibly has the most on-screen deaths of any mainstream actor. His death scenes include Platoon (1986), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), eXistenZ (1999), Shadow of the Vampire (2000), Spider-Man (2002), and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), among others.
9. The only actor to ever be nominated for an Oscar for playing a vampire, for his role as Max Schrek in Shadow of the Vampire (2000).
10. Often portrays soldiers or eccentric characters.
11. John Malkovich, Nicolas Cage, and Dafoe were all approached to play the Green Goblin in Spider-Man (2002). Dafoe and Malkovich starred in Shadow of the Vampire (2000) together, while Cage produced the film. Dafoe ended up getting the Spider-Man role.
12. Was under consideration for Dennis Hopper's role (Frank Booth) in Blue Velvet (1986).
13. While doing a blocking run-through on Wild at Heart (1990) (for the scene in which Dafoe's character threatens to rape Laura Dern's character), Dafoe playfully sang his lines. Director David Lynch loved this, and wanted Dafoe to actually sing his lines in the scene, when they shot it. The idea did not actually go through, however.
14. Brother, Donald Dafoe, is an accomplished transplant surgeon.
15. Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2006 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was listed as a suggestion in the Worst Supporting Actor category for his performance in the film xXx²: The Next Level (2005) However, he failed to receive a nomination. (Had he gotten the nomination, it would have been his third overall. He was previously nominated for Worst Supporting Actor at the 1998 Razzie Awards for his role in Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), and for Worst Actor at the 1994 Razzie Awards for his performance in Body of Evidence (1992).)
16. Was offered the role of Senator Roark in Sin City (2005).
17. Visited the Sarajevo International Film Festival together with Steve Buscemi in 2000.
18. Was a candidate for the role of the Joker in Batman (1989).
19. Member of the 'Official Competition' jury at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival in 2007.
20. Was involved for decades (from 1977) with theater director and actress Elizabeth LeCompte, who was also a member and director of the Wooster Group. He later married Italian writer/director Giada Colagrande in 2005.