The Loveless (1981)ĭafoe’s first lead role was for a fresh-from-film-school Kathryn Bigelow, co-directing with future Wild at Heart producer Monty Montgomery. Spider-Man (2002)ĭafoe was an early-ish adopter of the new wave of comic-book pics he wasn’t the first choice for the Green Goblin supervillain role, but it turned out a smart move on director Sam Raimi’s part, with Dafoe’s ability to project both complete sincerity and terrifying menace brought to bear – especially in the now celebrated mirror scene, where the two halves of his personality argue with each other. Surreal in itself to hear Dafoe’s gravelly tones in a Disney picture. He played Gill, the “tank gang” leader who teaches Nemo self-reliance and – crucially – comes up with the schemes to get the fish out of the dentist’s waiting room.
Finding Nemo (2003)Īn inspired bit of voice casting that gave Dafoe his biggest box office result to date.