Top 10 Willem Dafoe

Platoon (1986)

Long before Willem Dafoe had made a big name for himself, he joined Oliver Stone’s troops – as Sgt. Elias Grodin – in Platoon. The first instalment in Stone’s classic Vietnam War trilogy (Born on the Fourth of July and Heaven & Earth followed), it won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1986, and drafted in a string of soon-to-be stars, including Charlie Sheen, Forest Whitaker and Johnny Depp. James Woods was also meant to join the ranks, but he’d had enough of the jungle after several months already spent making Salvador,

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

Based on the controversial novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, The Last Temptation of Christ saw Dafoe team up with Martin Scorsese in his most profound role to date. The part showed the willingness to take on obscure projects and love affair with controversy that would punctuate his career. Striking a nerve in many Christian groups who saw the subject matter as blasphemous and inaccurate, the film suffered riotous protests from fundamentalist groups hoping to discourage its release, but there was positive noise from film critics, and it drew praise from some religious leaders too.

Mississippi Burning (1988)

Mississippi Burning is loosely based on the FBI investigation into the murders of three civil rights workers in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Teamed with his partner (in law) Gene Hackman, Dafoe took the lead as FBI agent Alan Ward; a characterisation of agent Joseph Sullivan. The film was given life after the success of its television predecessor, Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan. It received mixed reviews, largely due to its fictional take on the real-life events which transpired in 1964, but it also went on to win a string of awards for its cinematography.

Body Of Evidence (1993)

Take one feisty dominatrix, played by Madonna (post-Desperately Seeking Susan), throw in one high powered attorney, played by Dafoe, and the result was sexually-charged crime thriller, Body Of Evidence. Panned by critics, this low budget rip-off of Basic Instinct (1992) didn’t stand a chance, but Dafoe made the film marginally watchable. The film caused an uproar for its graphic sexual scenes, and Madonna cleverly ran the release of her softcore book, Sex, alongside the film, treating her fans to a double whammy of innuendo.

Play it. Live it. Kill for it. The film’s tagline aptly sums up David Cronenberg’s psychological, sci-fi thriller eXistenZ. Dafoe signed up to the role of Gas; a hardcore game fan, whose run in with leading lady, Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh) puts into motion a string of obscure events, where reality and game play become inextricably linked. The supporting role of Gas illustrated Dafoe’s desire to delve into unusual projects and work with film greats, often at the expense of higher profile and better paid offers. And the film came up trumps at the Berlin Film Festival.

Shadow Of The Vampire (2000)

E. Elias Merhige’s postmodern horror plot centres on the making of 1922’s Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens. Dafoe starred as actor Max Schreck and his alter ego, the disfigured vampire, Count Orlok. German director F. W. Murnau’s (John Malkovich) desperation to convey realism in his cinematic creation results in the hiring of a real vampire, who is enticed by the promise of an actress as payment. Film critic Rogert Ebert praised Dafoe for his “astonishing” performance as the Count in Merhige’s disturbing take on the boundaries between fact and fiction. In homage to the original horror classic, the film borrowed techniques from the silent era, including the use of inter-titles and iris lenses.

Sam Raimi’s 2002 blockbuster sees Dafoe battling both Spider-Man and a dual identity as the Green Goblin. Taken from the graphic novel, Spider Man’s arch nemesis is an air-surfing, bomb-throwing madman, whose objective is to bring down all-American action hero, Spidey. By day, Dafoe masquerades as Norman Osborn, father figure to Peter Parker (Spider man’s alter ego); by night, he terrorises the city as the Green Goblin. Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich and Jim Carrey were all approached for the part, but turned it down due to conflicting schedules and a disinterest in comic book adaptations.

Dafoe again plays the baddy, drug lord Armando Barillo, in Robert Rodriguez’s gun-slinging, action film. Dafoe faced being dwarfed by his Hollywood cast-mates (Johnny Depp and Antonio Banderas), but managed to hold his own with a convincing performance as the slimy murderer, Barillo. Director Rodriguez composed the score for the film and later revealed that he requested eight notes from every cast member, to produce a melody for their characters. Depp is said to have stepped in and saved the day by presenting him with the entire track; a move which his cast mates highly approved of because it saved them from having to sing a single note.

Inside Man (2006)

Spike Lee’s crime thriller sees Dafoe trading in his evil ways for a much more honourable role, as Captain John Darius. The film – which is deep in cultural subtext – places Dafoe in a supporting role behind leading man Denzel Washington, as they attempt to take on a group of terrorists intent on robbing a New York bank. True to form, Lee delivered a commentary on several issues, such as good and evil, corruption, prejudice, and multi-culturalism in the United States. A sequel is scheduled for release in 2010 with almost all of the original cast members signed up to take part.

From playing Christ to starring in Lars Von Trier’s notorious Antichrist, Dafoe has never been afraid to test opinion. He’d worked with the director before on 2005’s Manderlay, and reportedly wrote to Von Trier asking about his current project. The film, which features violent sexual acts, received a mixed reception at Cannes, gaining a special “anti-award” from the Ecumenical Jury, who viewed the film as misogynist. Dafoe missed out on Cannes glory (unlike co-star Charlotte Gainsbourg, who took Best Actress), but received recognition from Danish film critics in the form of a Bodil award.