Willem Dafoe on LATE FAME, Fame's Passage, and the Horror Film That Scared Him Most

Willem Dafoe sat down with TODAY to discuss his new film LATE FAME, a drama centered on a forgotten poet whose work is suddenly rediscovered. Dafoe described his character's journey with fame and reflected on his own relationship with time, telling the hosts, "I try to look back as little as possible. I'm always looking forward to the next thing."

The conversation also turned to Dafoe's affection for horror films. Asked about his history with the genre, he revealed that "Psycho" was the film that scared him most as a kid.

Much of the interview focused on how Dafoe approaches roles that grapple with fame and the passage of time, themes that run through LATE FAME's story of a poet confronting renewed attention after being overlooked. Dafoe's comments suggested a preference for forward motion over nostalgia.

The appearance gave Dafoe a platform to preview LATE FAME while also touching on his personal taste for horror cinema.