EP 328: Willem Dafoe on Art, Acting and "Embracing the Mystery"

Oscar-nominated Actor Willem Dafoe (Platoon, Spiderman, The Florida Project) shares how his beginnings in experimental theater inform his acting, what draws him to independent films, and what was like to make his 100th movie. He talks about how his latest film At Eternity's Gate challenges the image of Vincent Van Gogh as a unappreciated mad genius and rethinks the constructs of the traditional biopic. He reveals what it was like to immerse himself in Van Gogh’s world and find his inspiration in the very same scenery that inspired one of the greatest artists of all time. He discusses the pressure of having to recreate iconic works art in real time and in front of the camera, and how artist/director Julian Schnabel taught him to "paint the light." Plus we talk about the time that Willem Dafoe tried to summon the ghost of Houdini and the beauty of "embracing the mystery in life."

See Willem Dafoe in At Eternity's Gate which opens in theaters November 16. Today's episode was sponsored by National Security Agency Career Recruitment, Homecoming on Amazon Prime Video, and Loop Jewelry.