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Willem Dafoe has made a huge career change. The Poor Things actor revealed that he owns a farm and took care of it during the SAG-AFTRA strike.
A gentleman farmer
During an interview with The Guardian, Dafoe revealed that during the SAG-AFTRA strike, he was “a gentleman farmer.”
He didn't say a whole lot about it, joking that the interviewer may “get a little out of me” about it. Dafoe revealed that he never owned pets prior to this move, but he now has “lots of animals” and a vegetable garden outside of Rome. He does this because he is “basically” a vegetarian and wants to give them a good life.
“I'm basically a vegetarian,” Dafoe revealed, continuing, “so I do it just for the pleasure of their company and to try and give them a good life, which is a little naive.”
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He takes eggs from the chicken and turkeys on the farm as well as the wool from sheep and alpacas. Dafoe even referred to the animals as the “other people” on the farm during the interview.
And while being a farmer may sound like a drastic change of pace, Dafoe likens it to his acting lifestyle.
“It is [different], but still, it's like being at the theater,” Dafoe said. “I wake up, I hit the ground running. My day is dedicated to doing things and taking care of things. Idle hands are the devil's workshop, what can I tell ya?”
Willem Dafoe is an award-winning actor known for his collaborations with the likes of Paul Schrader, Lars von Trier, Wes Anderson, and Robert Eggers. He is also known for his role of Norman Osborn/the Green Goblin in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. Dafoe recently returned to the role in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Additionally, Dafoe has starred in independent films like The Florida Project and The Lighthouse. In 2023, Dafoe starred in Poor Things with Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo.
