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According to Sarajevo Times and The Hollywood Reporter, the actor reflected on the role that most influenced him during an August 2025 masterclass at the Sarajevo Film Festival.
Why ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ Still Stands Out for Willem Dafoe
Although Dafoe has long resisted naming a favorite performance, he acknowledged that Martin Scorsese’s 1988 drama “The Last Temptation of Christ” occupies a unique place in his career. Speaking in Sarajevo, he said the film had perhaps the greatest influence on both his life and his work, while explaining that he generally avoids choosing a single favorite role because doing so can encourage actors to measure every future performance against it.
Dafoe recalled initially finding the project unusual before embracing Scorsese’s interpretation of Jesus. “This is a beautiful role, because [it’s about] the human part of Jesus,” he said, adding that it became “one of my favorite roles, I guess, because it was so demanding,” noting that he appeared in nearly every scene of the low-budget production. He also described the picture’s modest scale as one of its strengths, saying, “There’s a grace in its simplicity.”
Dafoe explained that his biggest challenge was approaching such a familiar figure without relying on preconceived ideas. “You are not THE Jesus Christ. You are one Jesus Christ,” he said, adding that he had to “free myself of any images and expectation” surrounding the role. That perspective shaped his portrayal of a version of Jesus wrestling with doubt, fear, and the weight of his destiny in Scorsese’s adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis’ controversial novel.
The actor also reflected on the intense backlash that surrounded the film upon its release, saying he was “shocked” by the reaction. He noted that “even without seeing the movie, there were huge protests against it” and argued that the title “was trying to address itself to the nature of faith.” Although he admitted the controversy “really did keep it from being widely distributed,” the picture has since become one of the defining performances of his career.
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