{"id":5402,"date":"2025-04-20T18:31:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-20T18:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/?p=5402"},"modified":"2025-04-24T18:20:05","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T18:20:05","slug":"worlds-most-watched-actor-is-a-69-year-old-with-no-recent-lead-roles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/20\/worlds-most-watched-actor-is-a-69-year-old-with-no-recent-lead-roles\/","title":{"rendered":"World\u2019s most watched actor is a 69-year-old with no recent lead roles"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t\t\"Undated\t<\/div>
The most watched actor in the world in 2024 featured in five films, including Kinds of Kindness (Picture:Searchlight Pictures)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The most watched actor of all last year featured in no star turns and all of their films fell outside the top 10 for 2024\u2019s box office<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While many fans might assume that the likes of Ryan Reynolds<\/a>, Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet<\/a>, Brad Pitt<\/a> or Tom Cruise<\/a> might end up in the number one spot, it in fact went to a 69-year-old character actor.<\/p>\n

And while he might not have appeared in Deadpool & Wolverine<\/a> (like Reynolds) or Dune: Part Two (as Chalamet did), he did act in five movies \u2013 two of which in particular created a major stir.<\/p>\n

The actor in question, says social film-fan platform Letterboxd<\/a>, is Willem Dafoe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dafoe, who has been nominated for four Oscars, featured in Kinds of Kindness<\/a>, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice<\/a>, Saturday Night, Nosferatu and Zero in 2024.<\/p>\n

This combination crowned him the most watched actor of the year according to Letterboxd, which publishes an annual retrospective in many categories, including the highest rated films, most popular movies and most watched actors and actresses.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"This\t<\/div>
Willem Dafoe (R) was given the honour by Letterboxd, which used the data of its users logging films – including the popular Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (pictured) (Picture: Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
\n\t\t\"Willem\t<\/div>
Dafoe also appeared in Nosferatu, a popular horror remake which came out right at the end of 2024 in several territories (Picture: Focus Features)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Among Dafoe\u2019s releases, the long-awaited Beetlejuice sequel \u2013 where he played an undead actor-turned-investigator \u2013 proved a popular hit with audiences<\/a>, grossing $451.9m (\u00a3340.6m) from a budget of around $100m (\u00a375.3m), with talk of another film now being in the works.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile vampire remake Nosferatu<\/a>, in which Dafoe was Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz (based on Van Helsing) made $181.2m (\u00a3136.5m) on a $50m (\u00a337.6m) budget and became Focus Features\u2019 second highest grossing film ever in the US, beating Brokeback Mountain, and third worldwide.<\/p>\n

\n
Comment now<\/title><span class=\"metro-comment-cta__text\">Which is your favourite film of Willem Dafoe’s?<\/span><\/span><a class=\"metro-comment-cta__button\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\">Comment Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>In Saturday Night he played real-life TV executive David Tebet and his voice was heard on the phone in action comedy Zero, directed by Jean Luc Herbulot.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"314\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22940552 lazyload\" alt=\"Willem Dafoe in Saturday Night\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_248216863-687e.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Another of his roles was in SNL-based movie Saturday Night, where he played a real NBC TV executive (Picture: Sony Pictures)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22940558 lazyload\" alt=\"Undated film still from Kinds Of Kindness. Pictured: Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley. See PA Feature SHOWBIZ Film Reviews. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature SHOWBIZ Film Reviews. PA Photo. Picture credit should read: Searchlight Pictures\/Atsushi Nishijima. All Rights Reserved. NOTE TO EDITORS: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature SHOWBIZ Film Reviews.\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_210454751-48f3.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>In Kinds of Kindness for Yorgos Lanthimos, the star, 69, appeared opposite Margaret Qualley (pictured) as well as Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons and Joe Alwyn (Picture: Searchlight Pictures\/Atsushi Nishijima)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For Kinds of Kindness, Dafoe took on three roles in the anthology film <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/05\/19\/new-emma-stone-film-cooked-finger-group-sex-roman-inspo-20866744\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">which told a trio of disturbing tales<\/a>: he was a domineering boss controlling every aspect of his employee and lover’s life, the father of a missing biologist who returns unharmed but altered, and the leader of a sex cult.<\/p>\n<p>Dafoe was joined in last year\u2019s most-watched top 10 by the likes of Chalamet (number two), Pitt (tenth), <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/samuel-l-jackson\/\">Samuel L Jackson<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/mark-ruffalo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mark Ruffalo<\/a> as well as Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd (third), J.K. Simmons, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista and Javier Bardem.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also not the first time that Dafoe \u2013 who has appeared in films like Platoon, The Last Temptation of Christ, The English Patient and Spider-Man \u2013 has been named the world\u2019s most watched actor.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22940614 lazyload\" alt=\"Cam McHarg as #2 and Hus Miller as #1 in Zero (2024)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_248220063-656e.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>His fifth film in 2024 involved a credit for a voice on a telephone in action comedy Zero (Picture: Blue Finch Film Releasing)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"363\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22940549 lazyload\" alt=\"Willem Dafoe as high-end art thief Nemo, crouching by an indoor pool in Inside\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_248216078-dc69.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>One of Dafoe’s last leading roles was in 2023’s Inside, where he played an art-thief trapped in a penthouse (Picture: Focus Features)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He also claimed the title in 2021 and 2022, beating <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/benedict-cumberbatch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Benedict Cumberbatch<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/tom-holland\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tom Holland<\/a>, Bradley Cooper and Robert Pattison.<\/p>\n<p>The American star was also sixth in 2023, when he lost to Jason Schwartzman in the top spot, as well as Ryan Gosling, Jack Quaid, J.K. Simmons and Michael Cera above him.<\/p>\n<p>Letterboxd collates data each year from users logging and discussing the films they\u2019ve watched to determine what\u2019s been seen most, and the lists are not limited to just films released that year.<\/p>\n<p>This is why stars such as Dafoe \u2013 who began his career in 1980 with Heaven\u2019s Gate and has over 150 credited roles <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/02\/12\/thriller-90-rotten-tomatoes-score-fans-rushing-prime-video-22548056\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">in many different movie genres<\/a> \u2013 can rank so highly.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"969\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22655274 lazyload\" alt=\"Mandatory Credit: Photo by David Fisher\/Shutterstock (15168292jo) Willem Dafoe 97th Annual Academy Awards, Arrivals, Los Angeles, California, USA - 02 Mar 2025\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_242203420-f45a.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Dafoe has been nominated for four Oscars over his career so far (Picture: David Fisher\/Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He was last nominated for an Academy Award \u2013 his first as leading actor \u2013 in 2019 for At Eternity\u2019s Gate, where he played artist Vincent Van Gogh.<\/p>\n<p>Dafoe will next be seen in The Phoenician Scheme, Wes Anderson\u2019s latest, alongside Benicio del Toro, Cera, Tom Hanks and Mia Threapleton, which premieres at the <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/cannes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cannes Film Festival<\/a> next month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Got a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">If you\u2019ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\">Metro.co.uk<\/a> entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/submit-stuff\/\">Submit Stuff<\/a> page – we\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The most watched actor in the world in 2024 featured in five films, including Kinds of Kindness (Picture:Searchlight Pictures) The most watched actor of all last year featured in no star turns and all of their films fell outside the top 10 for 2024\u2019s box office. While many fans might assume that the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet, Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise might end up in the number one spot, it in fact went to a 69-year-old character … <a href=\"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/20\/worlds-most-watched-actor-is-a-69-year-old-with-no-recent-lead-roles\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> “World\u2019s most watched actor is a 69-year-old with no recent lead roles”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5404,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5402"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5402"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5402\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5413,"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5402\/revisions\/5413"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}