Willem Dafoe reveals he turned to his green thumb during the Hollywood actors’ strike and became a “gentleman farmer.” The 68-year-old “Spider-Man” actor portrayed the role of the villain “Green Goblin” in the series. He recently achieved his first “Hollywood Walk of Fame” and opened up about his farming activities.
Chilling In Italy
During the Hollywood and SAG-AFTRA union strike that ended in November 2023, Willem Dafoe was out of work for 4 months. Dafoe chose his Italian family estate to chill, do some yoga, grow vegetables, and tend to animals. At his home in Rome, he almost goes back to a different life than he has normally.
Instead of panicking during his break, he started focusing on farming and animal rearing in this downtime. Aceshowbiz.com reports him saying, “I’m a vegetarian, so I do it just for the pleasure of their company.” He also accepts that this type of thinking is naïve.
Willem Dafoe Loves Alpacas
Along with wife Giada Colagrande, Willem kept chickens, turkeys, goats, and sheep. “I know others may think I am boring if I talk too much about the farm.” Yet, he says he is fond of his alpacas, with whom he has a special connection. He admits, “Every alpaca is different; you know their character and with each, you have a whole particular relationship,” writes The Guardian.
Even in the 80’s, he loved being in the downtown crowd in New York when he filmed for “Heaven’s Gate.” It was one of his earlier films, and he thought there would be discussions of poetry, film, and philosophy. “But everybody was talking about their dogs and their horses and their ranches. And now, I’ve become one of them,” he smirks.
Over 150 Movies to Credit
The seasoned actor, who featured in more than 150 films, learns something new with every role. In the recent “Poor Things,” directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, he fits in the character of Godwin Baxter, a reclusive genius scientist. This stunning thriller, based on Alasdair Gray’s novel, offers a peculiar adventure to viewers and Dafoe in particular. He put on heavy prosthetics for the movie and got nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor- Motion Picture.
After 5 decades of his acting career starting with “Platoon” in 1987, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The 4-time Oscar nominee called it a “humbling” experience. Willem Dafoe worked with talented directors like David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, and Paul Schrader.
