Heaven’s Gate (1980) proved a shaky career start for Willem Dafoe, who was fired from the cast of the epic flop. Since then, however, Dafoe has brought his often quiet (and disquieting) tension to nearly 90 films. Never shy of boundaries—his controversial turn as a very human Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) was a taste of things to come—he’s starred in mainstream masterpieces like Platoon and The English Patient as well as far edgier fare, including erotica, horror and cult films. In light of his thus far career, Dafoe’s new release, A Most Wanted Man, seems well titled indeed. Let’s take a look at the roles that have made the man (and vice versa).
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"Vance" - The Loveless (1982)
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"2nd Phone Booth Youth" - The Hunger (1983)
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"Johnny Harte" - Roadhouse 66 (1984)
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"Raven Shaddock" - Streets of Fire (1984)
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"Rick Masters" - To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
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"Sergeant Elias" - Platoon (1986)
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"Buck McGriff" - Off Limits (1988)
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"Jesus" - The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
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"Agent Alan Ward" - Mississippi Burning (1988)
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"Salamo Arouch" - Triumph of the Spirit (1989)