There are few careers in modern cinema that can rival that of Willem Dafoe, especially when it comes to range. From superhero movies such as ‘Spider-Man‘ and award-winning dramas like ‘The Florida Project‘ to experimental arthouse films like ‘Antichrist,’ Dafoe has shown an incredible talent for disappearing into unique roles.
However, despite his achievements, success hasn’t shielded him from self-doubt. Dafoe admitted that when he doubts if he is the right fit for a role, he always turns to a classic from 1963 for support and inspiration. There is one performance in particular that has made him realize that great casting goes beyond a set of checklists and also relies on possibility.
How ‘The Leopard’ Reassured Willem Dafoe During Uncertainty
There is something about the idea of stepping into the shoes of an unfamiliar character that seems to strike fear into the heart of almost every actor. It holds for Willem Dafoe. Shocking, right? When feeling insecure about a particular role, the actor admitted that he turns to the work of filmmaker Luchino Visconti.
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Among many, he draws inspiration from the 1963 epic historical drama, ‘The Leopard,’ which earned the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Luchino Visconti’s epic film is based on the celebrated novel of the same name by the Italian writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa.
In ‘The Leopard,’ the audience can see how Sicily evolved from aristocratic rule to revolution during the Risorgimento. During an appearance at the Criterion Closet, Dafoe described the film as “fantastic.”
He also noted that it was primarily Burt Lancaster’s lead performance that kept him returning to it. The seemingly inappropriate casting, at first glance, made the performance even more fascinating to Dafoe and reassuring to watch.
The Performance That Inspires Dafoe
At the movie’s center is Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, played by the legendary Burt Lancaster. Acting alongside European stars such as Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, Lancaster delivered one of the best performances in cinema history.
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Dafoe is mesmerized not so much by the performance itself as by Lancaster’s ability to transform. Lancaster was an internationally popular American actor, while the part required the elegance and sophistication characteristic of a particular culture and era.
While choosing Lancaster for the role initially seemed like a gamble, the actor made it his own with perfect ease and capability. “When I think I’m not right for a role, because I’m not enough like the character, I always think of Burt Lancaster in The Leopard,” Dafoe said of Lancaster.
“I mean, this Hollywood guy, you know, that I’m thinking [of] from The Swimmer and from movies…you know, ‘Indian wrestling! Ya like it?’ like that kinda thing. He’s going to be an elegant Sicilian gentleman. I don’t think so. But you know what? I think it worked fantastically,” he added.
Lancaster’s performance as Don Fabrizio Corbera in ‘The Leopard’ showed Dafoe and many that with enough talent and insight, even the most unexpected casting choice can become a masterclass in screen acting.
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