Why did William Dafoe change his name to Willem?

Willem Dafoe is a famous American actor who has been active in the entertainment industry for several decades.

Willem Dafoe was born William James Dafoe. However, in high school, he was given the nickname Willem, which is the Dutch translation of the name William.

He later adopted the new interpretation as part of his stage name because it was more familiar to him than his birth name..

Dafoe rose to prominence for his portrayal of the supervillain Norman Osborn / Green Goblin in Spider-Man (2002), a role he reprised in the sequels Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007), as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).

In the DC Extended Universe, he also played Nuidis Vulko in Aquaman (2018) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023).

Willem Dafoe has won numerous awards, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, and has been nominated for four Academy Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a British Academy Film Award.