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" A lot of critics are lazy. They don't want to look closely and analyze something for what it is. They take a quick first impression and then rush to compare it to something they've seen before. "

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" When I give over to somebody's vision rather than have an idea of what I need to do, it takes me to places I wouldn't have got to by myself. I'm always attracted to a strong director. "

Willem Dafoe

Always

Need

Strong

" I don't have a preference between theatre and film; I like to do both. But I will say that there's something about theatre that is more nourishing and sustaining than film ever can be. "

" I'm an optimist. I hope if a movie's good that it will be a success, but as we know, that's not always true, just because of popular taste, advertising, distribution patterns - there's lots of reasons. "

" I try to do as many of my own stunts as possible. If you keep on taking yourself out of the role you play, you lose the thread of the character. "

" I was born William. My father was William. I came from a big family, I hated being called Billy. Willem's a nickname; it's a Dutch name, very common in the Netherlands. "

" Corruption is something you face all the time. Avoid it. "

" Emotionally men and women are different, but only as a result of the physical differences. It all comes back to our bodies. "

" I think, as I've gotten older, I've been able to be more reckless with my choices, because practically speaking, you get less careful. Your choices become more instinctive, and you feel like if you make a mistake, it won't destroy you. "

" Celebrity is okay as long as you know it's not about you. "

" Great theatre is about challenging how we think and encouraging us to fantasize about a world we aspire to. "

Willem Dafoe

Theatre

World

" I do want to be in mainstream movies that are going to be seen. I suppose it satisfies the showbiz side of me. "

" I knew very little about 'Spider-Man'. I grew up more in the 'Superman' generation. 'Spider-Man' - I didn't know so much. But it is a really successful franchise, and I'm happy to be involved with it. "

Willem Dafoe

Generation

Successful

" I was watching 'Wild at Heart,' and I can honestly say I did nothing for that apart from show up! "

" In order to inhabit a character, you've got to embrace and empathise with them. "

" I love doing action and stuff; the problem is usually action movies are not that interesting. Also as I get older I feel like there's less opportunities for me. "

" Plenty of bad movies are very successful, and plenty of good movies are not. And distribution is so crazy, some films won't even get their day in court. "

" I'm a task-oriented actor. A pretender. And I try to invent my process anew each time I make a new project. So I frown on any method. "

" I've never had any close male friends. The most important relationships in my life have always been with women. "

" Action breeds inspiration more than inspiration breeds action. "

Willem Dafoe

Inspiration

Breeds

" I do know that I like to play characters that are sometimes a little on the outside - that's because it feels kind of romantic and sexier to me. I really think they are the people that we learn lessons from. "

" I have no doubt that if I met Bob Dylan, it would be disappointing - and annoying to him. But that's why I like Bob Dylan. "

" Sometimes I say I feel more like a dancer than an actor, because there are things implied about being an actor that I don't really like. I feel more comfortable with the word 'performer'. I like being the thing. I like being the doer. There's a factualness to it. And then certain resonances happen out of how you apply yourself physically. "

" All the time, as an actor, you want to be asking what's next and where things are going. If you're not asking those questions, you're not growing. "

" The director's very important to me, particularly when the director has a recognizable style. "

Willem Dafoe

Very

Style

" The best thing an actor can be is ready. Be flexible, be ready. "

" I love Sam Neill. The thing that I always say about him, and I think it's true, is he's so dry. When he's serious, I think he's joking; when he's joking, I think he's serious. "

" In films you do a scene, you play around with it and unless you're doing a lot of reshooting, which no one has the luxury to do, you deal with the problem for a day and then you move on. On some level, it never allows you to go very deep into what performing is about. "

" I love theaters. I love the event of going there and seeing a movie with a lot of people. I like the community coming around the story. "

" The English Patient' is about the coming together of a French-Canadian nurse, an English patient, a Sikh in a turban and me, Caravaggio, and each of us is seeking a resolution to our own problems. "

Willem Dafoe

Together

" I think back story can help guide your choices, but when you're playing a scene, you're not making choices; you're just intuitive. "