It didn't work and he was eventually expelled from . But his big break came to an abrupt end one day. The Florida Project is one of his most well-known films, and he is widely expected to be nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar nomination. He'd appeared in other movies and television prior to the 1986 film, but his amazing performance netted him his first Oscar nomination and elevated him to a seriously in-demand actor. Inside: Directed by Vasilis Katsoupis. But now she is retired. I interviewed three different students in the student body, he said. Though Willem does not want to play the Joker, he could make a fine villain by playing an imposter. $21,521 [1] New Rose Hotel is a 1998 American cyberpunk erotic drama film co-written and directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Christopher Walken, Willem Dafoe and Asia Argento. Box office. I'd get caught. Willem Dafoe Elizabeth LeCompte had a relationship in 1977. Michael J. After being kicked out of school, Dafoe left town, crashed on a friends couch, and started going to the local university. Along with The Wooster Group, she was a member of the experimental theatre company from 1970 to 1975. The dude's actual first name is William, and in actuality, "Willem" is a nickname. His parents were fed up with his antics and decided to send him to a military school in hopes that it would straighten him out. "It was a big family. I went down to the principal and my parents are there and said, 'Oh, Willy, you're making pornography!' He has four siblings: two brothers, Daniel and John; and two sisters, Elizabeth and Laura. After the story resurfaced in that Vanity Fair interview, Dafoe became more popular than ever in the Philippines, leading, of course, to the obvious pun: "DaFoe of Marcos. Your email address will not be published. As expected with a cast of characters like that, Dafoe went a little crazy while shooting, he admits. To see videos of Dafoe from his time at UWM, check out this YouTube playlist. And you know what? That's happened before." Willem Dafoe wife Giada Colagrande is an Italian film director and actress. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/willem-dafoe-3313.php, 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities, 21st Century Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities, 21st Century American Film & Theater Personalities. After this, he joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he received his undergraduate degree in zoology and his medical degree. Wes Anderson, who's cast Dafoe in multiple projects, said of the star, "I have always loved working with Willem because he has all the tools and skills and experience and clarity and confidence you could ask for. This meant turning the "At Eternity's Gate" shoot into a combination film set and art school. My dad was a surgeon, my mom a nurse, and they were always out working. It took a few years and rising into his function because the unhealthy man. Well, that's a relief. The movie debuted at the Venice Film Festival in 2002. Through the video posted on Youtube 14 years ago, we can get that Jack is listed as a Senior Policy and Research Associate and host of the New York City Apollo Alliance. Willem Dafoe has been working in Hollywood since the early 1980s, and his first Oscar nod came in 1986. I guess I just want to be reckless in my He enjoyed a very successful decade in the new millennium. He was an early member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group where he made his film debut in Heaven's Gate but was fired during production. That's Dafoe with his hands in the air. Dafoe is awesome. He was delirious for 24 hours after coming down with yellow fever on the set of, He did most of his own stunts on the glider in. ", Willem Dafoe finally found his breakthrough role in 1986's"Platoon" as the saintly Sgt. By 1974, Dafoe had gotten involved in Theatre X, an experimental theater company that started at UWM and became independent. ", When pressed about why, von Trier says that Dafoe's was too big, and that "everybody got very confused when they saw it." Dafoe has by no means left the large display screen since then. He appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert in February to discuss his career. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey), Actor and Alum Willem Dafoe Speaks at UW-Milwaukee Commencement, one of the 25 greatest actors of the 21st century, gave speeches at the morning and afternoon commencement ceremonies, the sixth-highest grossing film of all time, which led to his leaving high school early, said last year on Inside the Actors Studio.. Dafoe, who grew up in a large house near Lawrence University and was the seventh of eight children, explained the incident from the early 1970s. Was it his sex education at the age of 6 by his five horny sisters? It was ironic that by the time I became an actor, returning to my birth name felt like a performance. As a result, Dafoe was kicked out of school and left his hometown shortly afterwards. Dafoe did it. Hes also one who retains a remarkable humility thats grounded in his Midwestern roots. And we had to kind of take the scenes out of the film, we had a stand-in for him, we had to take the scenes out with his own d*ck. He then added, "Who's that awful woman?" It isn't just the amount of on-screen deaths Dafoe has suffered that's impressive. He was born on July 21, 1917, in Wautoma, as the youngest child of seven children and the only son. He now works as a chief of transplantation surgery at the University of California Irvine Medical Centre in Orange, California. Why Did Reese Witherspoon Sell Her Company? Richard Dafoe is a brother of Willem who recently resides in Texas and is a father of three children. He was nominated for Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for his role as David Caravaggio, a former thief, in the romantic drama The English Patient (1996). Hes come a long way from growing up in small-town Appleton, Wisconsin, where his mother was a nurse, his father a surgeon, and he was the seventh of their eight children. He may be seen all around the world in huge Hollywood movies, smaller unbiased movies, and something in between. What followed was an acting career marked by daring choices, fearlessness and great success. He was expelled from Appleton East High School for making a video that school administrators deemed pornographic. After training in surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, he became a transplant surgeon. Locked inside with nothing but priceless works of art, he must use all his cunning and ingenuity to survive. She has designed, directed, and composed more than forty works for dance, film, theater, and video with The Wooster Group. Appleton native actor and, as of this week, three-time Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe stopped by "The Late . Willem and Elizabeth never married and broke their relationship in 2004 after 27 years of togetherness. Willem and Giada at the 2019 Oscars ( Source : instagram ). Dafoe told a particularly interesting story about how he caught a disease (something like cholera or typhoid fever) from contaminated water. Who is Willem Dafoe? She mocked the way he answered her questions and concluded the interview by saying she'd rather speak with a "talking clock" than Dafoe. William James Dafoe was born on July 22, 1955, in Appleton, Wisconsin, the son of Muriel Isabel (ne Sprissler; 1921-2012) and Dr. William Alfred Dafoe (1917-2014). W hen Willem Dafoe was a little boy in Appleton, Wisconsin, he shut himself in a closet for two days. Throughout her career, she has been honored with different awards including the National Endowment for the Arts Distinguished Artists Fellowship for Lifetime Achievement in the American Theater, a United States Artists Fellowship, an Anonymous Was A Woman Award, and many more. My identity as a theater actor started when I was at UWM.. A vampire exploding in sunlight? DaFriend of Revolution.". However Neeson TL;DR: Paul McCartney sang The Beatles Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da at a celebration and the Maharishi heard it. Milwaukee, WI 53211 She was born on November 29, 1921, in Boston. Dafoe told GQ, "I don't want to lose the part, so they say, have you ever ridden a motorcycle? He was standing with the rest of the cast for a lighting setup, a process that took eight hours. Alisha Dotel Sun 16 Jun 2013 14.00 EDT. We walk about 50 yards upstream from where we were I collected the water downstream, remember. After high school, his friend Jim Gage convinced him to come to Milwaukee and enroll at UWM. Nobody missed him. His parents were Dr. William Alfred Dafoe and Margaret J. Being in contact and dialogue with students and people just beginning their working life is very instructive and inspiring, challenges you and reminds you about where you came from. While in medical school, he met the love of his life Muriel and they secretly got married and moved to Minnesota to build a family. What many followers wont know is Willem Dafoe was kicked out of highschool. Willem Dafoe was kicked out of high school for his bad behavior. Two of his Oscar nominations came within the last five years for best supporting actor in The Florida Project in 2017 and for best actor in At Eternitys Gate in 2018. Dafoe, the son of a surgeon and a nurse, was one of seven children. And he likes to giggle. Willem Dafoe, July 22, The only actor to ever win an Oscar nomination for playing a vampire, Willem Dafoe is an American actor, He also portrayed Green Goblin in the famous Spiderman movie and had provided his voice in several animated films & series. In a story published in The Post-Crescent in 1987, Dafoe said he completed graduation requirementsby taking a class at Lawrence University. There is no bible of craft to stick to. Well, a long-running campaign for Birds Eyefrozen foods featured a puppet polar bear named Clarence who lived in people's freezers, extolling the virtues of Birds Eye's products. The name stuck and, by the time Dafoe started getting acting jobs, Willem felt more like his true identity than William. The OC or Wife Leighton Meesters Gossip Girl? Willem Dafoe siblings comprise two brothers and five sisters. He is the only actor to be nominated for an Oscar for playing a vampire. I felt like this was my calling. They have a son. ". She just laughed. Even more fortunately for Dafoe, everyone in casting spoke less Dutch than he did. Cimino expanded Dafoe's role throughout the shoot, and for a while, it seemed like Dafoe had faked his way to fame and fortune. He played the role of He in the dark art film Antichrist (2009) for which he won the Bodil Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. The film reaffirmed Dafoes reputation as an unconventional actor who prefers to play dark and unstable characters. Willem Dafoe started working in an experimental theatre group - The Wooster Group in New York before becoming a . The following morning, the duo exchanged vows with their two friends as a witness. That puts Dafoe up in the "Sean Bean" levels when it comes to actors who always seem to die. The couple has one son, Jack Dafoe who was born in 1982. In the 1990s, he starred in many films like Tom & Viv (1994), Victory (1996), The English Patient (1996), and New Rose Hotel (1998). Dafoe may have begun his career faking his way through roles, but as it went on, he found himself working with directors who wouldn't take anything less than the real thing. They didnt care what I got up to., One can solely surprise, however it may make sense that Dafoes state of affairs as a baby may need contributed to his changing into such an obliging and adventurous actor. Dafoe began acting in community theater when he was young, even garnering a positive review in The Appleton Post-Crescent at age 13. He had sisters who went to school at the University of Wisconsinand he told Colbert they "came back transformed.". Dafoe was raised in an Catholic household, and his upbringing was strictly Midwestern Protestant. He spent his summers in Wisconsin at his familys cabin. Elias in Oliver Stone's "Platoon." That doesn't mean he never lets the demons out to play, however. Willem Dafoe is an American actor. I finally found one after a friend of mine began referring to me as Willem rather than William, which was a lazy way of saying William. How could you spell it? One role that embodies this philosophy was Dafoe's character in Lars von Trier's "Antichrist." But I wasn't going to have any of this stuff in. What's the image you think of when picture "Platoon"? He was eventually found out when shooting began and he was called upon to ride a "1955 big Harley hog." There he is talking about the importance of labor and how it is related to climate change. Lindsay Lowe. He stated, It was a big family. He acted in three movies in 1984, but none of them did well at the box office. who plans to get licensed to teach high school. After high school, Jim Gage encouraged him to enroll in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. If you believe Dafoes account, his five sisters taught him about sex at the age of 6. His stage name, on the other hand, does not correspond to what he was given as a newborn. United States. This award was given to Dafoe for being one of the world's most talented and multifaceted actors. About that movie, Dafoe stated, It wasnt really pornographic. After graduation, he briefly attended college before dropping out to pursue a career in acting. Casting people feel that they have to get someone who looks a certain He kept acting in high school and began learning filmmaking (which led to his leaving high school early). The most important relationships in my life have always been with women. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee awarded Willem Dafoe with its honorary Doctor of Arts degree during the schools commencement ceremony on Sunday afternoon. Willem Dafoe was kicked out of high school for his rebellious behavior. His parents were fed up with his antics and decided to send him to a military school in hopes that it would straighten him out. That said, he's still a pretty impressive physical specimen, and he often takes on roles where he needs to portray an intimidating presence. One considered himself a Satanist; one considered himself a nudist; and one was interested in legalizing pot.. I'm not the murdering type. About being open to new performing experiences, Dafoe stated, Yes, I am game. I said, "Only dirty people do that, right?" I had five sisters and a brother. Sadely, at the age of 97 on November 21, 2015, passed away in Pacific Palisades, California after an illness. 93 minutes. Dafoe and Colagrande had co-written the script. She worked as a nurse in her husband's surgical practice for many years, enjoying the benefit of helping to care for patients. You bet that's Dafoe on the cross. It was just a film about oddballs, including nudists.. Im flattered that they think I merit the honor, Dafoe said prior to the weekend. The actor, who has a wide range of unusual roles to choose from, frequently keeps people guessing about his acting style, personal life, and other activities. In 2001, she wrote, directed, and starred in her first film Aprimi il Cuore which means Open My Heart. Some of his other films are American Psycho, The English Patient, Antichrist, Murder on the Orient Express, The French Dispatch, Nightmare Alley, The Northman, Out of The Furnace, and others. The couple has one son, Jack Dafoe who was born in 1982. Willem Dafoe children encompass his son named Jack Dafoe. I thought it was going to be an animated polar bear, inside this refrigerator, scolding people.". But they never married. He has appeared in over 80 films and is known for his roles in Platoon, Spider-Man, and The Florida Project. Elias. Dafoe understands . These are the sacrifices some actors make for their craft. ", It wasn't the first time Stone abandoned his cast Dafoe told Pedro Pascal that for their simulated boot camp, "They took us in a bus, drove out in the middle of the jungle, had us get out of the bus and the bus drove away! He shook hands with and fist-bumped the grads as they walked across the stage. He got his first shot at the movies from "The Deer Hunter" director Michael Cimino, who was looking for "ethnic-looking faces" a phrase that gets an eyeroll from Dafoe and a laugh from the audience for the epic Western "Heaven's Gate." University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee He played a minor part in the romantic horror The Hunger in 1983. Why Did Daryl Hannah And Jfk Jr Break Up. This may explain his career and penchant for anything-goes-type characters. Willem and Giada have been married since 2005. From his real name to crazy facts about his impressive career, here's the untold truth of Willem Dafoe. It is known that she is married but there is no information about whether she has children or not. Dafoe already has received Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild best supporting actor nominations for "The Florida Project." Dafoe has been nominated for an Oscar twice previously, for the 1986 film "Platoon" and 2000's "Shadow of the Vampire." But back in 1973, Dafoe was fresh out of high school in Appleton. Other Oscar-nominated films consist of The Florida Project, Shadow of the Vampire, and At Eternity's Gate. A clip of Willem Dafoe pronouncing his name in a totally different way has . MORE: Appleton native Willem Dafoe picks up Oscar nomination, MORE: How to see the Oscar-nominated movies in the Fox Cities, MORE: Marcus Theatres hosting Best Picture marathons, And like he did in his interview with Marc Maron late last year, Appleton native Willem Dafoe picks up Oscar nomination, How to see the Oscar-nominated movies in the Fox Cities, Marcus Theatres hosting Best Picture marathons, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He has received four Academy Awards nominations, been in over 100 films, and is a veteran of experimental theater. But you have to balance that against his performances inSpeed 2: Cruise Control, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Body of Evidence, and Howl. I remember one of my sisters talking about fellatio and cunnilingus when I was 6 years old. Dafoe was on The Late show With Stephen Colbert, and he told a pretty unique story about how his budding creativity got him kicked out of high school. But his time at UWM was invaluable. Dafoe appeared on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," and he explained why he goes by the strange permutation of his first name. At an apartment on Farwell Avenue, one of his roommates was a 4-foot-long golden tegu lizard named Angela. He's had decades of consistent output since then, meaning he's spent a lot of time promoting movies and giving interviews. Willem was born William James Dafoe on July 22, 1955, in Appleton, Wisconsin, USA, to William Alfred Dafoe, doctor, and his wife Muriel Isabel. Willem Dafoe has done stellar work in films like Platoon, To Live and Die in LA, Spider-Man (the first one - not the second or third one), and Boondock Saints (the first one - not the second one). Yes, Willem Dafoe graduated high school. On May 22, he accepted an honorary Doctor of Arts degree and gave speeches at the morning and afternoon commencement ceremonies. Dafoe was born in Appleton, Wis., in 1955 to a surgeon father and a nurse mom. As the vicious counterfeiter Rick Masters, Dafoe makes for a properly scary Hollywood bad guy, opposite William Petersen's 501s . It isnt laborious to acknowledge Willem Dafoe on the large display screen, as he has remodeled 100 movies in his wonderful performing profession. Willem Dafoe talks Appleton East High School on 'Colbert': 'They kicked me out!'. I chose the name that I felt most comfortable with. As per Linkedin Jack is an Assistant Attorney General, in Natural Resources Division. He has five sisters and a brother. Willem Dafoe. I haven't done it yet because I don't think it's my talent. I think they figured that out pretty quick, but they were patient with me and I learned how to ride." In 1980, he snagged his first film role in Heavens Gate.. I didn't even know how to spell it.". I think its quite typical for me to be sarcastic. Jane is a former nurse at Wheeling Hospital in the United States. There was a big, fat, dead pig in the water We got back, I was delirious for like, 24 hours.". Fox says life with Parkinson's is 'getting harder': "I'm not gonna be 80'. Having made over one hundred films in his legendary career, Willem Dafoe is internationally respected for bringing versatility, boldness, and daring to some of the most iconic films of our time. He says he and the few costars who'd gotten in before the country locked down threw themselves into the thick of the action. Down-to-earth and timeless, actor and alum Willem Dafoe charms students, UWM production brings actors and ASL interpreters together on stage, Car and writer: Journalism grad lands a job at storied auto magazine, UWM announces new bachelor of architecture degree, speeding a path to practice, Philanthropy renews support for program that supports art teachers, Help from afar: Bike ride aims to help Afghan students at UWM, Associate professor lends a hand to third graders exploring Ukrainian conflict, UWM graduate programs ranked by U.S. News & World Report, More than $1 million raised during 414 for UWM Giving Day, UWM begins training program to help alleviate shortage of sexual assault nurse examiners, UWM engineering students create solution that saves company $840,000 per year, Alumnas tiny zoo aims to quell fears about creepy creatures. Inside v1 - Credit: Wolfgang Ennenbach/Focus Features. When they first pitched the idea to me, it sounded really cool. It is based on William Gibson 's story of the same name . And thats exactly what he did. He claimed that he would've edited out any of the problematic sections, such as shooting the nudist in the nude or the section where the Satanist brought out his pornography collection or the legal marijuana advocate naming students that he'd sold drugs to. Since then, he has never left the big screen. Ive always been game-maybe to a fault., This will particularly be seen when he obtained thrown out of Appleton High School for filming a pornographic movie. To break the boredom, one of the actresses whispered a dirty joke in Dafoe's ear. How would you advise him to treat the Charlotte Gainsbourgh character, and what does he do wrong? | March 2, 2023 03:42 PM. He was a picture of genuine and modest joy as the hood was placed upon his shoulders and as UWM Chancellor Mark Mone introduced him as Dr. Willem Dafoe. His teachers and administrators had had enough, so they decided to expel him from school. He spent forty years as an admired doctor to many families in the Appleton area. "Father's called William," Dafoe said. His family was his greatest joy with whom he spent quality time. media-services-team@uwm.edu, 2023 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, Willem Dafoe smiles as hes hooded for his honorary doctorate at the May 2022 commencement ceremonies. She has a low profile and information regarding her personal and professional life. It didnt work and he was eventually expelled from that school as well. You had to have a stand-in d*ck for Dafoe? [2] He recalled: It was a sexual education, because my sisters were the horniest little girls. He got his breakthrough in the 1985 thriller film To Live and Die in L.A where he played the role of counterfeiter Rick Masters. The film was a success and Dafoe got noticed for his acting skills. He took as many theater courses as he could and dove into stage productions, including Phaedra in Fall 1973 and A Moon for the Misbegotten in Spring 1974. He is the ex-husband of vascular surgeon Dr. Rhoda F. Leichter Dafoe and is the father of two children. "Love the guy, but I don't want to be Billy. From 2012 to 2019, he was cast in several movies like Tomorrow You're Gone, Out of the Furnace, Odd Thomas, John Wick, Bad Country, My Hindu Friend, A Family Man, The Great Wall, The Florida Project, Opus Zero, Aquaman, At Eternity's Gate, Tommaso, and Motherless Brooklyn., Apart from acting in films, he has also voiced several characters in many films and television series. Check out DJ Khaled helping Conan create a new intro for his show: Haitians share opinions about Trump during Conan OBriens visit to Haiti, Things get pretty heated on The Four, and DJ Khaled cant believe it, Jack Black calls Donald Trump an evil f***ing warlock who stole Tenacious Ds technique, Willem Dafoe is an accomplished actor, and surely its thanks to his artistic endeavors in high school that didnt seem to go as planned. "That's not my main work," he concluded. Willem Dafoe went to the Appleton East High School for his primary education. He is primarily German, Irish, Scottish, and English. Barbara is a writer, advocate of family and marriage, and sociologist. He was one of seven children. After attending Appleton East High School, he studied drama at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee for a year and a half before moving to New York City in 1976. It's good to know that the only reason Dafoe hasn't killed someone yet is because he thinks he would be bad at it. Guardian reporter Stuart Jeffries theorized that latchkey kid Dafoe locked himself up in a dark closet one too many times and became ahabitual pleaser of adults, game for anything. He has acted in a variety of roles that range from that of an idealistic FBI agent in Mississippi Burning to the villainous green goblin in Spiderman. His well-defined cheekbones and strong jaws give him a look that suits the villainous roles that he often portrays. And like he did in his interview with Marc Maron late last year, Dafoe mentions the impact Madison had on him as a teenager. The Colbert interview also hit on the fact that the actor's real first name is William, not Willem. He is the eldest son in the family. And they soaked up the words and wisdom he shared about the craft of theater. Even so, its clear Dafoe just isnt stopping anytime quickly and it will likely be fascinating to witness what he comes up with subsequent. When the reporter suggested journalist Lynn Barber, Dafoe exclaimed, "That's her! he said. Having made over one hundred films in his legendary career, Willem Dafoe is internationally respected for bringing versatility, boldness, and daring to some of the most iconic films of our time. By a little crazy, he meant he interviewed the nudist on the toilet; the Satanist brought out his pornography collection; and the guy that was interested in legalizing pot started talking about some of the people he sold it to. But he is also careful not to be typecast as villain and believes in exploring different kinds of roles that would help him develop as an actor. She graduated from Boston Girls Latin School, and later from Boston's Faulkner Hospital where she earned her registered nurse. It's easy to see why the artist's life attracted Schnabel, whose film career always took a backseat to his work as a painter. Apparently, the experience wasn't too traumatic for Dafoe to relive it a few years later: He'd play the leader of a biker gang again in Walter Hill's cult masterpiece "Streets of Fire. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but the then-63-year-old actor was still learning new skillsets and loving it. For years, Clarence was voiced by Dafoe. Willem Dafoe, original name William J. Dafoe, (born July 22, 1955, Appleton, Wisconsin, U.S.), American actor known for his versatility and willingness to appear in controversial roles. Director Oliver Stone flew his cast out to the archipelago to start filming, then the People Power Revolution broke out to topple the dictatorial regime of the Marcos family. Willem Dafoe is one of the most versatile and impressive actors in the game. Each movies had him star as very daring and unlikeable characters and even prompted hostility from the general public because of the nature of these characters. In an interview with The Guardian, for example, Dafoe discussed that he hides a killer inside himself, saying, "I've thought about murder many times. "DaFoe of Marcos. This is an athlete who can pass the ball. Willem Dafoe was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1955. Arrived on Netflix on: April 1, 2023. Paul mentioned the means With some luck, Adam Brody landed the a part of Seth within the hit present The O.C. Dafoe graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Harvard Medical School. Country. In 1976, Dafoe made it to New York Metropolis, the place he helped create the Wooster Group. Each of his dad and mom have been very busy with their careers and elevating Dafoe alongside along with his 5 sisters and one brother. What Shows Have Been Renewed or Canceled? Willem Dafoe has a loving family with his wife Giada Colagrande and son Jack Dafoe. Prominent cheekbones and serpentine smile, Deeply lined face that can be contorted to frightening effect, He was a candidate for the role of the Joker in. They met at The Performance Group and started a personal and professional relationship. Not Dafoe. Jesus Christ being crucified? In other words, we're saying that the man knows how to die, and he knows how to do it well. Dafoe left city, crashed at a pals home, and began attending courses at a native college. Willem Dafoe parents are father William Alfred Dafoe and mother Muriel Isabel Dafoe. 10 Best Family Camping Movies of All Time, Top 10 Fun Things To Do On Memorial Day Weekend, 10 Safest Countries To Visit With Family For Vacation. . Conclusion. "I shot it and it was interesting but I went pretty crazy as I was shooting it," he explained. And to see photos of Dafoe from those productions, as well as more recent images, take a look atthis photo gallery. Eventually, the people overthrew Marcos, and production went back on track. Dafoe was also the featured speaker at both of the days ceremonies. "When I give over to somebody's vision rather than have an idea of what I need to do, it takes me to places I wouldn't have got to by myself. The "Platoon" star, 67, has gone by "Willem" ever since he launched his acting career, but that moniker is actually a twist on his birth name, William.