Willem Dafoe Biography (1955-)

Original name, William Dafoe, Jr.; born July 22, 1955, in Appleton, WI; son of William Dafoe (a surgeon); mother, a nurse; children: (with Elizabeth LeCompte, a theatre company director) Jack. Addresses: Agent: Michelle Bohan, William Morris Agency, 151 El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.; Manager: Artists Independent Network, 270 Lafayette St., Suite 402, New York, NY 10012.; Publicist: I/D Public Relations, 8409 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
Actor, voice performer, producer
Birth Details
July 22, 1955
Appleton, Wisconsin, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Film Appearances
  • (Uncredited) Extra, Heaven's Gate (also known as Johnson CountyWars), United Artists, 1981
  • Vance, The Loveless (also known as Breakdown), Mainline Releasing, 1982
  • Second youth in phone booth, The Hunger, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1983
  • Johnny Harte, Roadhouse 66, Atlantic, 1984
  • Punk boyfriend, New York Nights, Bedford Entertainment, 1984
  • Raven Shaddock, Streets of Fire, Universal/RKO Radio Pictures, 1984
  • Himself, The Communists Are Comfortable (and Three Other Stories),1984
  • Eric "Rick" Masters, To Live and Die in L.A., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1985
  • O Panama, 1985
  • Sergeant Elias Grodin, Platoon, Orion, 1986
  • Agent Ward, Mississippi Burning, Orion, 1988
  • Jesus of Nazareth (Jesus Christ), The Last Temptation of Christ, Universal, 1988
  • Sergeant first class Buck McGriff, Off Limits (also known as Saigon), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1988
  • Charlie, Born on the Fourth of July, Universal, 1989
  • Salamo Arouch, Triumph of the Spirit, Triumph, 1989
  • Bobby Peru, Wild at Heart (also known as David Lynch's Wild atHeart), Samuel Goldwyn, 1990
  • Hateful guard, Cry-Baby, Universal, 1990
  • Himself, The Making of "Triumph of the Spirit," 1990
  • Lieutenant commander Virgil "Tiger" Cole, Flight of the Intruder,Paramount, 1991
  • Deputy sheriff Ray Dolezal, White Sands, Warner Bros., 1992
  • John LeTour, Light Sleeper, Fine Line, 1992
  • Himself, North on Evers, 1992
  • Emit Flesti, Faraway, So Close! (also known as In weiter Ferne,so nah!), Sony Pictures Classics, 1993
  • Frank Dulaney, Body of Evidence (also known as Deadly Evidence), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1993
  • John Clark, Clear and Present Danger, Paramount, 1994
  • T. S. "Tom" Eliot, Tom & Viv, Miramax, 1994
  • The writer, The Night and the Moment (also known as La notte eil momento and La nuit et le moment), Miramax, 1994
  • Axel Heyst, Victory, Miramax, 1995
  • David Caravaggio, The English Patient, Miramax, 1996
  • The electrician, Basquiat (also known as Build a Fort and Set It on Fire and Build a Fort, Set It on Fire), Miramax, 1996
  • John Geiger, Speed 2: Cruise Control, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1997
  • Rolfe Whitehouse, Affliction, Largo Entertainment, 1997
  • Dr. Van Horn, Lulu on the Bridge, Trimark Pictures, 1998
  • Narrator, What Is Yoga? (documentary), Mystic Fire Productions, 1998
  • X, New Rose Hotel, Rose Releasing, 1998
  • Conundrum, c. 1998
  • Gas, eXistenZ, Dimension Films, 1999
  • Donald Kimball, American Psycho, Lions Gate Films, 2000
  • Father Ramirez, Bullfighter, Phaedra Cinema, 2000
  • Max Schreck (Count Orlok), Shadow of the Vampire, Lions Gate Films, 2000
  • Paul Smecker, The Boondock Saints, Indican Pictures, 2000
  • Father Andre, Pavilion of Women (also known as Ting yuan li denu ren), Universal, 2001
  • Priest, Edges of the Lord (also known as Boze skrawki), Miramax, 2001
  • John Carpenter, Auto Focus, Sony Pictures Classics, 2002
  • Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, Spider-Man, Columbia, 2002
  • Barillo, Once upon a Time in Mexico, Sony Pictures Entertainment,2003
  • Voice of Camel Cricket, Camel Cricket City (short film), 2003
  • Voice of Gill, Finding Nemo (animated), Buena Vista, 2003
  • Himself, Overnight (documentary), ThinkFilm, 2003
  • Arnold "Arn" Mack, The Clearing, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2004
  • Klaus Daimler, The Life Aquatic, Buena Vista, 2004
  • Martin, The Reckoning (also known as Morality Play), Paramount, 2004
  • Michael Copeland, Control, Lions Gate Films, 2004
  • Murchison, Mr. Ripley's Return (also known as White on White), Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2004
  • Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, Spider-Man 2, Columbia, 2004
  • Tabloid editor, The Aviator, Miramax/Warner Bros., 2004
  • Himself, Rockets Redglare! (documentary), Small Planet Pictures, 2004
  • George Deckert, XXX: State of the Union, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 2005
  • Grace's father, Manderlay, Trust Film Sales, 2005
  • Film Work
  • Coproducer, New Rose Hotel, Rose Releasing, 1998
  • Television Appearances
  • Movies
  • Earl Copen, Animal Factory, Cinemax, 2000
  • Specials
  • (In archive footage) Raven Shaddock, Music Videos and Inside "Streetsof Fire," 1984
  • Narrator, Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam (also known as Dear America), HBO, 1987
  • Himself, The Making of "Speed 2: Cruise Control," 1997
  • The Inside Reel: Digital Filmmaking, PBS, 2001
  • Himself, Behind the Scenes: Spider-Man the Movie (also known as Behind the Ultimate Spin), 2002
  • Himself, Spider-Mania, 2002
  • Himself, Hollywood High, American Movie Classics, 2003
  • Guest, Introducing Graham Norton, Comedy Central, 2004
  • Narrator, Final Cut: The Making of Heaven's Gate and the Unmaking of aStudio (also known as Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of "Heaven'sGate"), Trio, 2004
  • Awards Presentations
  • The 61st Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1989
  • Presenter, GQ Men of the Year Awards, VH1, 1998
  • Presenter, The Seventh Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, TNT, 2001
  • Himself, The 2001 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards, IndependentFilm Channel, 2001
  • Presenter, The 45th Annual Grammy Awards, CBS, 2003
  • Episodic
  • Jeffrey, "Ghostwriter," The Hitchhiker, USA Network, 1985
  • Himself, Fishing with John, Independent Film Channel, 1991
  • Guest, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, 1992
  • Voice of the commandant, "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson," The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 1997
  • Guest, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1997
  • Inside the Actors Studio, Bravo, c. 1997
  • Himself, The Directors: Martin Scorsese, Starz!, 2000
  • Guest, "The English Patient," Page to Screen, 2002
  • Guest, Festival Pass with Chris Gore, Starz!, 2002
  • Guest, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC, 2002
  • Guest, NY Graham Norton, 2004
  • Stage Appearances
  • Lieutenant Buchevski and first customer, Cop, Performance Group, Envelope Theatre, New York City, 1978
  • Arthur, The Balcony, Performing Garage, New York City, 1979
  • Colonel Lloyd Lud, North Atlantic, Wooster Group, John F. KennedyCenter for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, 1985
  • Miss Universal Happiness, Wooster Group, Performing Garage, 1985
  • Yank, The Hairy Ape, Wooster Group, Performing Garage, 1996, thenSelwyn Theatre, New York City, 1997
  • Captain Chizzum, North Atlantic, Wooster Group, Performance Garage, 1999
  • Theseus, To You, the Birdie!, Wooster Group, St. Ann's Warehouse Theatre, New York City, 2002
  • With Wooster Group, appeared in Brace Up!, Emperor Jones, Hula, LSD ... Just the High Points, Nayatt School, Point Judith, and The Road to Immortality.
  • Major Tours
  • Yank, The Hairy Ape, Wooster Group, 1996
  • With Theatre X, toured in Offending the Audience, Phaedre,and Razor Blades, U.S. and European cities.
  • RECORDINGS
  • Videos
  • Himself, Location Production Footage: The Last Temptation of Christ, Universal, 1988
  • The Making of "American Psycho," Lions Gate Films, 2000
  • Himself and Sergeant Elias Grodin in archive footage, A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting "Platoon," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists Home Entertainment, 2001
  • Himself, Counterfeit World: Making "To Live and Die in L.A.," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment, 2003
  • (In archive footage) El Mariachi: 10 Years Later, Blue Sands Entertainment, 2003
  • Himself, The Anti-Hero's Journey (documentary), Columbia/TriStar Home Entertainment, 2004
  • Video Games
  • Voice of Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, Spider-Man: The Movie Game (also known as Spiderman), 2002
  • Voice of Fill, Finding Nemo, THQ Inc., 2003
  • Voice of Nikolai Diavolo, James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing (also known as Everything or Nothing), Electronic Arts, 2004
  • Audiobooks
  • Reader, One Past Midnight: The Langoliers, by Stephen King, Penguin-Highbridge, 1991
  • Albums
  • Contributor of dramatic reading, The Raven, by Lou Reed, 2003

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

    Books
    • International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, 4th edition, St. James Press, 2000
    Periodicals
    • Advocate, August 13, 1992, p. 66
    • American Film, October, 1988, p. 50
    • Biography, July, 2002
    • Calgary Sun, May 1, 2002
    • Empire, Issue 59, 1994, p. 7; October, 1997, p. 118
    • Esquire, January, 1989, p. 78
    • Glamour, February, 1990, p. 122
    • Interview, June, 1988, p. 38; May, 1990, p. 98; January, 1993, p.82; February, 1995, January/April, 2001, p. 89
    • Mademoiselle, January, 1989, p. 42
    • Newsday, August 9, 1994
    • New York, August 27, 1990, p. 46
    • Premiere, June, 2004, p. 126
    • Times (London), March 6, 2003
    • Utne Reader, September/October, 1996, pp. 94-95