Willem Dafoe

Acting

Willem Dafoe

Born July 22, 1955Appleton, Wisconsin, USA243 credits

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

Filmography

The Birthday Party
2026The Birthday Party
as Marcos TimoleonMovie
Late Fame
2026Late Fame
as Ed SaxbergerMovie
The Souffleur
2026The Souffleur
as LuciusMovie
Pet Shop Days
2025Pet Shop Days
as FrancisMovie
The Man in My Basement
2025The Man in My Basement
as Anniston BennettMovie
Avrio Vrady
2025Avrio Vrady
as Dancing manMovie
Grande Envie
2025Grande Envie
as CountMovie
Zero
2025Zero
as (voice)Movie
Nosferatu
2024Nosferatu
as Prof. Albin Eberhart von FranzMovie
Jesus Goes to Hollywood
2024Jesus Goes to Hollywood
as Self (archive footage)Movie
Saturday Night
2024Saturday Night
as David TebetMovie
Kinds of Kindness
2024Kinds of Kindness
as Raymond / George / OmiMovie
Finally Dawn
2024Finally Dawn
as Rufo PrioriMovie
Poor Things
2023Poor Things
as Godwin BaxterMovie
G
2023Gonzo Girl
as Walker ReadeMovie
Asteroid City
2023Asteroid City
as Saltzburg KeitelMovie
The Wild One
2023The Wild One
as Narrator (voice)Movie
Inside
2023Inside
as NemoMovie
Dead for a Dollar
2022Dead for a Dollar
as Joe CribbensMovie
The Northman
2022The Northman
as Heimir the FoolMovie
Finding Satoshi
2022Finding Satoshi
as NarratorMovie
Spider-Man: No Way Home
2021Spider-Man: No Way Home
as Norman Osborn / Green GoblinMovie
Nightmare Alley
2021Nightmare Alley
as Clem HoatleyMovie
River
2021River
as NarratorMovie
Sportin' Life
2020Sportin' Life
as SelfMovie
Siberia
2020Siberia
as ClintMovie
The Last Thing He Wanted
2020The Last Thing He Wanted
as Richard McMahonMovie
Tommaso
2020Tommaso
as TommasoMovie
Togo
2019Togo
as Leonhard SeppalaMovie
Vincent van Gogh Superstar
2019Vincent van Gogh Superstar
as Vincent van Gogh (archive footage)Movie
Motherless Brooklyn
2019Motherless Brooklyn
as Paul RandolphMovie
The Lighthouse
2019The Lighthouse
as Thomas WakeMovie
Love, Antosha
2019Love, Antosha
as SelfMovie
Manou the Swift
2019Manou the Swift
as Manou's Father (voice)Movie
Opus Zero
2018Opus Zero
as PaulMovie
Aquaman
2018Aquaman
as Nuidis VulkoMovie
At Eternity's Gate
2018At Eternity's Gate
as Vincent van GoghMovie
Friedkin Uncut
2018Friedkin Uncut
as SelfMovie
Vox Lux
2018Vox Lux
as Narrator (voice)Movie
Mountain
2017Mountain
as Narrator (voice)Movie
Murder on the Orient Express
2017Murder on the Orient Express
as Gerhard HardmanMovie
NHK WORLD PRIME
2017NHK WORLD PRIME
as Self - Narrator (voice)TV
Piazza Vittorio
2017Piazza Vittorio
as HimselfMovie
Death Note
2017Death Note
as Ryuk (voice)Movie
What Happened to Monday
2017What Happened to Monday
as Terrence SettmanMovie
Sanctuary
2017Sanctuary
as NarratorMovie
The Great Wall
2016The Great Wall
as BallardMovie
Dog Eat Dog
2016Dog Eat Dog
as Mad DogMovie
Father
2016Father
as James VerdunMovie
A Family Man
2016A Family Man
as Ed BlackridgeMovie
Finding Dory
2016Finding Dory
as Gill (voice)Movie
Nelson Algren Live
2016Nelson Algren Live
as Role1 / Frankie Machine / Role2 / Blackie CavanaughMovie
My Hindu Friend
2016My Hindu Friend
as Diego FairmanMovie
Mind the Gap
2016Mind the Gap
as SelfMovie
John Wick
2014John Wick
as MarcusMovie
Bad Country
2014Bad Country
as Bud CarterMovie
Pasolini
2014Pasolini
as Pier Paolo PasoliniMovie
A Most Wanted Man
2014A Most Wanted Man
as Tommy BrueMovie
The Fault in Our Stars
2014The Fault in Our Stars
as Peter van HoutenMovie
The Benaki Museum
2013The Benaki Museum
as Narrator (voice)Movie
Out of the Furnace
2013Out of the Furnace
as John PettyMovie
L
2013Love's Routine
as BarryMovie
The Smile Man
2013The Smile Man
as WillemMovie
S
2013Saving Norman
as Lionel PembrookeMovie
Odd Thomas
2013Odd Thomas
as Wyatt PorterMovie
Tomorrow You're Gone
2012Tomorrow You're Gone
as The BuddhaMovie
John Carter
2012John Carter
as Tars TarkasMovie
The Hunter
2011The Hunter
as Martin DavidMovie
Conan
2010Conan
as SelfTV
Miral
2010Miral
as EddieMovie
A Woman
2010A Woman
as Max OliverMovie
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done
2010My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done
as Detective Hank HavenhurstMovie
Daybreakers
2010Daybreakers
as Lionel 'Elvis' CormacMovie
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day
2009The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day
as Paul Smecker (uncredited)Movie
Fantastic Mr. Fox
2009Fantastic Mr. Fox
as Rat (voice)Movie
Farewell
2009Farewell
as FeeneyMovie
Antichrist
2009Antichrist
as HeMovie
Adam Resurrected
2008Adam Resurrected
as Commandat KleinMovie
Fireflies in the Garden
2008Fireflies in the Garden
as Charles WaechterMovie
Go Go Tales
2008Go Go Tales
as Ray RubyMovie
To Each His Own Cinema
2007To Each His Own Cinema
as (segment "Occupations") (archive footage)Movie
Voom Portraits
2007Voom Portraits
as SelfMovie
Anamorph
2007Anamorph
as Stan AubrayMovie
T
2007The Procedure
as ChristopherMovie
Spider-Man 3
2007Spider-Man 3
as Green Goblin / Norman OsbornMovie
Mr. Bean's Holiday
2007Mr. Bean's Holiday
as Carson ClayMovie
The Walker
2007The Walker
as Larry LocknerMovie
Paris Je T'aime
2006Paris Je T'aime
as Le cow-boy (Place des Victoires)Movie
Inside Man
2006Inside Man
as John DariusMovie
American Dreamz
2006American Dreamz
as Chief of StaffMovie
Ripley Under Ground
2005Ripley Under Ground
as Neil MurchisonMovie
Manderlay
2005Manderlay
as Grace's FatherMovie
Jiminy Glick in Lalawood
2005Jiminy Glick in Lalawood
as Willem Dafoe (uncredited)Movie
xXx: State of the Union
2005xXx: State of the Union
as Gen. George Octavius DeckertMovie
The Aviator
2004The Aviator
as Roland SweetMovie
Control
2004Control
as Dr. Michael CopelandMovie
The Clearing
2004The Clearing
as Arnold MackMovie
Spider-Man 2
2004Spider-Man 2
as Green Goblin / Norman OsbornMovie
The Reckoning
2004The Reckoning
as MartinMovie
Once Upon a Time in Mexico
2003Once Upon a Time in Mexico
as Armando BarilloMovie
Overnight
2003Overnight
as SelfMovie
Finding Nemo
2003Finding Nemo
as Gill (voice)Movie
Auto Focus
2002Auto Focus
as John CarpenterMovie
Spider-Man
2002Spider-Man
as Green Goblin / Norman OsbornMovie
Spider-Mania
2002Spider-Mania
as SelfMovie
Edges of the Lord
2001Edges of the Lord
as PriestMovie
Pavilion of Women
2001Pavilion of Women
as Father AndreMovie
Animal Factory
2000Animal Factory
as Earl CopenMovie
Bullfighter
2000Bullfighter
as Father RamirezMovie
Shadow of the Vampire
2000Shadow of the Vampire
as Max SchreckMovie
American Psycho
2000American Psycho
as Donald KimballMovie
eXistenZ
1999eXistenZ
as GasMovie
The Boondock Saints
1999The Boondock Saints
as Paul SmeckerMovie
Lulu on the Bridge
1998Lulu on the Bridge
as Dr. Van HornMovie
Affliction
1998Affliction
as Rolfe WhitehouseMovie
W
1997Wrong Guys
as Jack StrawMovie
Victory
1996Victory
as Axel HeystMovie
The English Patient
1996The English Patient
as David CaravaggioMovie
Basquiat
1996Basquiat
as The ElectricianMovie
The Night and the Moment
1995The Night and the Moment
as Lo scrittoreMovie
The Kingdom
1994The Kingdom
as Grand DucTV
Tom & Viv
1994Tom & Viv
as Tom EliotMovie
Faraway, So Close!
1993Faraway, So Close!
as Emit FlestiMovie
Brace Up!
1993Brace Up!
as Colonel Alexander Ignatyevich VershininMovie
Body of Evidence
1993Body of Evidence
as Frank DulaneyMovie
Light Sleeper
1992Light Sleeper
as John LeTourMovie
White Sands
1992White Sands
as Deputy Sheriff Ray DolezalMovie
Flight of the Intruder
1991Flight of the Intruder
as Lt. Cmdr. Virgil 'Tiger' ColeMovie
Wild at Heart
1990Wild at Heart
as Bobby PeruMovie
Cry-Baby
1990Cry-Baby
as Hateful GuardMovie
The Simpsons
1989The Simpsons
as The Commandant / Jack Lassen (voice)TV
Triumph of the Spirit
1989Triumph of the Spirit
as Salamo ArouchMovie
Mississippi Burning
1988Mississippi Burning
as Agent Alan WardMovie
Off Limits
1988Off Limits
as Buck McGriffMovie
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
1987Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
as Elephant Grass (voice)Movie
Platoon
1986Platoon
as Sergeant Elias GrodinMovie
To Live and Die in L.A.
1985To Live and Die in L.A.
as Rick MastersMovie
Roadhouse 66
1984Roadhouse 66
as Johnny HarteMovie
Streets of Fire
1984Streets of Fire
as Raven ShaddockMovie
New York Nights
1984New York Nights
as BoyfriendMovie
The Loveless
1984The Loveless
as VanceMovie
Atalanta Strategy
1984Atalanta Strategy
as Immigration StaffMovie
The Hitchhiker
1983The Hitchhiker
as Jeffrey HuntTV
The Hunger
1983The Hunger
as 2nd Phone Booth YouthMovie
Heaven's Gate
1980Heaven's Gate
as Willy (uncredited)Movie
Saturday Night Live
1975Saturday Night Live
as Self - HostTV
T
Tenzing
as Colonel John HuntMovie
T
Tropico
as RaymondMovie
C
Cuddle
as DanteMovie
A
A Christmas Carol
as Ebenezer ScroogeMovie