Hollywood

Actor Willem Dafoe honored with 2024's first Hollywood Walk of Fame star

Dafoe receives the 2,768th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

Actor Willem Dafoe was honored for a career that includes more than 100 films and four Oscar nominations. Patricia Arquette and Pedro Pascal spoke at the ceremony, the first on the Walk of Fame in 2024.

A star for actor Willem Dafoe was unveiled Monday on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Dafoe was honored for a career that includes more than 100 films and four Oscar nominations. Patricia Arquette and Pedro Pascal spoke at the ceremony, the first on the Walk of Fame in 2024.

Dafoe's star is at 6284 Hollywood Blvd., near Vine Street.

Arquette starred with Dafoe and made her theatrical directing debut in "Gonzo Girl." The drama premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 7.

Dafoe and Pascal are filming the film noir thriller "Tropico," Dafoe's fifth project to be directed by his wife, Giada Colagrande.

The ceremony was one month after the Dec. 8 release of Dafoe's latest film, the epic period science fantasy black comedy adventure film "Poor Things." On Sunday, the film won the Golden Globe Award for best motion picture -- musical or comedy.

Dafoe began his acting career in 1979 on the set of Michael Cimino's “Heaven's Gate”, which he was later fired from, according to the Walk of Fame website. Since then, the actor has played a myriad of roles with numerous directors in large and small films. 

His most recent films include: “Inside,” “Asteroid City,” “Poor Things,” and coming soon “Beetlejuice 2.” 

Born William James Dafoe on July 22, 1955, in Appleton, Wisconsin, Dafoe acquired the nickname Willem, the Dutch version of the name William while attending Appleton East High School, which he later took at his stage name because he had become more used to it than his birth name. Dafoe studied drama at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, but left after 18 months to join the experimental theater company Theatre X in Milwaukee, before moving to New York City in 1976.

Dafoe was among the seven founders of The Wooster Group in 1980, the New York-based experimental theatre collective which remains in existence.

Dafoe received best supporting actor Oscar nominations for "Platoon" in 1987, "Shadow of the Vampire" in 2001 and "The Florida Project" in 2018. He received a best actor Oscar nomination in 2019 for his portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh in the biographical drama about the final years of painter's life, "At Eternity's Gate."

Dafoe portrayed scientist Norman Osborn and the supervillain Green Goblin in "Spider-Man," "Spider-Man 2," "Spider-Man 3" and "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

Dafoe's other film credits include "The Lighthouse," "John Wick," "Finding Nemo," "The Boondock Saints," "Togo," "The Legend of Ochi," and "Pet Shop Days." He will appear in "Beetlejuice 2" and "Nosferatu" set for release this year.

Dafoe and his wife also worked on the 2005 romantic drama "Before It Had A Name" they co-wrote and co-starred in, the 2010 film noir "A Woman," the 2016 mystery "Padre," and the 2012 documentary on the creation of the experimental opera based on the biography of the Serbian performance artist, "Bob Wilson's Life & Death of Marina Abramovic."

The Hollywood Walk of Fame has become a cultural landmark since 1960. About 2,700 stars stretch through the boulevard and new additions are anticipated for 2024.

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