Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe, born as William James Dafoe in Appleton, Wisconsin, is a renowned American actor. Recognized for his distinctive style spanning both mainstream and arthouse films, he has received numerous accolades, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, four Academy Award nominations, a BAFTA Award nomination, four Golden Globe nominations, four Critics' Choice Movie Awards, and five Screen Actors Guild Awards. Dafoe collaborated with notable filmmakers like Paul Schrader, Abel Ferrara, Lars von Trier, Julian Schnabel, Wes Anderson, and Robert Eggers, and was a founding member of the experimental theater company The Wooster Group.

Dafoe started his film career with an uncredited role in Heaven's Gate (1980), followed by critical acclaim for his roles in movies like Platoon (1986), Shadow of the Vampire (2000), The Florida Project (2017), and At Eternity's Gate (2018). He also portrayed Jesus Christ in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and was widely celebrated for his role as the supervillain Norman Osborn in the Spider-Man series. His other notable films include Mississippi Burning, Born on the Fourth of July, Wild at Heart, and Light Sleeper. Despite his prolific career, Dafoe maintains his connection with theater and is one of the co-founders of The Wooster Group, an experimental theater enterprise.