{"id":55135,"date":"2018-01-28T17:17:30","date_gmt":"2018-01-28T23:17:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/?post_type=uwmnewsvideo&#038;p=55135"},"modified":"2026-04-30T16:08:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T21:08:20","slug":"willem-dafoe-uwm-stage-oscar-nominee","status":"publish","type":"uwmnewsvideo","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/willem-dafoe-uwm-stage-oscar-nominee\/","title":{"rendered":"Willem Dafoe: From UWM stage to Oscar nominee"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In 1973, Willem Dafoe came to UW-Milwaukee eager to learn the craft of theater and acting. He devoted himself to the task, sometimes staying overnight in the theater rather than going home so he could maximize his time there. Soon, he was off to New York and a career in acting.<\/p>\n<p>He&#8217;s crafted a successful career, known as an actor willing to take a risk, and willing to appear in low-budget indie films as well as big-bucks Hollywood productions. He&#8217;s been nominated three times for the highest award in film, an Academy Award, most recently in 2018 for his work on &#8220;The Florida Project.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 1973, Willem Dafoe came to UW-Milwaukee eager to learn the craft of theater and acting. He devoted himself to the task, sometimes staying overnight in the theater rather than going home so he could maximize his time there. Soon, he was off to New York and a career in acting. He&#8217;s crafted a successful [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":399,"featured_media":54581,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","class_list":["post-55135","uwmnewsvideo","type-uwmnewsvideo","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.5 (Yoast SEO v27.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Willem Dafoe: From UWM stage to Oscar nominee - UWM REPORT<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/willem-dafoe-uwm-stage-oscar-nominee\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Willem Dafoe: From UWM stage to Oscar nominee\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In 1973, Willem Dafoe came to UW-Milwaukee eager to learn the craft of theater and acting. 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