Known for the dark and eccentric characters he has often played, Willem Dafoe is one of the screen's most provocative and engaging actors. Choosing his projects based on artistic merit rather than box office potential, Dafoe has appeared in a number of widely divergent films, taking roles which have enhanced his reputation as one of film’s most “predictably unpredictable” American actors.
His extensive and extremely varied filmography is living proof of his versatility and genius – with films ranging from the likes of Platoon, The English Patient, The Aviator, The Last Temptation of Christ, Born on the Fourth of July and Manderlay, to The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Antichrist and more recently Tommaso, by Abel Ferrara and The Lighthouse by Robert Eggers, both selected for the present edition of the LEFFEST. Dafoe is an actor who adapts with ease to the characters he plays, and whose lasting influence will span several generations. Besides being a notable film actor, Dafoe has also an enviable theatrical career.