- Hi, I'm Willem Dafoe and this is
the Wired Auto Complete Interview.
Give me.
[upbeat music]
[Interviewer] Here we go.
- Speed.
- Production Assistant] Sound speed.
[upbeat music]
- Okay, what is Willem Dafoe's real name?
William James Dafoe.
My father was William.
I was William.
I didn't like Billy.
I was looking for a nickname.
A friend called me Willem
and then when it was time
to actually have a name on a program or something
it felt silly to go back to my birth name.
So I felt like Willem, I used Willem.
Okay, where is Dafoe from?
Willem Dafoe was born in Appleton, Wisconsin,
which is a place that Harry Houdini,
better known, well, Harry Houdini,
Houdini grew up there, and also Joe McCarthy lived there.
How did Willem Dafoe start acting?
As soon as that doctor spanked me,
that's where it all began.
How does Willem Dafoe stay in shape?
Well, you wanna know,
[Willem and Production Assistant laugh]
it depends what I'm doing, but normally I,
I've been a yoga practitioner for many years.
What is Willem Dafoe like in real life?
You're looking at 'em, baby.
Geez.
Will Willem Dafoe ever play the Joker?
I doubt it.
It's not the worst idea in the world
but I've got other things to do too.
Was Willem Dafoe CGI in "No Way Home"?
No, I don't think so.
Yeah, there was a couple of shots that were really fuzzy.
I thought it was silly because the de-aging thing,
they don't have down yet.
And what's the point?
I don't look that much older,
I don't think, anyway, it's the creams.
[Willem laughs]
Okay, who does Willem Dafoe look like?
I look like myself.
I look like my mama.
I look like my daddy.
[Willem laughs]
Okay, who was Willem Dafoe in "Finding Nemo"?
I played a fish called a Black Moor.
And what was his name?
G, Gill Gill, of course.
How could I forget?
Wonderful, wonderful experience.
What was Willem Dafoe's first movie?
That's a tough one
but I suppose the best answer is "The Loveless",
which curiously enough
it was Catherine Bigelow's first feature movie.
All right, can Willem Dafoe?
Can Willem Dafoe?
Yes, he can.
[Willem laughs]
Can Willem Dafoe sing?
[Willem sings a high note]
Oh, that'll shut 'em up.
Can Willem Dafoe dance?
Absolutely, that's my favorite thing to do.
But only in certain circumstances.
Can Willem Dafoe paint?
You mean like a house or like a work of art?
[Willem laughs]
I did learn how to paint
for the Van Gogh movie and it was very special
because not only did I learn how to paint,
and not only did I enjoy it,
and not only did that root the character,
but it really gave me a different insight
in how to look at things.
[board hits the floor]
Does Willem Dafoe speak Italian?
[Willem speaks Italian]
Does Willem Dafoe live in New York?
Yes, sometimes.
Oh, look at that one.
You know, when people ask me
whether I speak Italian I always get all flustered
because I expect they want a show,
particularly if they don't speak Italian.
Does Willem Dafoe like Robert Pattinson?
Yes, I saw him the other night and he's a charming bloke.
- [Interviewer] You know why people
might think you might not?
- Because people sometimes think we are our characters.
Does Willem Dafoe have a brother?
I have two brothers and five sisters.
Very interesting.
[Willem and Interviewer laugh]
Does Willem Dafoe have Instagram?
No.
I have doctors in my family.
One of my brothers is a transplant surgeon.
One of my brothers is a lawyer.
Some of my sisters are nurses, a writer.
We got lots of things going on.
Why Willem Dafoe is the best Green Goblin?
Because he was the first Green Goblin.
Is that a good answer?
Okay, why is Willem Dafoe a meme?
I don't know.
Why did Willem Dafoe help John Wick?
Because I played a character that's his friend
and I like Keanu.
I like the director and I liked him.
That's probably why I did the movie.
Why does Willem Dafoe have an accent?
Everybody's got an accent.
What is my accent?
What do you think my accent is?
You aren't interested?
[board hits the floor]
Is Willem Dafoe classically trained?
Hell no.
[Willem and Production Assistant laugh]
I'm trained though.
I behave myself.
[Willem laughs]
Is Willem Dafoe a professor?
No, but I have taught and I do,
I am the holder of two honorary doctorates.
So you can call me Dr. Dafoe.
- [Interviewer] Doctorate of what?
I think the arts,
it's not of chemistry or physics, that's for sure.
Is Willem Dafoe vegan?
Ah, sort of.
I basically am vegetarian, but I do make exceptions.
I sometimes eat eggs.
I sometimes eat cheese.
I don't eat meat for good reasons.
Is Willem Dafoe in "American Psycho"?
Yes, he is.
I play a detective that suspects
or doesn't suspect Patrick Bateman.
Is Willem Dafoe coming back as Green Goblin?
Well, that is a good question.
[Willem laughs]
That's all the questions.
Now you know all there is to know about Willem Damoe.
[upbeat music]