Willem Dafoe » Trivia

Provided his voice on Lou Reed's 2003 album 'The Raven'. On it he performs a re-written and reworked, spoken-word version of Edgar Allen Poe's poetry.

John Malkovich, Nicolas Cage, and Dafoe were all approached to play the Green Goblin in Spider-Man (2002). Dafoe and Malkovich starred in Shadow of the Vampire (2000) together, while Cage produced the film. Dafoe ended up getting the Spider-Man role.

His high school nickname, Willem, stuck with him.

Sticks to an all-organic diet.

He attended Einstein Junior High School in Appleton, Wisconsin, where he was known as "Billy."

Quite possibly has the most on-screen deaths of any mainstream actor. His death scenes include Platoon (1986), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), eXistenZ (1999), Shadow of the Vampire (2000), Spider-Man (2002), and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), among others.

Brother, Donald Dafoe, is an accomplished transplant surgeon.

Visited Sarajevo Film Festival (in post-war Bosnia) together with Steve Buscemi in year 2000.

Was a candidate for the role of the Joker in Batman (1989).

Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2006 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was listed as a suggestion in the Worst Supporting Actor category for his performance in the film xXx: State of the Union (2005) However, he failed to receive a nomination. (Had he gotten the nomination, it would have been his third overall. He was previously nominated for Worst Supporting Actor at the 1998 Razzie Awards for his role in Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), and for Worst Actor at the 1994 Razzie Awards for his performance in Body of Evidence (1993).)

The only actor to ever be nominated for an Oscar for playing a vampire, for his role as Max Schrek in Shadow of the Vampire (2000).

Often portrays soldiers or eccentric characters.

He did practically all of his own stunts on the glider in Spider-Man (2002). So when you see the Green Goblin moving around on it, when it's not CG, then it's Willem pretty much the whole time.

Member of Jury for 2007 Berlin International Film Festival.

Says he feels like he's missed out on more conventional roles because he's perceived as an eccentric actor in dark little films, kind of the boy-next-door type - if you lived next door to a mausoleum.