By Alexander Stone
With a face that can look like a saint or a gargoyle, Willem Dafoe has built a career on playing characters no one else could. He has a rare ability to be the hero, the villain, and something unsettling in between, often in the same film.
His journey started not in Hollywood, but in experimental theatre in New York. This foundation in bold, avant-garde work helps explain a career filled with risky and unforgettable choices. As he turns 70, here is a look at some of the essential roles that define one of our most fearless actors.
Platoon (1987)
This was the role that put Dafoe on the map. He plays Sergeant Elias, the moral centre of a US infantry unit in Vietnam. The film was written and directed by Oliver Stone, based on his own experiences in the war. Dafoe’s performance felt real and raw, earning him his first Oscar nomination.
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Playing Jesus is a challenge for any actor. In Martin Scorsese’s controversial film, Dafoe plays him not as a saint, but as a man. He is a carpenter from Judea plagued by doubt and visions, trying to understand his purpose. The film explores his human struggles, which is what makes it so powerful.
Wild at Heart (1991)
In this frantic road movie from David Lynch, Dafoe plays one of his most repulsive characters. As the criminal Bobby Peru, he is a nightmarish figure who terrorises the film’s young lovers, played by Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern. It’s a small role, but completely unforgettable.
The Florida Project (2017)
This role shows a softer, more protective side of Dafoe. He plays Bobby Hicks, the manager of a budget motel near Disney World. He watches over the families living there, especially a six-year-old girl named Moonee and her troubled mother. It’s a quiet, deeply humane performance that earned him another Oscar nomination.
The Lighthouse (2019)
Here, Dafoe stars opposite Robert Pattinson in a dark, claustrophobic thriller. They play two lighthouse keepers on a remote island in the 1890s who slowly descend into madness. Dafoe is brilliant as the veteran keeper, a drunken, salty old man who may or may not be telling the truth about anything.
American Psycho (2000)
Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman is the star, but Dafoe’s role is key. He plays a detective investigating the disappearance of one of Bateman’s colleagues. In his scenes with Bale, he is calm and polite, yet his gentle questioning creates incredible tension. You are never quite sure what he knows, or what he suspects.
Spider-Man (2002)
For millions, Dafoe is Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin. He plays the father of Peter Parker’s best friend, a man who acts like a second father to Peter himself. But a military experiment gone wrong creates a violent, cackling alter ego. He perfectly captures the good man and the monster fighting for control.
Poor Things (2024)
In this strange and wonderful black comedy, Dafoe is Dr Godwin Baxter, an eccentric surgeon who brings a young woman back to life by implanting an infant’s brain into her head. With a scarred face and a bizarre past, “God” is a classic Dafoe character: part monster, part loving father figure. It’s a role he was born to play.
