Who Is Willem Dafoe? Age, Biography and Wiki
Willem Dafoe was born on July 22, 1955, which makes him 69 years old in 2025. An acclaimed American actor known for his versatile roles and powerful performances, Dafoe's career spans over four decades. He has appeared in numerous films across various genres, earning multiple award nominations, including Oscars, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. His ability to embody complex characters has made him a favorite among directors and audiences alike.
For more details, visit his Wikipedia page.
| Occupation | Voice Actors |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | July 22, 1955 |
| Age | 69 Years |
| Birth Place | Appleton, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Cancer |
| Country | U.S |
Popularity
Willem Dafoe's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Willem Dafoe stands at an impressive height of 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm). He maintains a fit physique, weighing approximately 165 pounds (75 kg) as of 2025. Known for his distinctive and intense looks, Dafoe has notable facial features that have become his trademark, allowing him to portray a wide range of characters convincingly.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
As of 2025, Willem Dafoe is happily married to Italian filmmaker Giada Colagrande, whom he wed in 2005. The couple often collaborates on various projects, reflecting their strong bond both personally and professionally. While Dafoe tends to keep his family life private, he has spoken openly about his appreciation for his wife's support in his career.
William Alfred Dafoe (1917–2014). He recalled in 2009, "My five sisters raised me because my father was a surgeon, my mother was a nurse and they worked together, so I didn't see either of them much." His brother, Donald, is a surgeon and research scientist. His surname, Dafoe, is the anglicized version of the Swiss-French surname Thévou.
Half of his family pronounced Dafoe as, while half pronounced it ; he used the former early in his career, but ultimately settled with the latter pronunciation. In high school, he acquired the nickname Willem, the Dutch version of the name William. He later grew more accustomed to it than his birth name.
Net Worth and Salary
Willem Dafoe's net worth is estimated to be around $40 million in 2025. His wealth comes primarily from his extensive film career, including both leading and supporting roles in blockbuster films. Dafoe is also involved in various projects outside of acting, including voice work and theater, which contribute to his earnings.
In 1997, Dafoe returned to playing a villainous role in the action thriller Speed 2: Cruise Control, expressing the necessity of appearing in both independent and blockbuster films.
The film starred Sandra Bullock and Jason Patric as a couple vacationing on a luxury cruise that has been hijacked by Dafoe's character, Geiger, a hacker that has programmed the ship to crash into an oil tanker. Speed 2 was met with negative reviews from critics, with Dafoe himself receiving a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Supporting Actor.
For his next film, Affliction (1997), Dafoe worked with Paul Schrader for a second time, playing the brother of Nick Nolte's character and served as the film's narrator.
Also in 1997, Dafoe took on a voice acting role in an episode of the animated sitcom The Simpsons titled "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson", voicing the commandant of a military academy that Bart and Lisa Simpson are attending.
Following a villainous supporting role in the romantic mystery drama Lulu on the Bridge, Dafoe starred alongside Christopher Walken and Asia Argento in Abel Ferrara's cyberpunk drama New Rose Hotel in 1998. It follows X (Dafoe) and Fox (Walken), a pair of corporate raiders attempting to lure a Japanese scientist from one megacorporation to another.
Although the film was largely dismissed by critics, critic David Stratton found there to be "compensation" in the performances.
Career, Business and Investments
Dafoe's career began in theater before he transitioned to film, where he gained international stardom with iconic performances in movies like Platoon, Spider-Man, and The Lighthouse. He continues to take on diverse roles, showcasing his acting range and deep commitment to his craft.
In addition to acting, Dafoe has ventured into production and direction, working on projects that reflect his artistic vision. He has invested in independent films and has been involved in various charitable causes, showcasing his commitment to social issues and the arts.
William James "Willem" Dafoe (born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. Known for his prolific career portraying diverse roles in both mainstream and arthouse films, he is the recipient of various accolades including a Volpi Cup Award for Best Actor, with nominations for four Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, and four Golden Globe Awards. He received an Honorary Golden Bear in 2018.
Social Network
Willem Dafoe prefers to maintain a relatively low profile on social media. However, he is active on platforms such as Instagram, where he shares updates about his work and glimpses into his personal life. Fans often appreciate his candid and artistic posts, giving them a closer look at the mind of this enigmatic actor.
Dafoe's sole film release of 1986 was Oliver Stone's Vietnam War film Platoon, gaining him his widest exposure up to that point for playing the compassionate Sergeant Elias Grodin. He enjoyed the opportunity to play a heroic role and said the film gave him a chance to display his versatility, saying "I think all characters live in you.
You just frame them, give them circumstances, and that character will happen." Principal photography for the film took place in the Philippines and required Dafoe to undergo boot camp training. Los Angeles Times writer Sheila Benson praised his performance and found it to be "particularly fine" to see Dafoe play "something other than a psychopath".
At the 59th Academy Awards, Dafoe was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Dafoe provided his voice to the documentary Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam (1987) and, in 1988, Dafoe starred in another film set during the Vietnam War, this time as Buck McGriff in the action thriller Off Limits.
His second release of 1988 was Martin Scorsese's epic drama The Last Temptation of Christ, in which Dafoe portrayed Jesus. The film was adapted from the novel of the same name and depicts his struggle with various forms of temptation throughout his life.
Like the novel, the film sparked controversy for departing from the biblical portrayal of Jesus and was branded as being blasphemous. Dafoe's performance in the film was widely praised, however, with Janet Maslin opining that Dafoe brought a "gleaming intensity" to the role.
Education
Willem Dafoe graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied drama. His education has significantly informed his approach to acting, providing him with the skills and techniques that have defined his illustrious career.
The black comedy Dog Eat Dog (2016), Dafoe's sixth film with Paul Schrader, starred Dafoe and Nicolas Cage as a pair of ex-convicts hired to kidnap a baby. In the same year, Dafoe reprised his voice role as Gill, a Moorish idol fish, from Finding Nemo in its sequel Finding Dory.
He next played the boss of Gerard Butler's character in the drama A Family Man and starred in Loris Gréaud's arthouse science fiction film Sculpt, which was only screened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for one person at a time.
His final film of the year was the monster film The Great Wall, a Chinese-American co-production directed by Zhang Yimou starring Matt Damon as an Irish mercenary in China defending the Great Wall of China from a horde of monsters, in which Dafoe played a former adventurer working as a teacher in China.
Also in 2016, Dafoe appeared in another Super Bowl commercial, this time for Snickers, recreating Marilyn Monroe's iconic white dress scene from the film The Seven Year Itch.
