Featured Image Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity, Los Angeles
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity, Los Angeles
There's a brand new addition to the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week, in the form of legendary actor Willem Dafoe.
Dafoe is famed for his critically-acclaimed heartfelt drama performances in the likes of The Florida Project (2017), At Eternity's Gate (2018) and The Lighthouse (2019).
He also gained global recognition for his role as the devious Green Goblin in 2002's Spider-Man, and for his small but groundbreaking role in 2014's The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Now, 44 years after first hitting our screens in his debut supporting role in Michael Cimino's 1980 epic Western film Heaven's Gate, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame will mark his colossal achievements in the world of cinema.
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In fact, 68-year-old Dafoe is the first big-name star of 2024 to receive such a prestigious honor.
Beaming as he unveiled the star, he told his devoted fan-base: "I can't stop smiling! This is wonderful!"
Visibly unable to hold back his joy in Los Angeles on Monday (January 8), the cinematic icon was joined by numerous fellow actors, including The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal and Boyhood frontwoman Patricia Arquette, at the A-list unveiling ceremony.
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Dafoe was also joined by his co-star Mark Ruffalo, with whom he appears in the brand new black comedy Poor Things, which received several nominations at this year's Golden Globes.
The Hulk star Ruffalo joined Dafoe in the fun of getting 'down and dirty' on the Walk of Fame for this meaningful event, when his friend placed his hands in the cement beside the star.
Wisconsin-born Dafoe told viewers: "It's wonderful to be part of this community of artists and entertainers.
"People that by sharing their experience can imagine others' perspectives, telling stories on what is, was, or most importantly could be. They make us feel closer together and connect us."
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In his illustrious on-screen career, Dafoe has starred in over 150 films, making him one of the most internationally renowned stars of age - best known for his versatility between roles and his ability to make each character his own.
He has appeared in all genres of movie, from a voice acting role in Pixar animation Finding Nemo, to the biblical epic The Last Temptation of Christ.
As well as the cinematic productions already mentioned, he is known around the world for his sell-out performances as Clem Hoatley in Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley and as a lead FBI agent in the crime thriller Mississippi Burning.
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Close friend Pascal gushed over his triumph at the star-studded unveiling, saying: "You cannot compare his career to anyone's.
"So it is our fortune to have him, and I am personally grateful. Thank you Willem."
Dafoe went on to proudly announce: "When I was a kid growing up in Appleton, Wisconsin, believe me, I couldn't envision this day of getting a star on the Walk of Fame.
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"But I must say that when I looked at the list of names that had stars, the little town that I come from, Appleton, Wisconsin, it's maybe a town of 70,000 people now, someone else from that town has a star. And his name was Erik Weisz.
"Anyone know that name? Harry Houdini. It's real humbling to be here and to be part of this. I love making films. It's arguably the most collaborative of art forms."