When it comes to immensely talented and lovable Hollywood veterans, Willem Dafoe is a non-negotiable for many due to his ability to transform into different characters. Whether you love him in To Love and Die in L.A. or Nosferatu, he never disappoints. Even Dafoe’s castmate Finn Wolfhard had a similar experience working with the actor in the upcoming A24 film The Legend of Ochi. Though while Dafoe is known for immersing himself in his character, Wolfhard admitted he had trouble differentiating the actor from the role he knew him best from: Spider-Man.
The Stranger Things S5 actor recently opened up about his Spidey sense tingling while working with The Lighthouse alum. While the 22-year-old had nothing but positive things to say to People about the adventure film (filled with a YouTuber's impressive bird sound skills) and his well-regarded peer, he admitted he had a bit of a tough time with it for the "first few days," noting:
For the first few days, it was hard not to see Norman Osborn.
The 2002 movie was many people's first introduction to the 69-year-old, and given a lot of fans are frequently watching the Spider-man movies in order, I'm not surprised we're still talking about today. It probably didn't help Wolfhard's perspective that Dafoe more recently reprised the role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, as well. So, it's fresh-ish on everyone's mind.
The actor shared more of what it was like to work with the Poor Things actor, and it does sound like he was a bit star-struck himself over the experience. He noted he continued to marvel at the reality of the household name, and every element of him felt ‘real.’ In his words:
Whenever I would hear his voice, I'd be like, 'Oh, my God! He's real.’ He's in every movie of all time, and his voice is so iconic, and his acting is so legendary.
I think most of us see Wolfhard as a pretty big star himself given roles like Stranger Things or It. However, the list of great Willem Dafoe movies wraps around the block compared to what the young actor has put out so far, so I get it.
The rising talent even intentionally took notes from the prolific performer while watching him act. The lessons he took were invaluable, and he believes that Dafoe is honestly fully dedicated to the craft over anything else.
I really got to watch him, and through watching him, I feel like I learned a lot about acting and the craft of acting. ... He's just always been someone who I think just is in it for the art of it.
What a great experience for an already-promising actor, musician and filmmaker. While we’ve already seen what type of chops Finn Wolfhard has, it definitely feels like there’s more great stuff to come in his future, especially given how seriously he seems to be studying and taking his Hollywood gigs.
Now that Wolfhard has worked through his Norman Osborn-filled moment with Dafoe, I'm personally excited to catch the title and see their onscreen dynamic. It's not his only role I'm stoked to see, as I'm pumped to watch him as Mike Wheeler on Stranger Things when the final season hits the Netflix schedule. (To note, he was reported to have an emotional hangover post ST5 wrapped so he's frequently a guy with feelings about his work.)
For now, you can check out Dafoe at least in the iconic Norman Osborn/Green Goblin performance with a Disney subscription.
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