Willem Dafoe explained why he enjoys dying in so many movies. Dafoe is one of the most accomplished actors of the last 40 years. He began his career in film in 1980 and has starred in classic movies like Platoon, The Last Temptation of Christ, and Wild at Heart. In the 21st century, he is perhaps best known for portraying Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in several Spider-Man movies and his multiple collaborations with director Wes Anderson. However, throughout his career, Dafoe has earned a reputation as an actor who tends to die in a lot of the movies he appears in.

In an interview published in Empire Magazine, Dafoe admitted that he loves watching his characters die in movies. The actor explained that everyone imagines how they might die. Therefore, he is happy that he has been able to act out different ways of dying throughout his career. Dafoe explained that it is a wonderful experience to pretend to be dying without any real stakes. Read his full comment below:

I do. Because… it raises the stakes. Everyone, unless they’re asleep, has an imagination about their death. So when you’re in a little fiction, getting to play out this kind of fantasy of imagining a version of what could happen to you, even in these extreme cases, something about that experience is elevated. It’s not normal. It’s very specific and it’s personal, but it’s not you, because the circumstances are not of your life. So that’s where you’re really able to tap into that childlike imagination of playing cops and robbers. Because you have a stake, and some kind of understanding of the fear, the drama of dying. And you’ve thought about it, somehow. So then to enact it, even without any real risk or any real reality, is a beautiful exercise. I’m sure somewhere there are some rituals in various cultures where it’s done to help people prepare for.

Willem Dafoe Has Died In Multiple Movies Throughout His Career

Willem Dafoe Has Several Iconic Death Scenes

Dafoe’s first onscreen death came in the 1985 film To Live and Die in L.A., in which his character burned to death after dropping a torch on himself after being shot. This gruesome death scene started a trend in Dafoe’s career and was followed up just a year later in Platoon. The death scene in the Vietnam War movie Platoon is perhaps the most memorable of his career because of how dramatic it is. In the film, Dafoe’s character is continuously shot by machine guns and attempts to get up multiple times as he tries to reach a helicopter.

In 1988, Dafoe portrayed Jesus Christ in The Last Temptation of Christ and was executed on the cross. Then, in 1990, he played a completely different character: the conniving Bobby Peru in Wild at Heart. In Wild at Heart, Dafoe’s character accidentally decapitates himself after falling on his own shotgun. Heading into the 21st century, Dafoe’s sinister villain Green Goblin is impaled by his own glider during the final battle in Spider-Man. His death scene in Spider-Man is one of the most satisfying of Dafoe’s career since audiences were meant to root for the titular webslinger.

Willem Dafoe Loves Dying In Movies

It is great to hear Dafoe has a positive attitude about his various movie death scenes. While some actors never want their characters to die in movies, Dafoe fully embraces it. Whether they live or die, Dafoe’s characters have always been very interesting, and the actor has consistently starred in extremely iconic and memorable movies. So, if his characters are destined to die, at least audiences will be up for a masterclass performance from the veteran actor.

Source: Empire Magazine

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Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe is an American actor known for his versatile performances across film, television, and stage. Born in 1955, he has appeared in over 100 films, including Platoon and The Lighthouse. Dafoe has been nominated for several Academy Awards and is recognized for his intense and unconventional roles.

Birthname

William James Dafoe

Birthdate

July 22, 1955

Birthplace

Appleton, Wisconsin, USA

Profession

Actor