'Poor Things' and 'Spider-Man' actor Willem Dafoe honored with Walk of Fame star
Willem Dafoe, famous for his work in such films as "The Lighthouse," "Spider-Man" and "Poor Things," has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Dafoe was honored during a ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard on Monday. In a speech, the actor said the recognition was "wonderful."
"When I was a kid growing up in Appleton, Wisconsin, believe me, I couldn't envision this day of getting a star on the Walk of Fame," Dafoe began. "But I must say that when I looked at the list of names that had stars, the little town that I come from, Appleton, Wisconsin, it's maybe a town of 70,000 people now, someone else from that town has a star. And his name was Erik Weisz. Anyone know that name? Harry Houdini."
"It's real humbling to be here and to be part of this," Dafoe continued. "I love making films. It's arguably the most collaborative of art forms."
Throughout his illustrious career, Dafoe has received several accolades, including four Academy Award nominations for his roles in "At Eternity's Gate," "The Florida Project," "Shadow of the Vampire" and "Platoon." He was also recently nominated for his fourth Golden Globe award for his role as Dr. Godwin Baxter in the Yorgos Lanthimos-directed film "Poor Things," which he starred in alongside Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Ramy Youssef.
"I just want to say, it's wonderful to be part of this community of artists and entertainers, people that by sharing their experiences, imagining others' perspectives, telling stories and musing on what is, was, and most importantly, could be, they make us feel closer to each other and connect us," Dafoe added in his speech Monday.
The actor was also celebrated by family and friends at the Walk of Fame ceremony, including his wife -- director Giada Colagrande -- filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, and actors Ruffalo and Camila Morrone. Patricia Arquette and Pedro Pascal also paid tribute to Dafoe during the ceremony.
Dafoe starred in Arquette's 2023 film "Gonzo Girl" -- in which Morrone also starred -- and the two are currently working together with Pascal on the film "Tropico," which is being directed by Colagrande.
"Few people know that we call Willem the pope of Hollywood," Arquette said. "There's only one Willem Dafoe. Willem is one of those people who exceeds your hopes when you work with him, when you get to meet him."
"And when you meet him, you like him," she continued. "To know Willem is to love Willem. I guess the only person better than Willem Dafoe is Willem Dafoe. As fans, all of us fans, we know that he's brought truth, ambiguity, openness, exploration, humor and humanity to over 150 films. He's worked with the greatest directors of our time, and there's a reason for that: because Willem always delivers. He always elevates material."
Pascal echoed Arquette's speech and said Dafoe is "an amazing friend" and has been Pascal's "greatest teacher."
"Nothing can really match up to the man, the artist, the friend -- Willem has shown me that in the early stages of my development, there is no one way to create a character, to steal a scene, to terrify, to seduce, to make people laugh and to be a leading man," Pascal said.
"He is the greatest American actor in our lifetime," Pascal added. "You cannot compare his career to anyone's, truthfully."
