The press conference with the actor was recently held Willem Dafoe on the occasion of the preview screening of Poor Creatures!, the film directed exceptionally by Yorgos Lanthimos which will be released in Italian cinemas on January 25th.
The actor immediately gives us a sense of tranquility and security, in his comfortable black sweatshirt with a zip, he answers questions and smiles. Willem gives us pills and curiosities, with his deep, timbre voice, between laughs he explains to us how working on this film was a fabulous experience for him. When asked what it was like to immerse himself in Lanthimos' world, after having worked with directors of a certain caliber such as Lynch or Lars Von Trier, the actor responds enthusiastically:
It is extremely important to me that a director has a clear and strong visionwho can explain it to you, then it's you who go towards that direction and you try to make it yours, to live there, even transforming it. It was like this with Yorgos. He is reserved, but when he works he constantly teases you, he has a lot of irony and manages to bring out the best in you, directing you in the right way.
Willem Dafoe in POOR THINGS. Photo by Yorgos Lanthimos. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.
We then wonder if Willem sees any similarities between him and his character, whether the actor's past influenced the construction of Godwin Baxter. The artist in fact he comes from a family of doctors and states that as a young man he often accompanied his father to the hospital or to surgical appointments, especially when he was a teenager. So yes, some work was also done using his background. «The idea of going to hospital for many it is connected to a sense of malaise, for me it's family» he jokes.
The interview continues: “Do you see something monstrous in Bella?”
History comes from Frankensteinin this case the monster generates a repulsion in the creator, but in Poor Creatures! instead there is almost a love, is given a second chance to creation and also to the creator.
(From LR): Ramy Youssef, Emma Stone, Vicki Pepperdine and Willem Dafoe in POOR THINGS. Photo by Atsushi Nishijima, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.
From chance to salvation, the question on the “men” issue therefore arises. In the film the males are fruit-bearing, presented in a less than positive way. One wonders if Willem shares this thought:
The film definitely offers insight into men as oppressors of womenmany will be able to see each other again in certain situations, because although the era is actually different Poor Creatures! on this topic is very current. Probably if the film had been released 20 years ago there would not have been the same positive response it has today. I honestly couldn't say how men can save themselves, I have a lot of trouble just saving myself.
he jokes.
(From LR:) Margaret Qualley, Willem Dafoe and Ramy Youssef in POOR THINGS. Photo by Yorgos Lanthimos. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.
We can't help but wonder what his experience with the was like trick. Scars and a mask of a certain thickness were placed on the actor's face to make the character mysterious and disturbing, inspired by Francis Bacon. The curiosity to know how this influenced his acting is great.
The process required 3 hours of time, but for me it was very useful. I studied myself in the mirror all the time and little by little I saw that I was becoming something elseI could explore myself calmly and enter more and more deeply in Godwin Baxter.
Dafoe explains to us, then adds: “it is comfortable? No. Was it worth it? Absolutely yes”.
And the relationship with Emma Stone? Willem tells us: «She is fantastic, exceptional, she is not a diva so working together was a real pleasure. Emma is a muse for Lanthimos, they have a relationship of great closeness and respect. I consider her a very talented actress.”.
Dafoe's patience in leaving autographs, photographs, smiles and thoughts for his spectators, even at the end of the conference, is impressive. A very talented actor who is always available to share with others. Let's not forget that Willem has just received a tile on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and he tells us about it with humble satisfaction:
I felt like a member of a communityit was a beautiful ceremony and an extremely important recognition for me, although I still have difficulty thinking that that tile will survive any longer than me.
Willem Dafoe in POOR THINGS. Photo by Atsushi Nishijima Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.
The actor then smiles, and leaves us with a heart full of joy by talking to us about Rome:
«I'm here, I'm happy to be here, I'm privileged, I love Italy. That's enough”
So hurry up and see this fabulous artist on the big screen, at the cinema from January 25th.
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