Willem Dafoe is one of the greatest actors of our time, and he’s well known for taking roles that are both outside the box and outside of the comfort zone of a lot of actors. His next role, Nemo in first-time director Vasilis Katsoupis’ Inside, slides perfectly into that niche as he spends the majority of the film entirely alone going more and more insane as the days go by. In Inside, Dafoe plays an art thief who becomes trapped within the high-rise apartment of a mark on the way out of a heist gone wrong.

With Inside, director Katsoupis wanted to recreate the concept of Robinson Crusoe in the setting of a luxurious Manhattan apartment, bringing the elements of a deserted island to the isolation of being on top of the world. Throughout the film, Dafoe experiences moments of madness and euphoria as he tries to find a way out. In his review of the film Collider’s own Marco Vito Oddo called out the core theme of Inside saying, “Art, as a testament to humanity’s unique ability to cheat death, gives meaning to our fragile lives.”
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Recently, I sat down with Dafoe to discuss his role in the film which relies so heavily on his solo performance. During our conversation, Dafoe spoke about what it was like working with Katsoupis, filming in chronological order, how acting is an art form of human expression relating to the themes of the film, and the collective experience of isolation during the pandemic which might allow audiences to relate to Nemo. He also spoke about getting to reunite with frequent collaborator Robert Eggers on his next horror project, Nosferatu, which begins filming this spring. You can read the transcript of our conversation below or watch the interview in the player above.

Image via Focus Features

RELATED: ‘Inside’ Review: Willem Dafoe Descends into Madness in Unnerving Exploration of Art | Berlinale 2023

COLLIDER: You’re known for playing a whole host of fairly unhinged characters that would be outside a lot of people’s comfort zones, but I think Nemo even takes that a little bit further than a lot of stuff you’ve done so far. What was the most challenging or exciting part of taking a role that relies so heavily on your own performance?

DAFOE: I don’t think of it in terms of challenges because it was a pleasure to do. I suppose the idea is, sometimes it was important to inhabit it, and you had to connect the narrative, and you didn’t want to point at it. It was always… The challenge was to be disciplined, not to indicate anything, and to only deal with what was before us, which was helped greatly by the fact that we were shooting in chronological order, so there was practicality and present-mindedness that really guided us.

This film really hammers home how art is at its most valuable as a means of human expression. Can you speak a bit about how acting is so deeply linked to that concept as an actor and artist yourself?

DAFOE: Okay. I’ll try. I think for me, broadly speaking, this is a whole conversation that could take years, but the beautiful thing for art, for me, is, it opens our minds to a certain mystery. Because art, it’s really hard to explain in daily life terms. It encourages us to think and question in a new way, and hopefully, acting does that same thing. When we make events, commit to doing things, or make a story that makes people reconsider their lives, question things, and think in new ways, that’s exciting. That’s what keeps us alive, curiosity. Dealing with the unseen, these things, you can reach them in various ways. You can reach them through nature, through religion, but also through art in general, it can elevate our lives.

Image via Focus Features

This movie has been a long time in the making, but now it’s coming out in a post-lockdown world. Can you speak to how we can all relate to Nemo a little bit more now?

DAFOE: Just being trapped, not being able to go out, trying to figure out how your life has been disrupted and how are you going to proceed, and your future is uncertain. Of course, he has it a lot worse than us because when we were in the pandemic, it was a collective experience, and we were all going through it, so there was a great comfort in that, or not great, some comfort in that, where Nemo is very different because it is true solitude. Not only has he had something, he’s trying to do a crime, and it goes bad where it starts, but he’s plucked from his life and put into a completely different situation, and the heat is turned up much more on him than it is on us. But I think, of course, as audiences watch this, they’re going to think of their experience in the pandemic, and it’ll also make them a little more empathetic to this guy, Nemo.

I would be remiss if I didn’t ask. You’re teaming up again soon with Robert Eggers for Nosferatu. Is there anything you can tell us about what you’re excited about in that role or when filming starts?

DAFOE: I just love working with Robert Eggers. I had a wonderful time. I saw The Witch, and I liked it so much. I arranged a meeting with him. We liked each other. Then I did The Lighthouse, which was a fantastic experience, and I think it’s a very good movie. Then I did a little part in The Northman, which I really enjoyed, and now I get to do this. So I’m just happy to be back with him. It’s Nosferatu, his version of Nosferatu. This is why I have this mustache and [sideburns] because we’re shooting now. I start in just a little bit. I’m just excited to be with him again. He’s a great filmmaker, and I enjoy his company.

Because Inside is such a unique film, is there anything from this experience that you would say is entirely unique?

DAFOE: Just that sometimes… It’s director, first-time feature, it’s risky. It’s a particular kind of movie, and you roll the dice, and for me this time it came up with snake eyes.

Inside hits theaters on March 17, and you can get tickets for a screening near you now. Watch the trailer down below and check out our conversation with Dafoe in the player above.