Billy Bob Thornton is more than pleased to play a foul-mouthed Santa (“Bad Santa”) or a highschool soccer coach (“Friday Night Lights”) or a NASA scientist (“Armageddon”), however one factor he gained’t do on the large display is kill Tom Cruise. During an interview on The Playlist’s “Bingeworthy” podcast, the actor remembered turning down two massive Hollywood villain roles: Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” and the arms supplier Owen Davian in “Mission: Impossible III.”
“I don’t have a lot curiosity in these sorts of roles,” Thornton mentioned. “With the Green Goblin, I didn’t really feel like getting up at 4 a.m. for 5 – 6 hours of make-up. And with ‘Mission: Impossible III,’ I didn’t need to be the man attempting to kill Tom Cruise. If you’re the dangerous man in an enormous film like that, audiences keep in mind it perpetually. I desire to maintain issues looser and fewer predictable.”
Willem Dafoe famously took on the position of Green Goblin, whereas Philip Seymour Hoffman was forged to go face to face with Cruise in “Mission: Impossible 3.” Both films have been field workplace successes, with Dafoe’s flip because the Spider-Man villain being thought of probably the most iconic turns in a comic book ebook film. Dafoe reprised the character in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and has expressed curiosity in taking part in Green Goblin a 3rd time.
“If every part was proper, certain,” Dafoe advised Inverse final yr. “I imply, that’s an important position. I preferred the truth that it’s a double position each instances. Twenty years in the past, and pretty just lately, each instances [were] very totally different experiences, however I had fun on each.”
During his press tour for “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Dafoe mentioned that his fundamental stipulation for reprising the villain was that he not be a cameo look.
“I actually didn’t need to do a cameo,” Dafoe advised The Mary Sue on the time. “I needed to verify there was one thing substantial sufficient to do this wasn’t only a tip of the hat. And the opposite factor was, I mentioned I really need there to be motion — I need to participate in motion scenes. Because that’s actually enjoyable for me. It’s the one approach to root the character. Otherwise, it simply turns into a collection of memes.”
As for Thornton, he presently headlines the Paramount+ unique drama “Landman.” He has stayed away from Hollywood comedian ebook films for now.
