Willem Dafoe has been acting in movies since the early ‘80s. He earned Oscar nominations for “Platoon” (1986) and “Shadow of the Vampire” (2000). But I think we can all agree that his popularity is at an all-time high right now.
I had heard him in 2003’s “Finding Nemo” and 2009’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and seen him in live-action Wes Anderson comedy “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. But I was first exposed to Dafoe’s live-action dramatic acting abilities in 2014’s “The Fault in Our Stars”. He followed that up with a role in the first “John Wick” later in ’14.
Dafoe’s career continued to rise in 2017 with his performance in “The Florida Project”. He received Best Supporting Actor nominations throughout that awards season, during which he also appeared in Kenneth Branagh’s star-studded “Murder on the Orient Express”.
The end of 2018 was another big period of time for Dafoe. He narrated “Vox Lux” (which got some positive attention from critics and audiences, though not yours truly) and was a prominent presence in WB blockbuster “Aquaman”. This is also when Dafoe would deliver his fourth Oscar nominated performance, as Vincent Van Gogh in “At Eternity’s Gate”.
As that Academy Awards nomination morning was approaching, many wondered whether it would be Dafoe, John David Washington (“BlacKkKlansman”), Ryan Gosling (“First Man”) or Ethan Hawke (“First Reformed”) who would get that coveted fifth Best Actor nominee slot. All four were worthy of that position, but I’m glad Dafoe was recognized for a deep performance that required plenty of painting skills.
The next year, Dafoe earned his third Critics Choice Awards nomination in a row — and an Independent Spirit Awards win — for his memorable work in Robert Eggers’ “The Lighthouse”. (Dafoe is now re-teaming with the director for “The Northman”, in theaters April 22nd). Snow dog drama “Togo” debuted on Disney+ at the end of ’19.
And in the two years of COVID, Dafoe has appeared in “The Last Thing He Wanted”, “Siberia”, “The French Dispatch”, Paul Schrader’s “The Card Counter” and Guillermo Del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley”. I feel like I’m missing something else…
…yes, he reprised the role of Norman Osborn / Green Goblin in a little movie called “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, to rave reviews.