I set myself challenges every time I work. Ideally I approach everything as though it's the first time - with a beginner's mind and an amateur's love. Willem Dafoe More Quotes by Willem Dafoe More Quotes From Willem Dafoe Basically, when I hear the words 'family drama' I run in the opposite direction. Willem Dafoe opposites running drama The mask can be a limitation, but you just deal with it. You do get superhuman strength and pumpkin bombs and all this other stuff to express yourself with.' Willem Dafoe pumpkin bombs stuff Trust is always a factor. You've just got to look at the big picture, and you've got to look at the small picture - the small picture in the sense that you've got to make every scene work and you've got to deal with what people are presenting you with, too. Willem Dafoe scene people looks Each of the actors is quite different, but they're all living in the same world. Willem Dafoe actors different world Usually when you meet with a director, just meeting them after you've seen something you're interested in, they say, "Oh I'd love to work together," and sometimes you never hear from them again. Willem Dafoe working-together sometimes directors I'm never in Hollywood! I'm a theatre actor that lives in New York. I'm very seldom in Los Angeles. I don't dislike LA, I just don't think it's a very healthy place for me to be all the time. When I'm shooting a movie there and am working I'm perfectly happy. But when I'm not working or engaged in something it's a place that I wouldn't live. Willem Dafoe healthy new-york thinking I don't worry so much about the audience. I want them very much to be involved and enjoy the movie, but I try to just inhabit the character in a full way, where I can create a personal stake. Willem Dafoe worry trying character I prefer shooting on location, just because it always helps you. You go some place, you put your life on hold even more than when you've settled in some place. You can make a new life so it opens yourself up to the make-believe and the imagination in a way when you aren't burdened by things that remind you of your life all the time. Willem Dafoe new-life imagination believe I pride myself on being fairly polite on a set so it's kind of a guilty pleasure to poke others on the set. Willem Dafoe guilty kind pride Sometimes you make very interesting movies that aren't meant for everybody. But this is a capitalist society, so everything conspires to put value on whether it sells or not. Willem Dafoe capitalist sometimes interesting Mounting those red stairs [in Cannes] is something I've done with a very different intention many times. So it's interesting any time you witness those shifts of perspective. The beach scenes were also fun. It felt very strange and very theatrical to kind of commandeer it and have La Mer booming over the speakers. Willem Dafoe fun beach interesting The truth is I like the crazy ones better than the well-behaved ones normally because they tend to be the passionate ones. They never come after you if you're holding up your end. The only thing that's bad about an abusive director is that they bully the people they can. Willem Dafoe bully crazy people I don't want people to know anything about me, because that's not important. I'm more interested in the me that takes shape through the characters. Willem Dafoe important character people It's too easy to trivialize people. The Internet does it all the time. Willem Dafoe internet doe people The truth is, if you're around long enough, you have a story about everyone. But it's best to keep your mouth shut sometimes. Willem Dafoe mouths stories long Central to being an actor is pretending, and the adventure of it all. That's why you become a junkie for different kinds of situations. Willem Dafoe actors different adventure It's fair to say that if you have a lot of experience, your power is greater. You have more of an opportunity to roll up your sleeves with younger directors. Willem Dafoe sleeves opportunity directors I aspire to be an instrument of the director. I'm happiest like that. The stronger the director, the more I'm willing to give them. Willem Dafoe stronger giving directors I was doing community theater, and I was always interested in acting, but I was also interested in sports. I was interested in a lot of things. I was a pretty normal guy. I wasn't like a guy who grew up in a dark theater watching movies. Willem Dafoe community dark sports I've been in very few flat-out comedies. But I feel like I've always made comedies. Willem Dafoe flats comedy made
