Logo What's After the Movie
Willem Dafoe

What's After the Movie

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.

156 movies
19 nominations

Explore the best of Willem Dafoe – top movies, iconic roles, and must-see performances!

Biography, Career & Filmography

Learn more about Willem Dafoe, including a detailed biography, career timeline, personal life insights, and complete filmography. Discover how Willem Dafoe rose to fame, their major roles, industry impact, and personal milestones in the world of film.


Given Name: William James Dafoe

Born: Appleton, Wisconsin, U.S.

Citizenship: United States, Italy

Birthday: July 22, 1955

Occupations: Actor

Years Active: 1975-present

Children: 1

Spouses: Giada Colagrande

Awards and Nominations Received by Willem Dafoe

Explore awards

Explore the awards, honors, and nominations Willem Dafoe has earned across their acting career. From prestigious wins to critical acclaim, see how their talent has been recognized by the film industry and major award bodies.


30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards 2024

Nomination

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Poor Things

81st Golden Globe Awards 2024

Nomination

Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture (Supporting Actor)

Poor Things

25th Critics' Choice Awards 2020

Nomination

Best Supporting Actor

The Lighthouse

35th Film Independent Spirit Awards 2020

Win

Best Supporting Male

The Lighthouse

91st Academy Awards 2019

Nomination

Actor in a Leading Role

At Eternity's Gate

24th Critics' Choice Awards 2019

Nomination

Best Actor

At Eternity's Gate

76th Golden Globe Awards 2019

Nomination

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

At Eternity's Gate

90th Academy Awards 2018

Nomination

Actor in a Supporting Role

The Florida Project

71st British Academy Film Awards 2018

Nomination

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

The Florida Project

23rd Critics' Choice Awards 2018

Nomination

Best Supporting Actor

The Florida Project

24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards 2018

Nomination

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

The Florida Project

75th Golden Globe Awards 2018

Nomination

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, Musical or Comedy

The Florida Project

1st AACTA Awards 2012

Nomination

Best Lead Actor

The Hunter

73rd Academy Awards 2001

Nomination

Actor in a Supporting Role

Shadow of the Vampire

7th Screen Actors Guild Awards 2001

Nomination

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Shadow of the Vampire

16th Film Independent Spirit Awards 2001

Win

Best Supporting Male

Shadow of the Vampire

6th Independent Spirit Awards 1991

Nomination

Best Supporting Male

Wild at Heart

The 59th Academy Awards 1987

Nomination

Actor in a Supporting Role

Platoon

2nd Independent Spirit Awards 1987

Nomination

Best Male Lead

Platoon

Movies Featuring Willem Dafoe

John Wick

John Wick

Aquaman

Aquaman

Tales from Earthsea

Tales from Earthsea

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Platoon

Platoon

The English Patient

The English Patient

To Live and Die in L.A.

To Live and Die in L.A.

The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse

The Florida Project

The Florida Project

The Last Thing He Wanted

The Last Thing He Wanted

The Great Wall

The Great Wall

Mr. Bean's Vacation

Mr. Bean's Vacation

Asteroid City

Asteroid City

Vox Lux

Vox Lux

Nymphomaniac: Volume I

Nymphomaniac: Volume I

Pasolini

Pasolini

Tommaso

Tommaso

4:44 Last Day on Earth

4:44 Last Day on Earth

Antichrist

Antichrist

My Hindu Friend

My Hindu Friend

At Eternity's Gate

At Eternity's Gate

Siberia

Siberia

The Northman

The Northman

Shadow of the Vampire

Shadow of the Vampire

Inside

Inside

The Hunter

The Hunter

Light Sleeper

Light Sleeper

Auto Focus

Auto Focus

Mountain

Mountain

Nightmare Alley

Nightmare Alley

The Clearing

The Clearing

The Reckoning

The Reckoning

The Card Counter

The Card Counter

The Last Temptation of Christ

The Last Temptation of Christ

Daybreakers

Daybreakers

Pavilion of Women

Pavilion of Women

Nymphomaniac: Volume II

Nymphomaniac: Volume II

Miral

Miral

Mississippi Burning

Mississippi Burning

Adam Resurrected

Adam Resurrected

Togo

Togo

Motherless Brooklyn

Motherless Brooklyn

Out of the Furnace

Out of the Furnace

Dead for A Dollar

Dead for A Dollar

John Carter

John Carter

Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express

Streets of Fire

Streets of Fire

Body of Evidence

Body of Evidence

What Happened to Monday

What Happened to Monday

Death Note

Death Note

New Rose Hotel

New Rose Hotel

Clear and Present Danger

Clear and Present Danger

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars

xXx: State of the Union

xXx: State of the Union

A Family Man

A Family Man

The Boondock Saints

The Boondock Saints

Friedkin Uncut

Friedkin Uncut

River

River

Swift

Swift

White Sands

White Sands

The Loveless

The Loveless

The Boy and the Heron

The Boy and the Heron

Poor Things

Poor Things

Kinds of Kindness

Kinds of Kindness

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Nosferatu

Nosferatu

The Legend of Ochi

The Legend of Ochi

The Phoenician Scheme

The Phoenician Scheme

Finally Dawn

Finally Dawn

A Woman

A Woman

Bob Wilson’s Life & Death of Marina Abramovic

Bob Wilson’s Life & Death of Marina Abramovic

The Smile Man

The Smile Man

Into the Deep: America, Whaling & The World

Into the Deep: America, Whaling & The World

Saving Norman

Saving Norman

The Benaki Museum

The Benaki Museum

Nymphomaniac

Nymphomaniac

Love’s Routine

Love’s Routine

The Making of The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Making of The Grand Budapest Hotel

John Wick: Calling in the Cavalry

John Wick: Calling in the Cavalry

Don’t F*#% With John Wick

Don’t F*#% With John Wick

Fukushima: A Nuclear Story

Fukushima: A Nuclear Story

My Hindu Friend

My Hindu Friend

Mind the Gap

Mind the Gap

Ballad of a Righteous Merchant

Ballad of a Righteous Merchant

Theatron. Romeo Castellucci

Theatron. Romeo Castellucci

Father

Father

Piazza Vittorio

Piazza Vittorio

Opus Zero

Opus Zero

Sanctuary

Sanctuary

Babenco: Tell Me When I Die

Babenco: Tell Me When I Die

Vincent van Gogh Superstar

Vincent van Gogh Superstar

Celebrating Marvel’s Stan Lee

Celebrating Marvel’s Stan Lee

Bullfighter

Bullfighter

A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting ‘Platoon’

A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting ‘Platoon’

Edges of the Lord

Edges of the Lord

Behind the Ultimate Spin: The Making of ‘Spider-Man’

Behind the Ultimate Spin: The Making of ‘Spider-Man’

The Spider-Man Story

The Spider-Man Story

Under the Rainbow: Making The Florida Project

Under the Rainbow: Making The Florida Project

Brothers in Arms

Brothers in Arms

Manou the Swift

Manou the Swift

Abel Ferrara: Not Guilty

Abel Ferrara: Not Guilty

Love, Death, Elvis & Oz: The Making of Wild at Heart

Love, Death, Elvis & Oz: The Making of Wild at Heart

Tommaso

Tommaso

Behind the Scenes of ‘Spider-Man’

Behind the Scenes of ‘Spider-Man’

On the Set: ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’

On the Set: ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’

Before It Had a Name

Before It Had a Name

Voom Portraits

Voom Portraits

Globehunters: An Around the World in 80 Days Adventure

Globehunters: An Around the World in 80 Days Adventure

Counterfeit World: Making ‘To Live and Die in L.A.’

Counterfeit World: Making ‘To Live and Die in L.A.’

Matthew Gray Gubler’s Life Aquatic Intern Journal

Matthew Gray Gubler’s Life Aquatic Intern Journal

This Is an Adventure

This Is an Adventure

Ripley Under Ground

Ripley Under Ground

Mr. Bean’s Holiday

Mr. Bean’s Holiday

Cannes: All Access

Cannes: All Access

Go Go Tales

Go Go Tales

Flight of the Intruder

Flight of the Intruder

To Each His Own Cinema

To Each His Own Cinema

North on Evers

North on Evers

Atalanta Strategy

Atalanta Strategy

Roadhouse 66

Roadhouse 66

O Panama

O Panama

New York Nights

New York Nights

Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam

Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam

Triumph of the Spirit

Triumph of the Spirit

The Lighthouse: A Dark & Stormy Tale

The Lighthouse: A Dark & Stormy Tale

7 Deaths of Maria Callas

7 Deaths of Maria Callas

Roy’s World: Barry Gifford’s Chicago

Roy’s World: Barry Gifford’s Chicago

Sportin’ Life

Sportin’ Life

Maresco / Pasolini

Maresco / Pasolini

Robert Wilson: The Beauty of the Mysterious

Robert Wilson: The Beauty of the Mysterious

Finding Satoshi

Finding Satoshi

Wim Wenders, Desperado

Wim Wenders, Desperado

Off Limits

Off Limits

Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home

Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home

The Wild One

The Wild One

Why Are We (Not) Creative?

Why Are We (Not) Creative?

Tom & Viv

Tom & Viv

White Homeland Commando

White Homeland Commando

Brace Up!

Brace Up!

Lulu on the Bridge

Lulu on the Bridge

Fireflies in the Garden

Fireflies in the Garden

Rhyme ’Em to Death

Rhyme ’Em to Death

The Night and the Moment

The Night and the Moment

The Dust of Time

The Dust of Time

Franco Battiato - La voce del padrone

Franco Battiato - La voce del padrone

Creation of the Kingdom of Exodus

Creation of the Kingdom of Exodus

Jesus Goes to Hollywood

Jesus Goes to Hollywood

Grande Envie

Grande Envie

Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe

Avrio Vrady

Avrio Vrady

Can Creativity Save the World?

Can Creativity Save the World?

Gonzo Girl

Gonzo Girl

Abel/Asia

Abel/Asia

Nosferatu: An Inside Look

Nosferatu: An Inside Look

The Man in My Basement

The Man in My Basement

Career Timeline

Track the complete movie timeline of Willem Dafoe, including all film releases, career breakthroughs, and notable roles. Follow their journey from early performances to recent blockbusters and upcoming projects.


2011

Miral

Miral


Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

© 2025 What's After the Movie. All rights reserved.