Dafoe was only present for the first three months of an eight-month shoot. Career 1980–1985: Early roles ĭafoe made his film debut in a supporting role in Michael Cimino's 1980 epic Western film Heaven's Gate. He continued his work with the group into the 2000s, well after establishing himself as a Hollywood film star. Dafoe soon joined the new company and is credited as one of its co-founders. Following tensions between Schechner and other members after they started staging their own productions outside of the group, Schechner left and the remaining members (including LeCompte and her ex-boyfriend Spalding Gray) renamed themselves The Wooster Group. He then apprenticed under Richard Schechner, the director of the avant-garde theater troupe The Performance Group, where he met and became romantically involved with director Elizabeth LeCompte.

Īfter attending Appleton East High School, Dafoe studied drama at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, but left after 18 months to join the experimental theater company Theatre X in Milwaukee, before moving to New York City in 1976. He later took the new interpretation as part of his stage name because he had become more used to it than his birth name. In high school, he acquired the nickname Willem, the Dutch version of the name William. During an interview, he said that half of his family puts the emphasis on the first syllable of the surname while the other half emphasizes the second syllable. His surname, Dafoe, is the English version of the Swiss surname Thévou. He recalled in 2009, 'My five sisters raised me because my father was a surgeon, my mother was a nurse and they worked together, so I didn't see either of them much.' His brother, Donald, is a surgeon and research scientist. He has five sisters and two brothers and is of English, French, German, Irish, and Scottish descent. William James Dafoe was born on July 22, 1955, in Appleton, Wisconsin, the son of Muriel Isabel (née Sprissler 1922–2012) and Dr. He also portrayed Nuidis Vulko in the DC Extended Universe film Aquaman (2018) and Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021).Įarly life and education The Performing Garage, where Dafoe joined The Wooster Group Notable roles include in The English Patient (1996), American Psycho (2000), Finding Nemo (2003), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), Antichrist (2009), John Wick (2014), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Murder on the Orient Express (2017), The Lighthouse (2019), The French Dispatch (2021), Nightmare Alley (2021), and The Northman (2022).ĭafoe gained wider attention for his role as the supervillain Norman Osborn / Green Goblin in the superhero film Spider-Man (2002), a role he reprised in its sequels Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007), and the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). Other Oscar-nominated films include Shadow of the Vampire (2000), The Florida Project (2017), and At Eternity's Gate (2018). (1985), before his breakthrough roles as Jesus Christ in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and as FBI Agent Alan Ward in Mississippi Burning (1988).ĭafoe received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Oliver Stone's war film Platoon (1986). He had his first leading role in the outlaw biker film The Loveless (1982) and then played supporting roles in Streets of Fire (1984) and To Live and Die in L.A. He made his film debut in Heaven's Gate (1980), but was fired during production and was uncredited despite one of his scenes making it into the final cut of the film. He has frequently collaborated with filmmakers Paul Schrader, Abel Ferrara, Lars von Trier, Julian Schnabel, Wes Anderson, and Robert Eggers.ĭafoe was a founding member of experimental theater company The Wooster Group. He is the recipient of various accolades, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor as well as nominations for four Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. to 10 p.m.Īdmission requires a separate ticket from the zoo as it occurs at night outside of normal zoo operating hours.Ĭopyright 2021 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.William James ' Willem' Dafoe ( / d ə ˈ f oʊ/ July 22, 1955) is an American actor. The festival runs on select dates through Jan. With a theme of Into the Wild, the lanterns celebrate the art, beauty and wonder of the traditional festival.Īlong with the lanterns, guests can enjoy local food and beverage options, live music and authentic artisan crafts, the zoo’s website said. More than 30 different, hand-constructed illuminated lantern displays will light up a 3/4 mile path throughout the zoo, its website said. The Asian Lantern Festival is returning to the zoo for an experience like you’ve never had before there. – The Central Florida Zoo will be all aglow starting this weekend.

Dallas lantern festival 2021