Willem Dafoe at 71: "I still see myself as a beginner"

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71 years old, four Oscar nominations, almost five decades in front of the camera – and yet Willem Dafoe still feels like it's his first day. At the Zurich Film Festival in Zurich, the Hollywood star presented his new film "Tenzing" and spoke surprisingly openly about his own standards.

In the film, Dafoe takes on the role of Colonel John Hunt, the British expedition leader who, in 1953, was the first to climb Mount Everest alongside Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. A historical figure who plays a key role in the annals of alpinism – and exactly the kind of role that still challenges Dafoe to this day.

A Hollywood star who doesn't see himself as a professional

His résumé could hardly be more packed. Dafoe has been in front of the camera for almost 50 years, is one of the defining actors of his generation, and has been nominated four times for the Oscar – including for "Platoon", "Shadow of the Vampire", "The Florida Project" and "At Eternity's Gate". Honors that are considered benchmarks in the industry.

Nevertheless, in conversation with 20 Minuten, he said a sentence that may have surprised many:

I still see myself as a beginner. Every film is different and challenges me anew.

Why this attitude is plausible after 50 years

What sounds like coy modesty has tradition with Dafoe. The man who played Elias in "Platoon", a grumpy motel owner in "The Florida Project", and an eccentric scientist in "Poor Things" has never committed to one genre or one tone. That is exactly what makes the beginner's gaze explainable: anyone who has to readjust language, body, and timing with every project can hardly fall into routine.

With "Tenzing", he now delivers the next example of this approach. The 1953 Everest expedition is not just a piece of mountaineering history, but also material about leadership, risk, and the colonial circumstances surrounding it – enough to make even a four-time Oscar nominee listen anew.

What you take away from the Zurich Film Festival

The Zurich Film Festival, which Dafoe is using as a stage for his appearance, has been a meeting point for European and international productions for years. When a 71-year-old explains there why he still feels like a beginner after five decades, it is less a star's dictate than a classification: great acting thrives on approaching every role anew – even when one's own image has long seemed cemented.