Willem Dafoe Explores His Dual Roles in ‘Late Fame’ and ‘The Birthday Party’
Willem Dafoe has one of the most fascinating and impressive resumes of any actor working today. The 4-time Academy Award nominee has portrayed everything from a larger-than-life supervillain in Spider-Man to a humble motel manager in The Florida Project, and in each of these roles, he delivers 110% every time. Dafoe’s legendary dedication to his craft makes his involvement a genuine stamp of approval, which is certainly the case for his upcoming projects, Late Fame and <em>The Birthday Party</em>.
The two new films showcase Dafoe’s range as an actor, portraying him as both a quiet poet and an intimidating businessman. Ahead of their release, I had the incredible opportunity to speak with Dafoe about his new roles and how he chose these projects. Our conversation also delves into Dafoe’s surprising history with the James Bond franchise, his ongoing collaboration with Robert Eggers, and what fans can expect from his upcoming horror film Werwulf.
Willem Dafoe Discusses His Process for Choosing Roles in ‘Late Fame’ and ‘The Birthday Party’
“You don’t really know the role until you do it.”
Image via Quiver Distribution
COLLIDER: Let’s jump right into it. It’s rare to discuss two movies instead of just one, which highlights how you are always engaged in interesting projects. What does your process for choosing a role look like, from the biggest blockbuster to the smallest indie film?
DAFOE: I have a non-answer for that because it’s always different. There are certain tendencies. The director is very important to me, and I look for situations where I can learn something or where something can happen to me. That’s what I seek.
It’s not really about the role itself because you don’t truly understand the role until you perform it. Sometimes, if you see the role too clearly and think, “Wow, this would be great for me,” that’s something to avoid because it means you know what it is. You need space to reach for something challenging and full of questions. That energy drives you to extend yourself creatively and explore new perspectives, which is the pleasure of performing.
Ultimately, what we can do is share experiences. It’s about having an experience that expands how we perceive things rather than simply communicating a message.
I wouldn’t call that a non-answer at all. That was a wonderful answer. Let me focus more on Late Fame and The Birthday Party. What attracted you to those roles? Was it mainly the directors involved? How did you get involved initially?
DAFOE: It’s probably complicated. For Late Fame, I read the novella after a friend suggested it was interesting — a writer-actor friend named Danny Sippy in New York. He gave it to me because I was looking for something to collaborate on with Abel Ferrara, who I often work with. Initially, I knew it wasn’t right for him since it’s set in Vienna and is a period piece.
I started searching for who had the rights, and unbeknownst to me, there was already a script. Shortly after my search began, they asked me to take on the role. The script was by Samy Burch, who previously worked on May December, and it was adapted from Vienna to present-day New York City. Initially skeptical about this change since Vienna was such an integral character in the original story, I found that the script resonated with contemporary issues that I could relate to.
For The Birthday Party, there’s a longer story involved. I did a film called Inside with a Greek director who had a great producer on board. The film evolved during shooting due to various tweaks needed in the script. The producer mentioned he had this book that he thought would make an interesting movie based on its story set in 1970s Greece.
I was initially unsure if it suited me when casting began, but after some discussions with the producer and being introduced to a director whose work I admired, everything fell into place. It’s about moving towards situations or people where you believe you can contribute or have an experience.
Willem Dafoe on Collaborating with Greta Lee in ‘Late Fame’
Lee can also be seen in Netflix’s ‘The Last House.’
Image via Magnolia Pictures
Another aspect of Late Fame that I loved is Greta Lee shines throughout the film and seems to be having a great time. What was it like working alongside her?
DAFOE: It’s an interesting story because she’s fantastic. Her character serves as a sidebar to the main narrative regarding his relationship with the Enthusiasm Society. Like Ed Saxberger’s character, she is passionate about her work but struggles not only economically but also in finding fulfilling roles.
Saxberger decides against pursuing teaching opportunities that could support him and instead chooses a simpler life working at the post office while living solitarily with friends at a bar. She faces similar decisions but refuses to give up despite her struggles.
The tragedy lies in her need for attention as she pushes herself harder while remaining committed to her craft — it’s what she feels destined for. Saxberger relates to this aspect of her character as he experiences a flirtation with her that reflects his own youthful desires.
She serves as an excellent foil for Sax throughout the film. Without revealing too much, there’s one scene where we witness a significant revelation about her character that impacts him greatly.
DAFOE: She was a great partner, and yes, their relationship is quite intriguing.
Willem Dafoe Discusses His “Tragic Character” in ‘The Birthday Party’
“I feel for him, but I wouldn’t want to be him.”
Image via Quiver Distribution
The Birthday Party features many intriguing relationships. Marcos is such an exaggerated figure that we learn much about him through visuals alone, not just dialogue. He resembles a Bond villain with his grand estate. Do you think Marcos sees himself as the hero or villain of his own story?
DAFOE: He’s not foolish but is so consumed by trying to save himself and those around him that he becomes blind to reality. Despite being successful as a self-made man focused on building an empire, he has lost touch with his family — including one child who tragically died — which reflects an age-old narrative of sacrificing loved ones for ambition.
This character is complex and difficult — someone I empathize with but wouldn’t want to be myself.
The story explores how people gravitate towards power figures and their relationships with family members. The core dynamic between him and his daughter is filled with love yet complicated by various issues — similar complexities exist within his marriage where love coexists alongside tension.
This larger-than-life portrayal highlights how power can distort relationships and create significant damage due to one’s resources — it’s reminiscent of Greek tragedies.
The film serves as both an intriguing exploration of power dynamics and familial relationships within privileged contexts while acting as cautionary tales regarding wealth and attention towards others.
Willem Dafoe Reveals His Surprising History With the James Bond Franchise
Dafoe played the main antagonist of the 2003 video game, ‘James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing.’
I find it amusing that you played a Bond villain at one point in one of the James Bond video games.
DAFOE: Yes! Interestingly enough, I’ve never even seen it myself! It was early days when video games were being developed — just a quick recording session where I invented an accent on the fly during recording! Many people have told me they enjoyed my performance!
This leads into discussions about whether I’d ever want to revisit playing such roles again if given another chance within live-action adaptations!
If approached correctly? Absolutely! As a kid watching films like From Russia With Love or Goldfinger left quite an impression on me!
[Laughs]
This year brings us Werwulf alongside Robert Eggers again!
