After briefly popping by in Will Forte’s monologue last week, world-renowned actor Willem Dafoe returned to the halls of 30 Rock to make his Saturday Night Live hosting debut. The four-time Oscar-nominated actor was born and raised in Appleton, Wisconsin, far from any signs of show business. As the second youngest of eight children, he had a bit of a chaotic upbringing. His parents worked long hours together in the medical field (his father a gastrointestinal surgeon and his mother a nurse), which led to Dafoe being raised primarily by his sisters. On an episode of the Awards Chatter podcast, he explained how a frustrating high school experience prompted him to leave town and live with a friend in Milwaukee. It was there that he was able to pursue his simmering passion for the arts at the Theatre X theater company. Dafoe credits the hands-on environment and commitment for being the reasons why he stayed longer than he initially planned. “I thought I was only going to be there for one show, when I ended up being there for a couple years.”
It was in New York where Dafoe really ingrained himself in the theater world. In his early 20s, he helped found The Wooster Group theater company, an experimental company working out of a converted theater space in Soho. “All our money went to paying the mortgage, we had to find other ways to survive, but we had a place where we could work.” Having a place that the humble company could call home was crucial and helped them find an eclectic but loyal audience made up of painters, musicians, and actors. Because Dafoe was so engrossed in touring with The Wooster Group, screen acting wasn’t really on his radar. “My plate was full. I was totally turned on. I was in a room with people that I was interested in, we were making things that were interesting, I felt like I was learning things. I wasn’t looking outside of that space.” That is, until Kathryn Bigelow and Monty Montgomery were interested in him for The Loveless. Now, Dafoe had the screen acting bug as well. He vacillated between the two for as long as possible, but ultimately, his movie career continued to gain momentum.
Dafoe has captivated film audiences for over two decades. His first big studio film Streets of Fire in 1984 was followed by William Friedkin’s To Live and Die in L.A., a film that would lead to two other pivotal projects down the road. Dafoe heard that both Oliver Stone and Martin Scorsese were interested in him for their films Platoon and The Last Temptation of Christ respectively, after seeing his work in Friedkin’s 1985 crime drama. “These are artists," said Dafoe in reference to Stone and Scorsese. "They can see things that some people can’t see.” Over the years, Dafoe has lost himself in a number of impressive characters, such as the menacing Green Goblin in the Spider-Man films, Paul Smecker in The Boondock Saints, Max Shreck in Shadow of the Vampire, the enigmatic Thomas Wake in Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse, and as Vincent van Gogh in At Eternity’s Gate. (And of course, we cannot forget about his frequent collaborations with Paul Schrader and Wes Anderson.) Dafoe isn’t slowing down anytime soon, either. He reprised his iconic Green Goblin role in the recent Spider-Man: No Way Home and can be seen in Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley. He also has six projects coming up, including the highly anticipated epic film The Northman.
Let’s revisit some of the best moments from the January 29 episode of Saturday Night Live. Live from New York, it’s Willem Dafoe!
5. Nugenix
Getting older is just part of being human, and we have to accept the new challenges that come with aging. Your energy depletes in record time, and it’s much easier to gain weight than it is to lose it. And if you’re a man, you might be having some trouble, um… down there. If that’s the case, then try out Nugenix. Don’t think that’s your problem? Think again. Dafoe appears as a fictionalized version of himself (who is not British), alongside Frank Thomas (Kenan Thompson) and Doug Flutie (Kyle Mooney) to tout the supplement for a rather skeptical Mikey Day.
4. Tenant Meeting
Every once in a while, a revolving-door style sketch like this one is a fun way to give the majority of the cast a few seconds of air time to show off their skill sets and oddball characters that wouldn’t typically fit in a more conventional sketch. In this one, a series of disgruntled, confused, or downright peculiar tenants air their grievances at the tenant meeting. Among the standouts in this sketch are Aristotle Athari, Kate McKinnon, Sarah Sherman, and Dafoe, whose character misses the grittier New York days when Iggy Pop would throw up on your face and perverts were everywhere.
3. Weekend Update: Trend Forecasters on the Latest Trends
Because we live in such a fast-paced world, it’s nearly impossible to be up-to-date on what’s popular and what’s no longer in fashion. Fortunately, these two trend forecasters (Aidy Bryant and Bowen Yang) have all the answers. How do they do it? The answer is simple: they have 4,000 computers and every single one of them knows how to whip up a chart. Before you buy another pair of shiny shoes, make sure to consult with these two. They know what’s in, what’s out, and what’s going straight to Hell!
2. Now I’m Up
After a long day, nothing beats the feeling of sliding under your covers for a peaceful night’s sleep. Okay sure, sometimes you need some help falling asleep, so you put on relaxing sleep sounds, but otherwise, sleep is the best. Right? Unless you have a random cramp or remember what you were like in high school. It’s 2:01am? Why are you still awake? Probably another cramp or a really loud Spotify ad.
1. Weekend Update: Peyton Manning on the NFL Playoffs
Tom Brady announced his retirement, the NFL playoffs are more exciting than ever, and it’s almost time for the big game. Who better to unpack this rich moment in sports history than hall of fame quarterback and two time Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning? The former football player slid over to Colin Jost at the Weekend Update desk to break down something very near and dear to his heart. Frankly, it's the one thing that’s dominating his life and taking up all of his time. No, not the NFL playoffs. He’s referring to Season 2 of the hit Netflix series Emily in Paris.
Saturday Night Live returns on February 26 with host John Mulaney joining the Five-Timers Club and musical guest LCD Soundsystem.