The Untold Truth Of Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin

It's immediately worth noting just how hard Willem Dafoe fought for the role of the Green Goblin. Bear in mind this was the early 2000s, when comic book movies were only just starting to become a hot commodity. Prior films like "Blade" and "X-Men" found success both financially and critically, which helped to change the perception of comic books as box office poison. Dafoe definitely sensed the change in the industry and, desiring a return to bigger studio films, jumped at the opportunity. "I met with Sam [Raimi] and the studio and I said, 'I want to do this,'" Dafoe told The Guardian. "And the studio said, 'Well we've got a long list of people in mind.' And I said, 'Put me on tape.'" The studio then sent a casting director to Spain, where Dafoe was filming a different movie at the time, and he wound up doing a screen test in his hotel room (per Vanity Fair).

The actor has also noted just how many of his contemporaries put their noses up in regards to his desire for the role. Dafoe's clear passion and desire for the role of the Goblin definitely resonated with the casting director and, eventually, with Sam Raimi as well. This would lead to Dafoe being cast in the role, and the rest, as they say, is history.