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Willem Dafoe Biography

Birth Name:Willem J. Dafoe

Birth Place:Appleton, Wisconsin, United States

Profession Actor, Soundtrack, Producer, Writer

Fast Facts

Received the 2018 Cinema Vanguard Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Awarded the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival's Golden Bear for lifetime achievement
Got married to actress Giada Colagrande in 2005
Was discovered by director Richard Schechner while performing with the theater company Theatre X
Started acting with performance troupe the Wooster Group
Quote: "I never act․ I simply bring out the real animal that's in me․"
Quote: "The worst thing is to get involved with people who aren't passionate about what they're doing․"
Often portrays characters who are mentally unstable
Modeled for the 2012 Prada campaign
Supplied his likeness and voice for a character in the video game "Beyond: Two Souls" in 2013
Arrived to the set of the filming of "Platoon" at the same time as a revolution was going on in the Philippines after Ferdinand Marcos was deposed
Appears in the Jim Beam campaign ad "Bold Decisions" in 2011
Was once in contention to play the role of the Joker in "Batman," but the role went to Jack Nicholson

Awards

1987Oscar-Best Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
1987Independent Spirit Award-Best Male Lead: nominated
1991Independent Spirit Award-Best Supporting Male: nominated
1994Razzie Award-Worst Actor: nominated
1995Sant Jordi-Best Foreign Actor (Mejor Actor Extranjero): winner
1997Actor-Outstanding Performance by a Cast: nominated
1998Razzie Award-Worst Supporting Actor: nominated
2000ACCA-Best Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
2000President Award-Outstanding Creative Performance: winner
2000LAFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2000NYFCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2000SDFCS Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2000Gran Angular Award-Best Actor: winner
2001Oscar-Best Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
2001Saturn Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2001Actor-Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
2001CFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2001DFWFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2001Chainsaw Award-Best Actor: nominated
2001International Fantasy Film Award-Best Actor: winner
2001Independent Spirit Award-Best Supporting Male: winner
2001Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: nominated
2001NSFC Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2001OFTA Film Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2001OFCS Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2001PFCS Award-Best Actor in a Supporting Role: winner
2001Golden Satellite Award-Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Comedy or Musical: winner
2002Chlotrudis Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2002Sierra Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2002NYFCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2002NYFCO Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2002Teen Choice Award-Film - Choice Sleazebag: nominated
2003CFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2003MTV Movie Award-Best Villain: nominated
2004BSFC Award-Best Ensemble Cast: nominated
2004MTV Movie Award-Most Divine Miracle in a Movie (Milagro más Divino en una Película): nominated
2005Critics Choice Award-Best Acting Ensemble: nominated
2008Best Actor-: winner
2010Bodil-Best Actor (Bedste mandlige hovedrolle): winner
2010Robert-Best Actor (Årets mandlige hovedrolle): nominated
2011Felix-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2012AACTA Award-Best Lead Actor: nominated
2012AFCA Award-Best Actor: nominated
2014DFCS Award-Best Ensemble: winner
2014FFCC Award-Best Ensemble: winner
2014PFCS Award-Best Ensemble Acting: nominated
2014SDFCS Award-Best Body of Work: winner
2014SDFCS Award-Best Ensemble: nominated
2014SEFCA Award-Best Ensemble: winner
2014WAFCA Award-Best Acting Ensemble: nominated
2015Actor-Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: nominated
2015BTVA Television Voice Acting Award-Best Male Vocal Performance in a Television Series in a Guest Role - Comedy/Musical: nominated
2015COFCA Award-Best Ensemble: winner
2015GAFCA Award-Best Ensemble: winner
2015Gold Derby Film Award-Ensemble Cast: nominated
2016Best Actor-: winner
2017AFCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017ACCA-Best Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
2017BFCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017BOFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017BSFC Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017CFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017CIFCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017DFWFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2017DFCS Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017DFCC-Best Actor: nominated
2017FFCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2017Golden Schmoes-Best Supporting Actor of the Year: nominated
2017Gotham Independent Film Award-Best Actor: nominated
2017IFJA Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017ICP Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017KCFCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017Blimp Award-#SQUAD: winner
2017Sierra Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2017LAFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017LAOFCS Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2017NBR Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017NYFCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017NYFCO Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017NTFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2017PCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2017PFCS Award-Best Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
2017SDFCS Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2017SFFCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017SFCS Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017SEFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2017SLFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2017TFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017UFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017VFCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2017VVFP Award-Best Supporting Performance: nominated
2017WAFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2018AACTA International Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2018Movies for Grownups Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2018Oscar-Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
2018Actor-Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
2018EDA Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2018AFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2018BAFTA Film Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2018BOFA-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2018Chlotrudis Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2018COFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2018Critics Choice Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2018DFCS Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2018Dorian Award-Film Performance of the Year - Supporting Actor: nominated
2018FFCC Award-Best Actor: nominated
2018GAFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2018Gold Derby Film Award-Supporting Actor: nominated
2018Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: nominated
2018HFCS Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2018ICP Award-Best Lead Actor: nominated
2018ICS Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2018INOCA-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2018IFC Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2018ALFS Award-Supporting Actor of the Year: nominated
2018NSFC Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2018NCFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2018OFCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2018OAFFC Award-Best Supporting Male: winner
2018OFTA Film Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2018Icon Award-: winner
2018SFFCC Award-Best Actor: nominated
2018Cinema Vanguard Award-: winner
2018Satellite Award-Best Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
2018SLFCA Award-Best Actor: nominated
2018TFCA Award-Best Actor: nominated
2018Green Drop Award-: winner
2018Volpi Cup-Best Actor: winner
2019Movies for Grownups Award-Best Actor: nominated
2019Oscar-Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: nominated
2019EDA Award-Best Actor: nominated
2019CinEuphoria-Best Supporting Actor - International Competition: nominated
2019Critics Choice Award-Best Actor: nominated
2019DFWFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2019DFCS Award-Best Actor: nominated
2019DFCS Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2019DFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2019Fright Meter Award-Best Actor: nominated
2019Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama: nominated
2019Golden Schmoes-Best Supporting Actor of the Year: nominated
2019Gotham Independent Film Award-Best Actor: nominated
2019GWNYFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2019IGN Award-Best Supporting Performer in a Movie: nominated
2019IFJA Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2019ICP Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2019ICS Award-Best Actor: nominated
2019Sierra Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2019NSFC Award-Best Actor: nominated
2019OFCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2019OAFFC Award-Best Supporting Male: nominated
2019PCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2019SDFCS Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2019SFBAFCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2019Satellite Award-Best Actor in a Supporting Role: winner
2019Satellite Award-Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama: winner
2019SFCS Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2019TFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2019UFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2019VHS Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2020EDA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2020AFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2020ACCA-Best Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
2020Palmarés blogos de oro-Best Supporting Actor (Mejor Actor de reparto): winner
2020BOFA-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2020CinEuphoria-Best Duo - International Competition: nominated
2020CinEuphoria-Best Supporting Actor - International Competition: nominated
2020COFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2020Critics Choice Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2020Chainsaw Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2020Independent Spirit Award-Best Supporting Male: winner
2020GAFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2020Gold Derby Film Award-Ensemble of the Decade: nominated
2020Gold Derby Film Award-Supporting Actor of the Decade: nominated
2020Gold Derby Film Award-Supporting Actor: nominated
2020HFCS Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2020ICS Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2020LEJA Award-Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
2020NCFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2020NDFS Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
2020Odyssey Award-Best Support Actor: nominated
2020OFCS Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2021Días de Cine Award-Best Foreign Actor: nominated
2021Audience Award-Best Foreign Actor (Melhor Ator Estrangeiro): winner
2021Critics Award-Best Foreign Actor (Melhor Ator Estrangeiro): winner
2022CCA Super Award-Best Villain in a Movie: winner
2022Golden Schmoes-Best Supporting Actor of the Year: winner
2022MTV Movie + TV Award-Best Villain: nominated
2022SFCS Award-Best Villain: nominated
2023CinEuphoria-Best Ensemble - International Competition: nominated
2023CinEuphoria-Best Supporting Actor - International Competition: nominated
2023IFJA Award-Best Supporting Performance: nominated
2023NTFCA Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2023PCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2024Movies for Grownups Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2024Actor-Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
2024CinEuphoria-Best Ensemble - International Competition: nominated
2024COFCA Award-Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work): nominated
2024CCA Super Award-Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie: nominated
2024FFCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
2024Gold Derby Film Award-Ensemble Cast: nominated
2024Golden Globe-Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture: nominated
2024Hellenic Film Academy Award-Best Actor: winner
2024IFTA Award-Best International Actor: nominated
2024PCA Award-Best Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
2024VFCC Award-Best Supporting Male Actor: nominated
2025Saturn Award-Best Supporting Actor in a Film: nominated
2025CinEuphoria-Best Ensemble - International Competition: nominated
2025NDFS Award-Best Ensemble: nominated