Ep 113 // wILLEM DAFOE
Bonjour, beautiful people, and welcome to another episode of Are We On Air?
This week's episode is the last one for 2024. And what a fantastic year it's been. Thanks to all of you, gazillions of beautiful listeners of this little show of mine. So here a little Christmas treat from me to you. We are ending this year with a bang, with none other than one of the finest actors out there. A legend, an artist, and a very cool gentleman. And his name is Willem Dafoe!
I've been trying to get Willem on the show since day one. In fact, one of our earliest guests of this little show, the artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel, had asked him on my behalf around the same time that the movie about Vincent Van Gogh came out. But, as always, things happen, or don't happen, for a reason. Therefore, I'm so pleased that it didn't work out then, as it wouldn't have been the same experience for you, Willem, or myself.
We sat down with Willem at Idea Books, our friends in London, to dive deep into his philosophy of acting, the art of collaboration, and the importance of losing oneself in the process. in the creative process. Willem is known for his intense, transformative performances in iconic films such as Platoon, The Lighthouse, Spider Man, At Eternity's Gate, and, my personal favorite, Klaus in Wes Anderson's Life Aquatic.
Willem is an artist who completely disappears into his roles, bringing to life exactly what a director envisions in a film. To him, every project is a blank canvas, requiring a unique approach that grounds performance in authenticity, just as we like it. We also explored how working with visionaries such as Julian Schnabel or Wes Anderson has shaped his career, and how artistic practices like painting, Yoga and even walking the city streets keep him inspired.
From the magic of painting what you see to the wonder of expanding creative boundaries, the conversation reveals the heart and soul of a true artistic chameleon. But we also covered his status as a fashion style icon from being dressed head to toe in Miuccia's vision and walking the Prada show all the way to his now infamous TikTok street encounter of what are you wearing, which is hilarious if you have not seen it yet. Then it's just a Google away and as a Christmas treat, you can watch Willem perform in his latest movie Nosferatu, which will be released on Christmas Day.
A xx