As an actor, Willem Dafoe has remained a familiar face in Hollywood for decades. His seasoned presence on screen has evolved so much with each role he's taken on, making his career even more well-rounded. His filmography stretches from G-rated Disney hits to the bowels of the horror genre, and he's popped up almost everywhere in between – he can play someone comforting or someone creepy and be equally convincing.
At this point in entertainment, his authoritative voice and angular face are pretty unmistakable. It's safe to say that his performances appeal to audiences of all kinds, and his vast filmography is proof of his versatility. These 10 movie performances have arguably defined Willem Dafoe's career the most:
10 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Reprising his role as the Green Goblin, Dafoe's appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home really felt like a full-circle moment. With Peter Parker's world taking on so much more detail, thanks to the multiverse, the reappearance of this character was something that fans obviously loved. Releasing almost 20 years after the original Spider-Man, No Way Home showcased how Dafoe can return to the same role and improve upon it further.
9 The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
In The Fault in Our Stars, Hazel and Augustus seek audience with Hazel's favorite author in Amsterdam, Peter van Houten. After the two teens fighting cancer travel all the way to the Netherlands, they discover his genuinely rude and crude nature, which contrasts everything they thought of him at first. Dafoe plays the raging, disheveled writer so naturally that audiences feel like unwelcome visitors, too.
8 American Psycho (2000)
American Psycho is a top-notch film for so many reasons, one of which is Dafoe's performance. As Detective Donald Kimball, he arrives to look into the mysterious circumstances behind Paul Allen's vanishing and ends up questioning Patrick Bateman. Their back-and-forth throughout the film's progression becomes an excellent game of cat and mouse, entwining Bateman further into the consequences of his own actions. Dafoe plays Kimball with certainty and a steely gaze.
7 The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
The Grand Budapest Hotel is among Wes Anderson's best, and besides his artistic style, his casting always takes the cake. Dafoe appears as tough guy J. G. Jopling, fitted with imposing metal rings on most of his fingers. He's most likely remembered best in this movie for the unforgettable punches he throws in front of everyone at the reading of the will. In this role (and many others), Dafoe doesn't even have to deliver much dialogue in order to be a forceful presence.
6 John Wick (2014)
In the first chapter of the John Wick film saga, Dafoe plays Marcus, who is known as "something of a mentor" to John, according to Dafoe himself in an interview. As an accomplished assassin, and the more experienced out of the two in the beginning, Marcus is definitely a complicated character. His development throughout the story proves his loyalty to John and how he quite literally sticks to his guns as time goes on.
5 The Lighthouse (2019)
A24's The Lighthouse introduces viewers to lighthouse keepers Thomas Wake (Dafoe) and Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson), who keep watch over a black-and-white world. The story turns creepy quite quickly, as their loneliness and the ancient lore of the sea surrounding them start to catch up with them. Wake's spine-chilling "HAAAARK!" to Winslow as the waves crash outside, combined with Wake's wide-eyed face, allows Dafoe to create a classically scary image in a newer horror film.
4 Nightmare Alley (2021)
In Guillermo del Toro's new version of the original 1947 film, Nightmare Alley brings the classic allure of carnivals and the horrors of freak and geek shows to the big screen. Dafoe's portrayal as the company's leader, Clem Hoatley, exposes the dark underbelly of the industry as he immediately pulls the strings. With the actor's practiced and comfortable ability to deliver unhinged lines with the greatest of ease, he speaks openly and honestly to Stanton Carlisle about how to unethically entice geeks into performing for him.
3 The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
The Last Temptation of Christ recounts the life of Jesus as based on Nikos Kazantzakis's book – this version of the ancient story famously leans towards the son of God as more of a "real" human being. Dafoe's portrayal of Jesus captures him at his prime as an actor, and he brings a gritty realism to the role through his lived-in appearance. Roger Ebert highlighted the film's controversial nature, stating, "In the title role, Willem Dafoe creates a man who is the embodiment of dutiful masochism."
2 Finding Nemo (2003)
In one of his more out-of-the-box roles, Dafoe voiced Gil in Finding Nemo, the scarred Moorish Idol fish. After Nemo is captured by divers and taken to a dentist's fish tank, Gil takes him under his fin, serving as a mentor to the youngster as they scheme to get the titular lost little guy back to the ocean. Many of Dafoe's roles call for him to play deep, troubled characters, and this animated fish is surprisingly no exception.
1 Spider-Man (2002)
As perhaps the most memorable villain in the Spider-Man universe and the first set of live-action films, the Green Goblin couldn't have been played by just anyone. His human alter ego, Norman Osborn, famously uttered the line, "You know, I'm somewhat of a scientist myself." after shaking hands with Peter Parker for the first time. With the slick, sly smile of a business executive, Dafoe truly embodies the charlatanism inside this character, whether or not he's outwardly acting like the villain he truly is.
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