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 · Tenzing as Colonel John Hunt
- 2026 · Late Fame as Ed Saxberger
- 2026 · The Souffleur as Lucius
- 2025 · Pet Shop Days as Francis
- 2025 · The Phoenician Scheme as Knave
- 2025 · The Legend of Ochi as Maxim
- 2025 · Zero as (voice)
- 2024 · Nosferatu as Prof. Albin Eberhart von Franz
- 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 · Gonzo Girl as Walker Reade
- 2023 · Asteroid City as Saltzburg Keitel
- 2023 · Inside as Nemo
- 2022 · Dead for a Dollar as Joe Cribbens
- 2022 · Stasera c’è Cattelan su Raidue as Self
- 2022 · Mostra, Venise as Self
- 2022 · Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home as Self
- 2022 · The Northman as Heimir the Fool
- 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 · The Card Counter as Gordo
- 2021 · Zack Snyder's Justice League as Vulko
- 2020 · Wim Wenders - Von Filmen und Träumen as Self
- 2020 · The Last Thing He Wanted as Richard McMahon
- 2019 · Togo as Leonhard Seppala
- 2019 · Motherless Brooklyn as Paul Randolph
- 2019 · The Lighthouse as Thomas Wake
- 2019 · Love, Antosha as Self
- 2018 · Aquaman as Nuidis Vulko
- 2018 · At Eternity's Gate as Vincent van Gogh
- 2018 · Vox Lux as Narrator (voice)
- 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
- 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)
- 2015 · The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Zylander Quark
- 2015 · Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
- 2014 · Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self
- 2014 · John Wick as Marcus
- 2014 · Bad Country as Bud Carter
- 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 · Nymphomaniac: Vol. II as L
- 2013 · Out of the Furnace as John Petty
- 2013 · Odd Thomas as Wyatt Porter
- 2012 · John Carter as Tars Tarkas
- 2011 · The Hunter as Martin David
- 2010 · Conan as Self
- 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
- 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 · 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 · Kulturplatz as Self
- 2004 · The Clearing as Arnold Mack
- 2004 · Spider-Man 2 as Green Goblin / Norman Osborn
- 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 · Spider-Man as Green Goblin / Norman Osborn
- 2002 · Spider-Mania as Self
- 2000 · Animal Factory as Earl Copen
- 2000 · Shadow of the Vampire as Max Schreck
- 2000 · American Psycho as Donald Kimball
- 1999 · eXistenZ as Gas
- 1999 · New Rose Hotel as X
- 1999 · The Boondock Saints as Paul Smecker
- 1999 · The Directors as Self
- 1998 · Affliction as Rolfe Whitehouse
- 1997 · The Wonderful World of Disney as
- 1997 · Speed 2: Cruise Control as Geiger
- 1996 · The English Patient as David Caravaggio
- 1996 · Basquiat as The Electrician
- 1996 · The Daily Show as Self
- 1994 · The Kingdom as Grand Duc
- 1994 · Clear and Present Danger as John Clark
- 1993 · Body of Evidence as Frank Dulaney
- 1992 · White Sands as Deputy Sheriff Ray Dolezal
- 1991 · Fishing with John as Self
- 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
- 1984 · Streets of Fire as Raven Shaddock
- 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 · White Lies as
- Future · Time Out as
- 2026 · The Birthday Party as Marcos Timoleon
- 2026 · The Resurrection of Christ as
- 2025 · The Man in My Basement as Anniston Bennett
- 2024 · Nosferatu: An Inside Look as Self
- 2024 · Jesus Goes to Hollywood as Self (archive footage)
- 2024 · run 002 as
- 2024 · Finally Dawn as Rufo Priori
- 2023 · Willem Dafoe as
- 2022 · Creation of the Kingdom of Exodus as Self / Grand Duc
- 2022 · Finding Satoshi as Narrator
- 2021 · Maresco / Pasolini as Self
- 2020 · Siberia as Clint
- 2020 · The Lighthouse: A Dark & Stormy Tale as Self
- 2019 · Manou the Swift as Manou's Father (voice)
- 2018 · Brothers in Arms as Self
- 2018 · Friedkin Uncut as Self
- 2017 · Mountain as Narrator (voice)
- 2017 · Ballad of a Righteous Merchant as Self
- 2016 · Sculpt as
- 2016 · My Hindu Friend as Diego Fairman
- 2014 · Pasolini as Pier Paolo Pasolini
- 2013 · Love's Routine as Barry
- 2013 · The Smile Man as Willem
- 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
- 2010 · My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done as Detective Hank Havenhurst
- 2009 · Farewell as Feeney
- 2008 · The Dust of Time as A
- 2008 · Adam Resurrected as Commandat Klein
- 2008 · Fireflies in the Garden as Charles Waechter
- 2008 · Go Go Tales as Ray Ruby
- 2007 · Wintergasten as
- 2007 · To Each His Own Cinema as (segment "Occupations") (archive footage)
- 2007 · Voom Portraits as Self
- 2007 · Anamorph as Stan Aubray
- 2007 · The Procedure as Christopher
- 2007 · The Walker as Larry Lockner
- 2005 · Ripley Under Ground as Neil Murchison
- 2005 · Matthew Gray Gubler's Life Aquatic Intern Journal as Self
- 2005 · Jiminy Glick in Lalawood as Willem Dafoe (uncredited)
- 2004 · Control as Dr. Michael Copeland
- 2004 · The Reckoning as Martin
- 2001 · Edges of the Lord as Priest
- 2001 · Pavilion of Women as Father Andre
- 1998 · Lulu on the Bridge as Dr. Van Horn
- 1997 · Wrong Guys as Jack Straw
- 1994 · Inside the Actors Studio as Self
- 1994 · Tom & Viv as Tom Eliot
- 1992 · Light Sleeper as John LeTour
- 1991 · Flight of the Intruder as Lt. Cmdr. Virgil 'Tiger' Cole
- Future · Tropico as Raymond
- 1993 · Faraway, So Close! as Emit Flesti
- 1989 · Triumph of the Spirit as Salamo Arouch
- 1987 · Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam as Elephant Grass (voice)
- 1984 · Roadhouse 66 as Johnny Harte
- 1984 · The Loveless as Vance
- 1984 · Atalanta Strategy as Immigration Staff
- Future · A Christmas Carol as Ebenezer Scrooge
- Future · The Sleeping Shepherd as
- Future · Cuddle as Dante
- 2025 · Avrio Vrady as Dancing man
- 2025 · Grande Envie as Count
- 2024 · Can Creativity Save the World? as Self
- 2023 · Interior (The Spectator) as Narrator
- 2023 · The Wild One as Narrator (voice)
- 2022 · Franco Battiato - La voce del padrone as
- 2022 · 7 Deaths of Maria Callas as Film Actor
- 2022 · Il coraggio di essere Franco as Sé stesso
- 2022 · Robert Wilson: The Beauty of the Mysterious as Self
- 2021 · Why Are We (Not) Creative? as Self
- 2021 · River as Narrator
- 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 · Tommaso as Tommaso
- 2019 · Vincent van Gogh Superstar as Vincent van Gogh (archive footage)
- 2018 · Opus Zero as Paul
- 2018 · Theatron. Romeo Castellucci as
- 2018 · Under the Rainbow: Making The Florida Project as Self
- 2017 · Piazza Vittorio as Himself
- 2017 · Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait as Self
- 2017 · Sanctuary as Narrator
- 2016 · Father as James Verdun
- 2016 · Nelson Algren Live as Role1 / Frankie Machine / Role2 / Blackie Cavanaugh
- 2016 · Mind the Gap 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
- 2015 · Don't F*#% With John Wick as Self
- 2014 · SPYMASTER: John le Carré in Hamburg as (archive footage)
- 2013 · The Benaki Museum as Narrator (voice)
- 2012 · Bob Wilson's Life & Death of Marina Abramovic as Self
- 2010 · The Making of Daybreakers as Self
- 2010 · Into the Deep: America, Whaling & The World as Narrator
- 2007 · Cannes: All Access as Self
- 2005 · Before It Had a Name as Leslie
- 2005 · This Is an Adventure 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 Misbehavers as Self
- 2004 · Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate as Narrator (voice)
- 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 · Rockets Redglare! as Self
- 2002 · Globehunters: An Around the World in 80 Days Adventure as Hunter (voice)
- 2002 · The Spider-Man Story 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 · Bullfighter as Father Ramirez
- 1999 · Forrest Bess: Key to the Riddle as Narrator
- 1996 · Victory as Axel Heyst
- 1995 · The Night and the Moment as The Writer
- 1993 · Brace Up! as Colonel Alexander Ignatyevich Vershinin
- 1993 · White Homeland Commando as Karl
- 1993 · Rhyme 'Em to Death as
- 1992 · Blast 'Em as Self (uncredited)
- 1992 · North on Evers as
- 1988 · Location Production Footage: The Last Temptation of Christ as Self
- 1985 · O Panama as
- 1984 · New York Nights as Boyfriend



