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 More Quotes by Willem Dafoe More Quotes From Willem Dafoe The worst thing is to get involved with people who aren't passionate about what they're doing. Willem Dafoe passionate worst people Performing is about developing empathy, which leads us to a broader view of the world and encourages us to develop compassion; so we can comfort each other and not be so brutal with each other. Willem Dafoe empathy compassion views I think on some level, you do your best things when you're a little off-balance, a little scared. You've got to work from mystery, from wonder, from not knowing. Willem Dafoe balance knowing thinking 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 challenges mind firsts You have to lose yourself to find yourself. Willem Dafoe losing-yourself finding-yourself loses When you have something to work with, then you fly with it. Willem Dafoe Great theatre is about challenging how we think and encouraging us to fantasize about a world we aspire to. Willem Dafoe theatre challenges thinking I never act. I simply bring out the real animal that's in me. Willem Dafoe real animal Action breeds inspiration more than inspiration breeds action. Willem Dafoe inspiration action I guess they often cast me as the bad guy, because I'm not, er, conventional looking. I look sort of violent. I'm the odd one out, the outsider. Willem Dafoe odd-one guy looks You can be intuitive when you've got a more expansive role. You can get into the poetry of telling the story rather than just pushing buttons. Willem Dafoe buttons roles stories I want to work with people who are good at what they do, and people who are passionate. Willem Dafoe passionate want people Sometimes I think women are lucky because they can develop in ways men can't. The old-boy network may be oppressive to women, but it actually stunts men in terms of personal growth. Willem Dafoe men boys thinking I'm not attracted to naturalism, I'm not attracted to behavior, I'm attracted to dance. I'm attracted to gesture, I'm attracted to singing with your voice, as opposed to having a natural manner. I'm a theater actor first, so that probably influences a lot of my approach. And I think in many ways, naturalism has ruined movies. Willem Dafoe singing voice thinking There's a real wisdom to not saying a thing. Willem Dafoe real-wisdom real Weirdness is not my game. I'm just a square boy from Wisconsin. Willem Dafoe squares games boys Film is fragmented and gets into lots of other people's hands. There are a lot of pleasures that theatre gives me. You get to perform uninterrupted. Willem Dafoe giving hands people When I was a kid I was very interested in the idea of the will, finding out what you're capable of. I liked those kind of challenges. Willem Dafoe challenges kids ideas I try to attach myself to people who really inspire me, and directors who are really passionate. That way, I can give myself more fully and trust the impulse behind why the film is being made, and I can be a little more irresponsible in finding out what the character is. Willem Dafoe giving character people Sometimes you're wrong, but if I'm a repeat customer, it means I must have valued the past experiences. Willem Dafoe sometimes mean past
