Quotes by Willem Dafoe

Great theatre is about challenging how we think and encouraging us to fantasize about a world we aspire to.

— Willem Dafoe

Life

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

Success

A lot of critics are lazy. They don't want to look closely and analyze something for what it is. They take a quick first impression and then rush to compare it to something they've seen before.

— Willem Dafoe

Wisdom

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

Courage

Sometimes I say I feel more like a dancer than an actor, because there are things implied about being an actor that I don't really like. I feel more comfortable with the word 'performer'. I like being the thing. I like being the doer. There's a factualness to it. And then certain resonances happen out of how you apply yourself physically.

— Willem Dafoe

Wisdom

You have to lose yourself to find yourself.

— Willem Dafoe

Wisdom

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

Wisdom

Basically, when I hear the words 'family drama,' I run in the opposite direction.

— Willem Dafoe

Wisdom

Corruption is something you face all the time. Avoid it.

— Willem Dafoe

Wisdom

I'm a task-oriented actor. A pretender. And I try to invent my process anew each time I make a new project. So I frown on any method.

— Willem Dafoe

Wisdom

In my experience, sometimes a movie just hits at the wrong time, gets the wrong press, or gets the wrong representation, and it gets misunderstood.

— Willem Dafoe

Wisdom

I'm one of those people who when I go over a bridge, I want to jump. It's just this intense tickle in the back of my throat. It's like I'm on the verge the whole time I'm walking over that bridge, and I'm not going to get a release until I jump.

— Willem Dafoe

Wisdom

There's a real wisdom to not saying a thing.

— Willem Dafoe

Wisdom

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

Love

I was born William. My father was William. I came from a big family, I hated being called Billy. Willem's a nickname; it's a Dutch name, very common in the Netherlands.

— Willem Dafoe

Wisdom

Weirdness is not my game. I'm just a square boy from Wisconsin.

— Willem Dafoe

Wisdom

Action breeds inspiration more than inspiration breeds action.

— Willem Dafoe

Wisdom

With theatre, you have to be ready for anything.

— Willem Dafoe

Wisdom

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

Success

When you work on anything, you want to find the range of impulses - which ones get portrayed is another question, but you want to have that complexity and that fullness, even if you're playing a cartoon character.

— Willem Dafoe

Success

I do want to be in mainstream movies that are going to be seen. I suppose it satisfies the showbiz side of me.

— Willem Dafoe

Wisdom

I don't think people want to see me as a regular guy; besides, I'm a regular guy in real life. I guess I just want to be reckless in my work.

— Willem Dafoe

Success

Let's hope I never end up on a deserted island, because I could never make a decision on which three CDs to take with me.

— Willem Dafoe

Hope

I'm no different to anyone else; I want people to like me. I just don't particularly want them to understand me.

— Willem Dafoe

Wisdom