Willem Dafoe’s Nightmarish Film ‘Poor Things’ Had an Even More Nightmarish Make-Up Routine
Willem Dafoe is an American actor who rose to prominence with Platoon, which got him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. He has appeared in many acclaimed movies since then, including The English Patient, Shadow of the Vampire, The Florida Project, American Psycho, The Lighthouse, and many more. He became a household name and gained even wider fame with his role as supervillain Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in the MCU Spider-Man franchise.
2023 saw many acclaimed movie directors, such as Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, and Greta Gerwig, coming up with exciting new ventures. The famous Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, who won over the critics with movies such as The Killing of the Sacred Deer and The Lobster, is coming out with a movie featuring Dafoe called Poor Things. It will be a gothic sci-fi black comedy fantasy and will feature Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Ramy Youssef alongside Dafoe.
Willem Dafoe plays the role of Dr. Godwin Baxter in the movie and has to undergo tons of makeup to prepare for the Frankenstein-esque period piece. In a recent interview with Goldderby, he opened up about the hellish makeup routine he had to go through to get into his character.
“You see yourself fade away:” Willem Dafoe opens up about his elaborate makeup routine on the sets of Poor Things
The movie Poor Things already managed to snag the prestigious Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival ahead of its official release in December. Needless to say, this much appreciation always comes at a cost, and Willem Dafoe had to bear the worst of it.
Also Read: Willem Dafoe’s Best Villain Roles, Ranked
The actor apparently spent hours on the makeup chair just to get ready for the gothic period piece. While talking to Goldderby, he opened up about the almost nightmarish experience and said:
“You see yourself fade away and you see this other figure emerge. Basically, you’re unrecognizable once that makeup is put on. It takes a while to get in and out. That means some crazy, early calls in the morning sometimes, but you’re all set to go when everyone comes in sleepy. It’s not a bad way to go. When you look in the mirror and you don’t see yourself, that really allows you to make the leap.”
In an interview with Variety in November 2023, Dafoe said that his makeup took an exorbitant amount of time, approximately six hours. Due to that, he had to wake up at 3 a.m. while others could come to the sets at 7 a.m.
“Four hours in, two hours out every day — I’m showing up at three o’clock in the morning, sitting in the chair, meditating and trying to deal with standing still. You can’t sleep because it’s intricate enough that you’ve got to work with the people applying it. It’s a grind, but I liked working with a mask in there — quite literally, a mask.”
Also Read: 5 Times Willem Dafoe Terrified Us All With His Acting
As mentioned before, Willem Dafoe plays the role of Dr. Godwin Baxter, who brings his ward, Bella Baxter, back to life after her death. Although initially Bella stays under the protection of Godwin, she soon runs away with a debauched lawyer, Duncan Wedderburn, to see the world in search of equality and liberation.
Willem Dafoe is all set to play a dead police officer in Beetlejuice 2
Tim Burton’s classic Beetlejuice was a holiday staple for many while growing up. Previously, in May 2023, it was announced that Beetlejuice 2 would be happening and was slated for release in 2024. Willem Dafoe was also announced to be a part of the project alongside Michael Keaton, Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara. However, his role in the movie was kept behind sealed lips until now. In a recent interview with Variety, Willem Dafoe opened up about his role and said:
“I haven’t seen any footage yet, but it was fun to do. I play a police officer in the afterlife, so I’m a dead person. And in life I was a B-movie action star, but I had an accident and that’s what sent me to the other side.”
He also adds that it is because of his skill set that he becomes a detective in the afterlife; however, his character is “colored by the fact of who I was [when I was alive]: a B movie action star.”
While talking to Empire Magazine earlier this year, Willem Dafoe gave a sneak peek at what it was like to work in Beetlejuice 2:
“Beetlejuice is the most f—in’ fun you can have working. It’s so fun, it’s so great. And you know what it is? We’re doing it exactly like we did the first movie. There’s a woman in the great waiting room for the afterlife literally with a fishing line – I want people to know this because I love it – tugging on the tail of a cat to make it move.”
It will indeed be an exciting year for all Tim Burton fans in 2024. According to rumors, Wednesday season 2 is also slated to release in 2024, which will make the year a truly memorable one in Tim Burton’s career.
Poor Things is all ready to be released by Searchlight Pictures on December 8, 2023.
