Willem Dafoe Asked Co-star Emma Stone to Slap Him 20 Times on New Film Set

How dedicated can actors be for their upcoming movie role? Willem Dafoe showed his commitment when he asked Emma Stone to slap him 20 times.

The New York Times reported that it was for a scene he wouldn’t even appear in the shot. Yet, director Yorgos Lanthismos commended Dafoe for the seemingly odd behavior. 

Despite the odd behavior, director Yorgos Lanthimos commended Dafoe, saying, “That’s what you want from actors.”

Why did Willem Dafoe ask Stone to slap him 20 times?

Willem Dafoe insisted Emma Stone slap him 20 times while shooting a scene for their upcoming Yorgos Lanthimos film 'And.' https://t.co/kWv0tmiTF5

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 2, 2023

Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe were shooting roles for two upcoming Lanthimos films, “Poor Things” and “And.”

The former takes inspiration from a 1992 novel about a woman whose brain got replaced by that of her unborn child.

Meanwhile, the latter revolves around the story of Belle Baxter, a young woman resurrected by an eccentric but brilliant scientist. 

NYT reports that Dafoe’s strange request to Stone was for an off-camera scene for “And.” The writer Susan Dominus explained why the Aquaman star asked Stone to slap him repeatedly:

“Dafoe insisted that the move would look more genuine if he were actually being slapped, and then took the (staged) blow some 20 times.”

Also, the La La Land star had a few words about Willem Dafoe’s unique approach. “There’s this instinct to perform that many actors have..…”

“…the ‘look at me, look at me!’ kind of performer. He’s the opposite of that,” Stone commented. Contrary to popular belief, Willem Dafoe’s approach resembles an old rehearsal method.

Asking Emma Stone to slap him 20 times could be part of his Method Acting, a technique that helps actors deeply connect to their roles.

It encourages a performer to “become” the character for long periods by feeling the true emotions they should feel in each scenario.

Method Acting helps actors avoid merely memorizing and faking their lines during scenes. As a result, they become more evocative characters on the big screen.

Director Yorgos Lanthimos applauded Willem Dafoe’s bold approach. “That’s what you want from actors,” he said, “to want to be part of it in any way.”