Willem Dafoe was too willing to be actually slapped by Emma Stone for a Kinds of Kindness scene.
Yorgos Lanthimos’ black absurdist comedy Kinds of Kindness was initially titled And. It brings to the fore two huge superstars in the form of Willem Dafoe and Emma Stone, who play multiple roles in three different yet related stories that play out in the movie.
Released in June 2024, Kinds of Kindness saw Emma Stone star opposite Jesse Plemons’ Robert, whose boss, Raymond, is portrayed by Dafoe. As it turns out, one particular scene involved Emma Stone slapping Dafoe’s Raymond off-screen, following which they converse in an actual sequence in the movie.
Margaret Qualley, Jesse Plemons, and Willem Dafoe in Kinds of Kindness | Distribution: Searchlight Pictures
In order to ensure that Stone was able to deliver her best, Dafoe not only supported the actress off-screen. He also volunteered to be slapped by Emma Stone around 20 times, only to ensure that the two’s chemistry plays out exactly like it needed to, in the particular scene.
Willem Dafoe in American Psycho | Lions Gate Films
A particular scene in Kinds of Kindness saw Stone’s character converse with Dafoe’s Raymond after slapping him off-screen. However, in order to ensure that the scene seemed as genuine as it possibly could, Dafoe encouraged Stone to actually slap him, which led to the actress striking him approximately 20 times, off-camera.
What proved to be a show of his commitment to acting and realism, was explained by Dafoe in an interview with Esquire:
Listen, you try to be there for the other actor. This isn’t in Poor Things, it’s in Kinds of Kindness. It just got a new title, but there is a scene in which she had a very long monologue, and right before the monologue, she slaps me. And I felt like, she would do much better, she would get a much better start on the speech if she could slap me rather than miming at it.
This led to an incredible sequence, as the monologue in question was finalized only after several takes. Dafoe however, did not have a problem, as he went on to state:
And she was down with that. She said ‘thank you very much’, but we did the speech many, many times, but I am a big boy, I can take it. Anytime you get a chance to help out, it’s a gift to yourself, you know what I am saying?
Needless to say, Dafoe once again showed exactly why he is so highly-rated in the industry, considering the length to which he was willing to go, merely to ensure the two could perform to the best of their abilities.
Willem Dafoe’s sacrifice in Kinds of Kindness was lauded by Emma Stone as well
Emma Stone in Kinds of Kindness / Searchlight Pictures
There is little doubt that not many actors as acclaimed as Willem Dafoe will be so willing to sacrifice their own face in order to ensure realism in a scene. However, that is exactly what Dafoe did, something which Emma Stone herself praised in an interview (via Variety).
The actress claimed that unlike most performers who wish to be the center of attention at all times, Dafoe conducts himself in a humble way:
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.
The same was hinted at by director Yorgos Lanthimos himself, who said the following in reference to Dafoe’s commitment to the movie, as well as his inclination to be on set even when his own scenes were not being shot:
That’s what you want from actors. To want to be part of it in any way.
Hence, despite the kind of acclaim Dafoe has received over time in his career, he still opts for a humble approach and is always willing to go the extra mile for his co-stars.
