S4 EP1: Willem Dafoe on collaborating with Lars Von Trier, being buried alive, and his 'distinctive face’

The Louis Theroux Podcast

Spotify Studios

Comedy, Society & Culture, Arts

4.3 • 696 Ratings

🗓️ 14 January 2025

⏱️ 81 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

To kick off the new series, Louis is joined in the studio by acting legend Willem Dafoe. Renowned for an astonishing range of acting roles - from Poor Things to Spiderman - Willem discusses his life and career, including collaborating with provocative director Lars von Trier, what it’s like to be buried alive on camera, and how his face has a mind of its own… Warnings: Strong language, as well as some adult themes. Links/Attachments: Platoon (1986) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8weLPF4qBQ Antichrist (2009) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO-TNfPzh_k Last Temptation of Christ (1988) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW6jxGaIias Poor Things (2023) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlbR5N6veqw Spiderman (2002) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t06RUxPbp_c Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As-vKW4ZboU&pp=ygUVYmVldGxlanVpY2UgMiB0cmFpbGVy Nosferatu (2024) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px6S0RxfAHg The Loveless (1981) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJEmcxXR7H0 Wild At Heart (1990) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQIdBfrF0Ik Shadow Of The Vampire (2000) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B15iesNMa8 Body Of Evidence (1993) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51xEHzC-rjQ The Witch (2015) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQXmlf3Sefg&t=31s The Northman (2022) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mamgc47SOE Birds Eye Advert - Polar Bear Fish Finger (2010) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsKWjO213EY Mercedes Advert (2013) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfqNfbCQzpo Jim Beam Whiskey Advert (2011) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYXFLX2vB-Q Breaking the Waves (1996) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHqZh-9AiCs At Eternity's Gate (2018) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T77PDm3e1iE&pp=ygUaYXQgZXRlcm5pdHkncyBnYXRlIHRyYWlsZXI%3D Pink Flamingos (1972) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwGZ6Mv4qko Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	One two, one two, are you ready?
0:05.5	Hello, Louis Theroux here, and welcome to my podcast called, Unbelievably, the Louis Theru podcast.
0:20.2	To kick off this brand new series, we have none other than acting legend, the one and only
0:26.2	Willem Defoe. Where do you begin? He's made so many films, 150, according to my notes. Growing up in
0:32.8	Appleton, Wisconsin, he began his acting career in the experimental theatre scene of New York in the late 70s.
0:38.2	I first came across his work when I watched Oliver Stone's film Platoon, probably like a lot of people.
0:44.3	That was my first Willem Defoe experience.
0:47.6	And he plays a kind of embodiment of an upstanding and likable, almost slightly angelic.
0:57.1	Is that too strong?
0:58.7	Soldier.
1:00.4	Obviously, the main protagonist is Charlie Sheen.
1:02.5	But it's an incredible scene.
1:04.1	I won't give you the lowdown because it's a spoiler.
1:07.1	But if you haven't seen Platoon, check it out.
1:10.2	Since then, he's collaborated with some of the
1:12.4	most acclaimed directors in the world doing boundary-pushing work in controversial projects like
1:18.7	Lars von Trier's Antichrist, Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ, and more recently,
1:25.3	Jorgas Lanthemos' award-winning, poor things.
1:29.2	He's also started huge commercially successful blockbusters, including the Spider-Man
1:33.3	franchise. You've heard of that?
1:36.1	In which he played the Green Goblin. That was Sam Ramey. Love Sam Ramey. Evil Dead.
1:40.8	Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, and, most most recently Robert Eggers's adaptation of Nospharatu,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Spotify Studios, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Spotify Studios and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.