There are a few individuals in show business that seem to be well-suited for demented characters that have little other purpose than to creep people out. Willem Dafoe can play a wide variety of roles but it seems at times that he plays a good number that are geared to make people uncomfortable. He does have the look of someone that could easily become a villain in a film but at the same time he’s also a rather good actor when it comes to playing the good guy as well. The whole idea of making him into a demented figure is something that goes along with his looks and the capability he has to simply go wacko anytime he wants. If you look at the list of his movies you’ll see that there are more than a few times when he’s been let off the chain and given leave to be just as dark and dirty as he wants to be.
Here are a few things you might not have known about him.
10. Willem is actually his nickname.
William is his real name, but this nickname has stuck throughout his personal history it would seem. A lot of people still mistake the name and call him William instead as it’s simply easier to remember and rolls off the tongue a lot easier.
9. He feels like he’s been purposely picked for darker movies.
As mentioned in the intro he gets the feeling that people look at him and think of a character that’s going to be dark, demented, and even insane. But if you go through his films you can find that he’s played a lot of characters that are still intimidating but are quite intelligent and on the level.
8. Willem got to do most of his stunts in Spider-Man.
So when you watch the movie, pay close attention to when the Green Goblin is on the glider, that’s not all CGI, that’s actually Willem up there doing the stunts and making it look as good as he possibly can. It’s not exactly like the comics but it was still impressive for the time.
7. He came down with Yellow Fever on the set of platoon.
If you know anything about the disease then you know it’s typically spread by a type of mosquito and it’s actually pretty miserable. He was delirious for a while on the set and had to rest for a good amount of time until he could go back to shoot.
6. He’s right up there with those that have had the most deaths on screen.
In fact he’s near the top when it comes to how many characters he’s played that have died in the movie. Sean Bean might have given him a good run for his money, so would a few other actors, but Willem has had to film a lot of death scenes for his characters over the years.
5. He practices yoga all the time.
There are a few health benefits that can be derived from yoga, not the least of which is increased flexibility, endurance, and muscular strength since some of the more advanced poses require a good amount of balance and core strength in order to perform them just right.
4. There was talk of him being in line to be the Joker in Batman.
Tim Burton’s Batman is the one that he was almost considered for and to be honest he might have been an absolutely horrifying Joker since his face already seems primed to hit the type of perma-smile the crown prince had in the movie. But Jack Nicholson eventually got the role and nailed it in the way that only he can. It’s still kind of interesting to think how Willem would have done had he been selected.
3. He enjoys a vegan diet most of the time but does eat a fish sandwich on occasion.
So in all fairness he can’t be called a vegan but he does enjoy the diet as there are various health benefits to it and for some people it’s not quite as hard to give up meat. But he does enjoy a good fish sandwich every now and then, but one that’s kind of particular given the type of fish he wants and how it has to be prepared.
2. Willem likes being reckless in his work.
He kind of considers himself a boring guy when he’s not at work so he likes to take chances, risks, and go for broke when he’s acting out a character. It almost sounds as though he’s trying to compensate for whatever he doesn’t do in his life, but if it works then so be it.
1. He’s not that great of a liar.
One thing that Willem seems to be is honest and no joke, that’s not something anyone should really count as a negative about themselves unless they’re absolutely brutal about it.
He’s a lot more interesting than he lets on it would seem.
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