Willem Dafoe on Risk-Taking and the Fine Difference Between Pain and Suffering
Midway through a lengthy discussion about his role in Edward Norton’s new noir gumshoe drama Motherless Brooklyn — a discussion which includes digressions into the Shakespeare, Star Wars, New York City’s ethnic diversity, and how urban planning should be informed, foremost, by empathy — Willem Dafoe catches himself. “I’m kind of spinning out!” laughs the 64 year-old actor, who’s in Canada for the annual Toronto International Film Festival.