‘Nosferatu’ Star Willem Dafoe Says His Wisconsin Roots Shaped His Career
For Willem Dafoe, the journey from his Wisconsin childhood to Hollywood fame isn’t just a story of ambition. It’s one deeply rooted in the places he’s called home. In a conversation with WPR’s Wisconsin Today, Dafoe opened up about the experiences that shaped his career, including his early days in Appleton and his time in Milwaukee that helped define the actor we know today.
Dafoe, born in Appleton, opened up about his childhood trips to the Viking Theatre, where he saw his first horror films and fell in love with the genre. Along with those experiences, his parents occasionally brought back 8 mm films from Chicago, holding classic horror films featuring legends like Boris Karloff and Vincent Price, which added to the early foundation of his passion.
Focus Features/Everett Collection
Now, decades later, Dafoe brings his Wisconsin roots full circle, starring in the highly anticipated Nosferatu, a remake of the 1922 German classic. Directed by Robert Eggers, Dafoe plays Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz, a vampire hunter caught in the grip of an ancient, terrifying world. The role marks a significant moment for Dafoe, coming over 20 years after his Oscar-nominated turn in Shadow of the Vampire, another Nosferatu-related project.
Dafoe’s journey from the Midwest to the big screen is marked by his time in Milwaukee, where he immersed himself in the world of experimental theater. He joined Theatre X, a small but fiercely creative company. Dafoe described his years with Theatre X as pivotal, providing him with a sense of community and artistry that shaped his approach to acting. He said, “It was a great experience. We were people who lived, ate and breathed theater. We’d go to work every day. We toured a little bit. That was really a formative experience for me. My time in Milwaukee was very happy. I liked Milwaukee a lot.”
For Nosferatu, Dafoe brought that mindset into his role. Eggers’ approach to filmmaking is both precise and collaborative, focusing less on traditional character studies and more on creating an intricate visual story. Dafoe described how the rehearsals would involve lengthy discussions about where the camera would be and how the scene would unfold.
What sets this version of Nosferatu apart, Dafoe said, is the personal touch that Eggers brings to the story. Dafoe shared, “It’s a Robert Eggers film for starters, and he’s a very singular filmmaker in the way he approaches period films. It’s a passion project for him, it’s not a (straightforward) remake. It’s a personal film. One big difference is in the telling of the story. We experience it through the character of Ellen, played by Lily-Rose Depp.”
Aidan Monaghan/Focus Features/Everett Collection
Dafoe’s character, Professor Von Franz, brings a unique perspective to the story. Dafoe explained, “He sort of functions as the Van Helsing character. But I think he’s much more than that. He’s an occultist. He’s someone that’s involved in alchemy and mystical things. He’s the only character that really sees what the Ellen character is going through. He gives another perspective because everyone else just thinks she’s possessed and they want to solve the problem. But he posits the idea that you have to recognize the dark side to appreciate the light. The light doesn’t exist without the dark. And he is a person that is studied at exploring the unseen and studied at wondering what is beyond this life that we have.”
Nosferatu is in theaters this Christmas.
Sounds like a unique experience as R.E.M, Pixies & Pearl Jam may also be getting the same treatment.
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