History Creator / WillemDafoe

* LeanAndMean: His noticeably slender frame adds a degree of intimidation to the villainous characters he plays.

* LeanAndMean: His slender frame helps make his villainous roles work better.

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* ''Film/HeavensGate'' (1980) (film debut)
* ''Film/StreetsOfFire'' (1984)
* ''Film/ToLiveAndDieInLA'' (1985)
* ''Film/{{Platoon}}'' (1986)
* ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist'' (1988)
* ''Film/MississippiBurning'' (1988)
* ''Film/BornOnTheFourthOfJuly'' (1989)
* ''Film/WildAtHeart'' (1990)
* ''Film/FlightOfTheIntruder'' (1991)
* ''Film/BodyOfEvidence'' (1992)
* ''Film/LightSleeper'' (1992)
* ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger'' (1994)
* ''Film/TheEnglishPatient'' (1996)
* ''Film/Speed2CruiseControl'' (1997)
* ''Film/TheBoondockSaints'' (1998)
* ''Film/{{eXistenZ}}'' (1999)
* ''Film/AmericanPsycho'' (2000)
* ''Film/ShadowOfTheVampire'' (2000)
* ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy'' and the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse

* ''WesternAnimation/GlobehuntersAnAroundTheWorldInEightyDaysAdventure'' (2002)
* ''Film/OnceUponATimeInMexico'' (2003)
* ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' (2003)
* ''VideoGame/EverythingOrNothing'' (2003)
* ''Film/TheLifeAquaticWithSteveZissou'' (2004)
* ''Film/XXxStateOfTheUnion'' (2005)
* ''Film/InsideMan'' (2006)
* ''Film/{{Anamorph}}'' (2007)
* ''Film/MrBeansHoliday'' (2007)
* ''WesternAnimation/FantasticMrFox'' (2009)
* ''Film/{{Antichrist}}'' (2009)
* ''Anime/TalesFromEarthsea'' (2010)
* ''Film/TheHunter'' (2011)
* ''Film/JohnCarter'' (2012)
* ''Film/OddThomas'' (2013)
* ''Film/AMostWantedMan'' (2014)
* ''Film/TheGrandBudapestHotel'' (2014)
* ''Film/TheFaultInOurStars'' (2014)
* ''Film/JohnWick'' (2014)
* ''Pasolini'' (2014)
* ''Film/{{Nymphomaniac}}'' (2014)
* ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' (2016)
* ''Film/TheGreatWall'' (2016)
* ''Film/WhatHappenedToMonday'' (2017)
* ''Film/{{Death Note|2017}}'' (2017)
* ''Film/TheFloridaProject'' (2017)
* ''Film/{{Murder on the Orient Express|2017}}'' (2017)
* Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse:

* ''Film/TheLighthouse'' (2019)
* ''Film/MotherlessBrooklyn'' (2019)
* ''Tommaso'' (2019)
* ''Film/{{Togo}}'' (2019)

** ''VideoGame/SpiderManTheMovie'' (2002)

* ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy''

** ''Spider-Man: No Way Home'' (2021)

* ChronicallyKilledActor: He dies ''a lot'' on-screen. His death scenes include ''Film/{{Platoon}}'', ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist'', ''Film/Speed2CruiseControl'', ''Film/{{eXistenZ}}'', ''Film/ShadowOfTheVampire'', ''Film/SpiderMan1'', ''Film/OnceUponATimeInMexico'', ''VideoGame/BeyondTwoSouls'', ''Film/JohnWick'', ''Film/TheGreatWall'' among others. He also plays real-life film-maker Creator/PierPaoloPasolini in a 2014 biopic, a man famous for being brutally murdered. Ironic in that the character he plays in the Death Note movie, Ryuk, is a shinigami who writes people's names in his Death Note to kill them.

* ''Film/SpiderMan1'' (2002)

* ''Globehunters: An Around the World in 80 Days Adventure'' (2002)

He became obscure in TheNineties, but returned to mainstream attention when he appeared in the highly successful ''Film/SpiderMan1'' where he turned in a memorable performance as Norman Osborn and [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy the Green Goblin]]. This was his first blockbuster role, which made him a mainstream success, and for the first time, a household name. Since then he's appeared in a number of more prominent performances, as well as finding himself in demand for voice-over work (while many note his unusual features, his voice is equally memorable and distinct). In 2013, he provided the voice and motion capture for Nathan Dawkins in the video game ''VideoGame/BeyondTwoSouls'' with Creator/EllenPage. He also became part of Creator/WesAnderson's stock company, starring in ''Film/TheGrandBudapestHotel'' in 2014 along with [[AllStarCast many well-known actors/actresses]].

** Was a candidate for the role of ComicBook/TheJoker in ''Film/Batman1989''.

** ''[[Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague Zack Snyder's Justice League]]'' (2021) [[note]]His scenes were filmed in 2016, he was deleted from the theatrical version[[/note]]

** His heroic and comedic roles in ''Platoon'', ''Mississippi Burning'', ''The Last Temptation of Christ'', ''Clear and Present Danger'', ''Inside Man'', ''Mr. Bean's Holiday'', and ''The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou''.

* ''Film/FantasticMrFox'' (2009)

** Going back to an early role, in ''Film/StreetsOfFire'' it's very clear that Dafoe knows ''exactly'' what type of movie he's in, and dials up the ham exactly as much as the movie required.

* ChronicallyKilledActor: He dies ''a lot'' on-screen. His death scenes include ''Film/{{Platoon}}'', ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist'', ''Film/Speed2CruiseControl'', ''Film/{{eXistenZ}}'', ''Film/ShadowOfTheVampire'', ''Film/SpiderMan1'', ''Film/OnceUponATimeInMexico'', ''VideoGame/BeyondTwoSouls'', ''Film/TheGreatWall'' among others. He also plays real-life film-maker Creator/PierPaoloPasolini in a 2014 biopic, a man famous for being brutally murdered. Ironic in that the character he plays in the Death Note movie, Ryuk, is a shinigami who writes people's names in his Death Note to kill them.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[Film/SpiderMan1 You know, I'm something of an actor myself.]]]]

* ChewingTheScenery: Has a tendency to be over the top and [[LargeHam hammy]], specially for [[EvilIsHammy villainous parts]]. Special mention here goes to Dafoe's audiobook take on Creator/StephenKing's Literature/TheLangoliers, where Dafoe chews scenery that doesn't even exist and, on more than one occasion, out-hams ''[[HamAndCheese the miniseries]]''.

* ''Literature/MotherlessBrooklyn'' l (2019)

* ''Literature/BornOnTheFourthOfJuly'' (1987)

* ''Film/WildAtHeart'' (1992)

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/willemdafoe.jpg]]

He became obscure in TheNineties, but returned to mainstream attention when he appeared in the highly successful ''Film/SpiderMan1'' where he turned in a memorable performance as Norman Osborn and [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy the Green Goblin]]. This was his first blockbuster role, which made him a mainstream success, and for the first time, a household name. Since then he's appeared in a number of more prominent performances, as well as finding himself in demand for voice-over work (while many note his unusual features, his voice is equally memorable and distinct). In 2013, he provided the voice and motion capture for Nathan Dawkins in the video game ''VideoGame/BeyondTwoSouls'' with Creator/EllenPage. He also became part of Creator/WesAnderson's stock company, recently starring in ''Film/TheGrandBudapestHotel'' along with [[AllStarCast many well-known actors/actresses]].

** Joins Creator/JKSimmons in this in ''Film/JusticeLeague2017'', as Vulko, the mentor of Aquaman and an ally of the Justice League.