Photo: Georges Biard / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Willem Dafoe is credited as a film actor, voice actor and screenwriter. Born on July 22, 1955, Willem Dafoe is from Appleton, Wisconsin, United States. That works out to 71 years old in 2026. Education on record includes Appleton East High School and University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Listed accolades include Saturn Awards, Donostia Award (2005), Film Independent Spirit Awards (2001) and 4 more.
My Take
What I admire most about Willem Dafoe is his complete indifference to Hollywood's usual hierarchy. He treats a blockbuster villain and a micro-budget art film with the same ferocious commitment, and that angular, intense face somehow serves both. Four Oscar nominations without a win feels almost fitting; he has never seemed like an actor who works for trophies. The Volpi Cup and the Honorary Golden Bear in 2018 read to me as Europe acknowledging what cinephiles always knew: he is one of the most fearless character actors alive, and past seventy he still takes bigger risks than actors half his age.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Willem Dafoe
- Name (Japanese)
- ウィレム・デフォー
- Reading
- うぃれむ・でふぉー
- Born
- July 22, 1955 (age 71)
- Origin
- Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
- Occupation
- film actor / voice actor / screenwriter / model / film producer
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Goat
2. Background
- High school
- Appleton East High School
- University
- University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Awards & achievements
- Saturn Awards
- 2005 Donostia Award
- 2001 Film Independent Spirit Awards
- Satellite Awards
- 2018 Honorary Golden Bear
- 2018 Volpi Cup for Best Actor
- 2019 Romics d'Oro
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Willem Dafoe born?
Willem Dafoe was born on July 22, 1955 and is 71 years old.
Where is Willem Dafoe from?
Willem Dafoe is from Appleton, Wisconsin, United States.
What does Willem Dafoe do?
Willem Dafoe works as film actor, voice actor, screenwriter, model, film producer.
Where did Willem Dafoe study?
Willem Dafoe attended University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
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