Willem Dafoe gets intense as he predicts hosting SNL will be the best night of his life
Scrolling through the actor's IMDb page for hints about Dafoe's comedy style is little help
Aux News Willem Dafoe
Sometimes, Saturday Night Live’s host is such a seeming mismatch of tones and expectations that it becomes appointment viewing. You know, if only to see if Willem Dafoe’s signature brand of crazy-eyed intensity will mesh with 90 minutes of knockabout sketch comedy. Thus we prepare for a Willem Dafoe-hosted SNL by running through just which of the acclaimed actor’s roles is ripe for some SNL-style, impression-heavy parody.
Could it his terrifying thug Bobby Peru, from Wild At Heart? Or his terrifying lighthouse keeper from The Lighthouse? Or how about his terrifying, finger-lopping thug from The Grand Budapest Hotel? Nobody’s ready for an Antichrist SNL sketch—honestly, the entire Lars von Trier oeuvre is probably out. Dafoe was uncharacteristically sort of lovely and not-upsetting in The Florida Project, but that seems unlikely, too. (That said, a sketch where Willem Dafoe plays the nicest, sweetest, most un-crazy psycho in the room might be a way to go.)
Dafoe’s long and convoluted history with the Spider-Verse is the most likely candidate for an SNL goof, especially if there are any of the untold screen Spiders-Men swinging around New York on show day.
So, what does the new promo clip for Willem Dafoe’s SNL episode tell us?
Dafoe’s promos for Saturday’s episode provide precious few clues what to expect, either. Except that the sight of Willem Dafoe doing comedy is predictably a little unnerving.
Appearing alongside Chris Redd and musical guest Katy Perry, Dafoe, at one point, claims that their mandatory promotional team-up represents the funniest sketch he’s ever seen. His claim is punctuated by the sort of hearty belly-laugh to keep viewers up at night, wondering if a wild-eyed, guffawing Willem Dafoe is going to leap out at them in the dark.
Seeming to tap into the spooky netherworld where all his characters apparently reside, Dafoe then claimed to be having a spell of déjà vu, only to be assured by Redd that, no, Saturday Night Live has never had the bright idea to ask one of the most innately menacing actors in world history to host a live comedy show before.
Whipping out some sunglasses, Dafoe only cackled, “It must have been a premonition I had—about the best time of my entire life!” Redd and Perry joined in Dafoe’s enthusiasm, which is the only wise course of action. Just do what Mr. Dafoe says.
31 Comments
Katy Perry still so great
She’s looking more like Lily Munster!
The highest possible compliment
I was thinking Elvira without the big hair but both work just fine.
They look afraid.
Nosferatu!
Perkins should admit that was a funny one.
They’ve probably seen THIS:
ew
Close… Bobby Peru
One-eyed Jack is yearning to go a-peepin’ in a seafood store.
Possibly the most hideous character (non-horror division) in film.
But will there be MEMES!?!?!
All that we see or seem
Is but a meme within a meme
You know, I’m something of an improv comic myself…
Try as he may, Dafoe can’t save a sinking episode of SNL. C+
Needs a line about how Weekend Update isn’t going hard enough
Needs more stars.
I wanna be this guy when I grow up. Even with over a hundred movies under his belt, I cannot get tired of him.
I love the guy and I think he’ll kill the same way Christopher Walken did when he was still hosting.
Cock of the WALK, baby!
those faces he made during the “male enhancement” commercial and the dog show were justI thought Dafoe killed and seemed to be enjoying himself immensely despite some extremely mediocre material (the “*we’re* from Middleton, WI!” bit during the monologue was SO cringey but he saved it with that nonsense he said at the end).
This is going to be such a weird episode of SNL and I am all in already.
“no, Saturday Night Live has never had the bright idea to ask one of the most innately menacing actors in world history to host a live comedy show before.”Didn’t John Malkovich host once?
You mock me!
Whatever, Dafoe’s awesome at comedy.
Last Temptation of Christ sketch or GTFO
Only if Katy Perry’s in it too.
The Lighthouse was damn funny in addition to being terrifying. Just put Keenan in there as the new lighthouse keeper who gets sent when Pattinson’s character backs out at the last minute, throw Kate McKinnon in as the crazy mermaid, have Dafoe become increasingly unhinged to the point where even the scary mermaid is scared of him, sketch done.
The hint about Dafoe’s comedy style is Bobby Peru. Case closed.