An episode with Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe arrives at the 9th annual Governors Awards at the Dolby Ballroom. Photo / AP

Willem Dafoe tells Michele Manelis that staying out of Hollywood keeps him grounded.

What were you like as a child — easy to handle or rebellious?

Listen, I come from a big family so you have to learn how to co-operate with everyone, particularly when you're one of the younger ones and you have two brothers who'll beat you up if you don't. I also have five sisters. Both my parents worked so I was very free and had a little Huck Finn in me. I guess I was a little mischievous, but nothing crazy. Rebellious side? Yeah because coming from a big family you've got to find your identity. You've got to punch your way out a little bit.

How did your parents react when you told them you wanted to be an actor?

Well, my older brothers and sisters had a lot of pressure on them to succeed but I think by the time I came round my parents were softened by life. They were less rigid and they were more open to following an unfamiliar path. But listen, my father put all my other brothers and sisters through school but when I said that I wanted to be an actor, he said, "That's fine, do what you want but I'm not going to pay for you to go to school for that. When you're ready to really do a profession I'll be happy to help you out." So there was that prejudice. But I will say that once I started working he was very supportive and proud because he had been one of these guys who took the classic path in life. To see one of his children roll the dice and do okay was a great joy to him because it's what he didn't do.

Have you had any experience with poverty?

I grew up pretty middle class. My mother was a nurse, my father was a surgeon, and a very well educated one who could have had a Park Avenue practice but I suppose he was a little bit of a country boy so he went back to where he was from, Wisconsin, and worked in this quite small town of 50,000 people. They were kind of Nixon Republicans, conservative people. I never felt wealthy but I never felt deprived.

You come across as someone who hasn't lost his soul — or his mind — to the madness of Hollywood.

Wow. I don't live in Hollywood, that helps. I work a lot and what is it that people say? Idle hands are the devil's workshop. That's the best way I can answer that question.

If you had the power, what would you do to make America a better place?

I'm not a politician and I don't want to get on a soapbox but it seems wildly clear to me that we've got to spend more on education. And also, we have to reconsider our relationship to other countries in the world. That's a big one. The fact that our military budget is the size that it is, in comparison to other countries, is something to think about.

I suppose we can thank President Trump for that.

Oh that's a whole conversation I don't want to get into right now because we're better off talking about something I really understand.

What's the secret to happiness?

I like people and overall I've been fortunate. Everybody has some tragedies and I've had some but I feel lucky. I feel blessed.

Lowdown

The Florida Project is in cinemas from December 21