Why Willem Dafoe Was Against Marriage for 27 Years, but He Immediately Changed His Mind After Meeting Giada Colagrande
Willem Dafoe has hundreds of different movie roles under his belt: from a fish to an officer. He’s so talented that he can play almost any character. But despite his long filmography and popularity, you are unlikely to find any juicy facts about his life in the yellow press. This is why fans are not very familiar with Dafoe’s personal life, which is no less intriguing than his acting career.
Both a mentor and a life partner
Willem Dafoe began his career in the 1970s after he moved to New York at the age of 22. He landed a job at a small theater company, The Wooster Group, that mounted experimental productions. The theater director was 32-year-old Elizabeth LeCompte. And she became not only Willem Dafoe’s mentor but also his partner for 27 years.
“In fact, the 3 of us lived in the same loft”
Their relationship began in a very unusual manner. Young Dafoe became romantically involved with Elizabeth LeCompte while she still dated another company member, Spalding Gray. Willem revealed that things were quite complicated at the time because the three of them had to not only work together but also live together, “In fact, the 3 of us lived in the same loft, but we divided it in half.”
«To her, marriage represented ownership»
Dafoe and LeCompte became a couple in 1977. Five years later, their son, Jack, was born. Even though they had a child together, they didn’t plan to get married. In an interview, the actor revealed that “marriage represented ownership” to his then-girlfriend.
At first, Willem shared his partner’s views, but over time, his attitude to marriage changed which led to their break-up in 2004.
“I wasn’t looking for anything, but I fell in love.”
Staying true to himself, Dafoe fell in love with a creative person again. Giada Colagrande is an Italian film director and actress. When she met Willem Dafoe, she was 30 years old, and she had already established herself as a successful filmmaker. In 2001, Colagrande directed her debut movie Aprimi il Cuore where she also played the lead part.
The movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2002. It received positive reviews from critics and was accepted to other festivals. By the way, Giada and Willem met at the premiere of the film.
«Do you want to get married tomorrow?»
Charmed by Giada Colagrande’s beauty and talent, Willem decided to propose to her despite their 20-year age gap. A year after they’d met, while they were having lunch, he asked her, “‘Do you want to get married tomorrow?” The following morning, they tied the knot with their two best friends serving as witnesses.
“A shared passion for cinema”
Willem Dafoe and Giada Colagrande are more than just spouses. They also work together. She is a film director, and he is an actor. Together, they’ve made a few movies, including Before It Had a Name and Padre.
When talking about the secret of their harmonious marriage and collaboration, Giada Colagrande admits that they have “[an] ideal collaboration: intense, pure, without interference.” Also, despite Dafoe’s success, he doesn’t try to show himself superior to others.
“We are inseparable.”
Nowadays, the couple is full of ideas for their future life together. They don’t have children, but they don’t think this makes them less happy. In an interview with Vogue Italia, Giada revealed that they enjoy traveling together, and divide their time between Rome, New York City, and Los Angeles. And Dafoe says that they are inseparable and very happy.
Dafoe and Colagrande are a great example of how people can combine personal life and career and be successful in both. What do you think is the secret of such marriages?