Willem Dafoe received a Crystal Globe on Friday. On Saturday evening, he settled into an armchair on the "At the pool" talk show, during which he and Marek Eben presented Abel Ferrara's Pasolini.
The American actor, who had his beginnings in experimental theatre, talked about his feeling of not really fitting in with other actors: "I have always seen myself as more of a performer than an actor - as somebody who does things and who creates. When I'm acting, I first engage my body and then my psyche. When other actors talk about their profession, it's unfamiliar to me."
Marek Eben, the talk show moderator, turned the conversation towards various filmmaking options. "I like it when the screenplay is slightly unknown to me, but I have to be working with people I trust completely. Then you have no idea whether the end result will be good or bad, but in the end it works as a whole and it's more in the moment. For example, even working with a small budget has its advantages. It forces you to be more creative," Dafoe added.
An important milestone in Dafoe's career was Platoon, directed by Oliver Stone, which received four Academy Awards and brought international success to its stars. "I was the new name on everyone's lips that year, but I knew I had to keep a cool head and choose roles from the artistic perspective rather than getting carried away by the film business."
After that Willem Dafoe played the part of Christ in Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ, Lars von Trier's Antichrist, and many other negative characters. "I can't say that I always identify with my roles. On the contrary, sometimes the most successful role is the one that's furthest from my heart." The character of Jesus Christ, he says, was one of the most demanding: "As I didn't grow up in a religious environment, playing the part of Christ was difficult for me. But if I were to put any one of you in the same position - into scenes just as strongly elaborated (the crucifixion scene from The Last Temptation of Christ) - I am sure you would also feel a bit like Jesus. Your body tells you what to do. I remember experiencing everything far more strongly than ever before. I looked to the heavens, and they had never been bluer."
You can meet with Willem Dafoe this evening at the Outdoor Cinema, where he will be presenting The Last Temptation of Christ at 11 pm.
