Willem Dafoe to Young Actors: Strip the Baggage, Embrace the Unknown

We all come with baggage, but Willem Dafoe explains how important it is to strip away our conditioning and learn to play in the realm of the unknown.
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[@Figs3]

"...we're not comfortable with things that we can't quite explain, but those are usually the most beautiful things..."

[@danielkbarton]

Another one of the most underrated actors today, he's fantastic in everything he does.

[@johnnywhitsel1583]

I said this in another video about Willem. It amazes me he is not (yet) a leading actor in serious Dramas. Thankfully, that is being somewhat rectified lately (with The Lighthouse) but he needs to be put in more Dramas where he is the lead. Absolutely amazing actor. Whether it's his (mostly) serious character in Platoon, his incredible performance in The Lighthouse or his goofier side as Green Goblin... I will watch this man in ANYTHING and be pleased. Just one of those guys that always gives 110% and I greatly respect actors with that kind of work ethic.

[@watchornothorror4385]

Underrated? He’s been nominated for 4 Academy Awards and is recognised by fans and the industry at one of the best in the business…. So yeah… Underrated.

[@Kai88988]

still cant believe how good he was in Spider-Man No Way Home, one of the best performances i've ever seen. gave me goosebumps

[@luckyDancer100]

I love watching actors explain their process without the bullshit.

[@N12458]

I like his idea of stripping away expectations, methodolgies and rules while potraying a character,you need to tap into a state somewhere in between control and letting go, when you let that nuance and natural response of the character to breath and evolve in that very moment instead of staying in the lines and distancing yourself from it. However its not all losing yourself, control and method should not be undermined,it always in that sweet spot, that flow state.

[@alexispapageorgiou72]

Unless you're portraying someone whose emotional state matches yours maybe? Even then this could be interesting ...

[@Barrrt]

Man I would have loved to hear him talking more about facing the fear of the unknown. Personally, it kills me, I find it very hard to go into it - and yet I feel that's where I have to go - where we all have to go. To follow the path only we can walk means we must make it ourselves. And that means stepping into unchartered territory all the time.

[@gauravgautam8674]

That's the tragedy of an artist because we want to achieve which we will never achieve because our pleasure or a goal or perfect performance is miles away from us. All we can do is perfect attempt to make it perfect then leave it which is really tough thing to do.

[@Barrrt]

@@gauravgautam8674 I don't fully agree with you though. Although there's often a gap between what our taste tells us is good and what we can actually do skillwise ourselves, I do believe that following our heart as a compass and as a measure of 'perfection' is better than trying to do what our mind perceives as 'perfect'. A painting, quickly made being fully present, to our hearts content, might be better than a perfect painting made of weeks of self-slavery in service to a perfection which was never ours to begin with. A perfection that was an idea that could never land on this earth. Perfection might just be what you can do and create right now, being in touch with your heart, soul, mind body and hands. The perfection of creating from the dirt in which you stand right now.

[@ilahjarvis]

So much respect for DaFoe. These gems apply to all artistic disciplines, not just actors.

[@alextorres7655]

Crazy how frightening he can be on screen but also how joyful and kind and friendly he really is

[@lordlapizul]

When he said that the methods we use to get to where we want are “counter”, I felt that. I love this beautiful man.

[@tuanjim799]

Man, when I hear serious actors talking about their artform like this, it makes me wish I would've gone into acting. Growing up, I always thought of it as being just entertainment, but nowadays I see what a fascinating form of art it really is.

[@stevemike2973]

The one good thing about acting, is you can always start.

[@_rajivsingh]

It is Tuan :)

[@jordachejordan90]

It's not too late.

[@green8026]

"We're so conditioned not to play." Gahtdang, that was beautiful.

[@tunahelpa5433]

He says " Oh my gosh, I've never done this, but I've felt this. I'm just gonna go with it, and I don't know where it's gonna go, what emotions I'm gonna feel and reveal that SHOULD BE MY PRIVATE world! OMG ! Lets DO this !!!

[@redherring6268]

This boi the best actor

[@theroadtoria]

Red Herring beautifully said

[@FablesOutofSpace]

I love Defoe. He was such amazing in Beyond Two Souls...Love him!

[@77777aol]

Someone tried to put me down with, 'Actors are good liars'. I jumped back with, 'A good actor tells the truth!'

[@birdlover7776]

👍 response!

[@simonlegendary]

these videos are gold.

[@SonnyGTA]

Simon Films actually, it’s black and white.

[@RHINOSAUR]

Just saw him as Van Gogh in “ At Eternity’s Gate.” Tore my heart out.

[@danmerchant6982]

Simply a brilliant actor!✌️❤️🙏

[@weedenbruce]

This dude is just on a different level psychologically

[@zovalentine7305]

😇

[@georgezipp8783]

Your a great actor Sir . Followed you from Streets of Fire to now well done Sir and Thank You .

[@anneclark8907]

Love these actor snippets..very interesting!

[@theramilpodcast2300]

That was the most gangster shit I’ve heard from an actor in a long time 💯

[@RandomTvv]

Damn is like I'm watching the spider man movie all over again That's his real voice though

[@iamalive.1255]

Mississippi Burning with Gene Hackman was one of his best movies I feel.

[@Dashoost]

John Potter platoon and light sleeper

[@zovalentine7305]

Boondock Saints ✊

[@peopleschoice9555]

This is probably the first youtube video ever with 'zero' dislikes. Good thing :)

[@adamallmer1597]

I like his idea of keeping it fresh or you get out dated and used up.

[@R34n1mated]

I don't believe that's exactly what he meant.

[@eltravos99]

That was one of the greatest things I have ever heard in my life

[@SlimKhezri]

"you're conditioned to be this, or that .." I think the word he's looking for is "insecure", naturally majority of actors are, it's normal .. great video

[@bats70]

I love Willem Dafoe he is such a talented actor mostly admire hia work from.Spiderman when be played Green Goblin and Vincent Van Gogh ❤❤❤❤

[@jordachejordan90]

Very well explained by Dafoe.

[@dcastle6]

Good preaching Willem.

[@maxbrazil3712]

The epitome of cool. Too fucking cool for school! I love this guy!

[@makrisaudio5638]

He was awesome in The Lighthouse

[@theborbz3024]

He can be your Willem Dafoe, and most of all he can be your Willem daFRIEND

[@MrDavilico9]

This is a great channel (Spain)

[@stephensmith6555]

Agreed!

[@suk4honesty]

I agree (USA)

[@AlexanderPaulVarela]

I agree (Earth)

[@freethought1947]

He is a master

[@zovalentine7305]

ABSOLUTELY 💖

[@drcubix]

Dangggggg genius

[@Mike-bp2hh]

The best actors definitely deserve the label "artist"

[@IamRaloPib]

Him getting killed in Platoon will forever be a scene burnt into my psyche...I must of been 10 years old and it's the first time a scene from a film really affected me to where it played over in my head for a couple days and I was just trying to process it. I guess seeing him fighting for his life and getting back up as many times as he did and fighting to the very last breath is an emotional scene for anyone seeing that movie for the first time.

[@NoYoutubeName1]

Spoiler fucking alert 🖕🏻

[@godsson231]

To share a scene with him would be like standing with a titan with a heart.

[@b991228]

At least to an unsophisticated viewer like myself acting seems that when it’s done well it appears to be so easy. Maybe more accurately it doesn’t even seem like acting. To pull that off must be incredibly terrifying.

[@prestonowens4594]

Its interesting that I hear a lot of stuff he described about feeling like a fraud and the beauty of the unknown being repeated by the visual artists I hang around. I wonder then, if in a way, acting, at least conceptually, isn’t too different from painting and drawing?

[@jonathanwright5338]

Preston Owens except that the world is the canvas and the actor/actress is the paint.

[@ab20_]

It's really not. Lately I've been gravitating more towards all things art, not just acting, because... it's what makes us human, you know? Here comes the classic cliche, but art really is how people express themselves. It's practically just, here's a blank canvas, show me what you're feeling right now. It's so great. And I'm kind of kicking myself for only realizing this recently. When I was younger and ignorant I had always thought "Ugh, freaking artists man, always just trying way too hard to be poetic and over dramatic about everything". I understand now that art is basically the only thing that separates us from machines. It's the fact that we can create and have original thought that makes us people. I'm slowly starting to recognize that what I want to do for the rest of my life is just create and tell stories (That is, until robots can start doing it in which case there'd be no need for us lol!).

[@TimZoet]

Why acting is different is because we actors are truly vulnerable. An actor has to open up and show his true self, which includes all the bad habits and dark thoughts

[@tupd]

@@TimZoet literally nothing you said is different than any other creative expression.

[@zovalentine7305]

In art as in love, instinct is enough ~ Anatole France

[@ronaldmartinez9073]

He should play the joker at least once.

[@LaughingJokerProd]

That would be epic

[@tumeninodes8870]

The only way Dafoe could be epic as the Joker, is if he could play it close to Cesar Romero's version... now THAT... would be "epic"

[@TheBlackLodger]

He’d be the ideal Joker for a Batman Beyond or a Dark Knight Returns live action movie.

[@davidjames-cameron617]

In a Batman Beyond movie, with Kevin Conroy as Old Bruce Wayne

[@markvyaodai7772]

Or the Riddler

[@KeishannaMichele]

Wonderful!!!

[@jcstuart6978]

Well that was frustratingly short....

[@MyPronounsISwhom]

Visit the website in the description for the full hour long interview :)

[@zovalentine7305]

Hard to believe Willem is going to be 66 in 4days. He takes such extraordinary care of himself! 🌟 🌟 🌷 💞 🌷 🌟 🌟

[@DJSTOEK]

💘

[@THERSX]

Bass Voice

[@koopakid715]

THERSX baritone

[@Ahmad-Mounir44]

Hollywood actors really age so fast. I still remember this guy from Speed 2 when he was 42. Now, he's 65 and he got wrinkles in his neck. Modern science proved that exposing to too much camera lighting makes you age fast.

[@tweeze123]

0:24 Almost turned into the goblin

[@obitouchi-ha7981]

I can only see and hear Goblin.

[@DGK1558]

This guy looks and sounds exactly like the joker

[@AnaVerona_]

❤❤❤

[@crazyman8472]

Maybe he could do a stint at Juilliard! 😄

[@DarkLOREDash]

So he takes them ... back to formula 😎

[@paperclip9558]

I had no idea imposter syndrome can latch on to actors as well. I guess thats a common issue amongst all range of artists and creators as well.

[@piainoman]

That's not the information i received!

[@photonotavailable7936]

The Florida Project. 👍

[@Zero_thehero]

This was a great interview. Just wish you could’ve kept it to under a minute...

[@xarve9486]

GET JOAQUIN PHEONIX ON PLEASE!

[@koopakid715]

Misery, misery, misery...

[@mr.workboots9771]

Back to formula

[@diegopisfil614]

He looks like Kristen Stewart

[@kellygervais3440]

They need to be challenged.... bring them down to earth...

[@robertcornelius3514]

Kevin Bacon's older brother.

[@US_ARMY_25_INF._DIV.]

fffff

[@SagaLarton]

His big mistake was acting in The Porn Movie The Last Temptation of Christ. This was awful, and the joke of a book it was based on is awful shit too.

[@benjaminleehicks271]

First Bitches! X