Actor Willem Dafoe

AMANPOUR: You’ve done, I mean obviously, so many but Platoon and Mississippi Burning and, of course, you know, The Florida Project which you were nominated for. You played a really sweet person in The Florida Project. You were really there to help these people who are so down on their luck. What kind of roles do you like playing the most? Because, obviously, the difference between Platoon and the hotel manager in Florida Project is massive.

DAFOE: Simply, I like the idea of being transformed. You know, learning something and taking a point of view that I didn’t know before. For example, when I played in the Florida Project, I had no idea that that was a sympathetic character. I really was — I’m not that attracted to characters because you don’t know what they are until you do them. I’m attracted to situations and in that situation, I knew the filmmaker. I knew we’re going to film in a real motel. I knew we were going to mix non-professional with professional actors. All those things interested me. So I think it’s really the project and the people that I’m drawn to. And as far as characters, I think if you can identify their function or what kind of people they are before you even begin to inhabit them, then that discourages you from surprising yourself or being transformed or learning something. So I think I have a nose for adventure and curiosity and sometimes that bites you back because you never answer your questions. But it’s best to start out with questions rather than have an idea and have your job be expressing or executing. I like to feel like every time is the first time. And, of course, that becomes ridiculous when you’ve made as many movies as I do. But somehow there’s something in me that I’m able to do that. I’ve got a certain kind of amnesia.

AMANPOUR: Or a gift. I mean because that is the gift that you give to the audience really that you come at it, you know, with this energy and this passion every time.