Willem Dafoe slams “The Last Temptation of Christ” criticism: ‘It Turned Antisemitic’

• Willem Dafoe, known for his role in “The Last Temptation of Christ,” faced backlash for his role in the film.
• Dafoe argued that the film’s purpose was to reinterpret Jesus’ character, not to degrade religious beliefs.
• He acknowledged that much of the interpretation and backlash depended on director Martin Scorsese’s vision.

Willem Dafoe recently discussed the lasting impact of his role in the controversial 1988 film The Last Temptation of Christ. In the movie, Dafoe portrays Jesus, and the world is shocked, largely because of its director, Martin Scorsese. Dafoe shared with Louis Theroux on “The Louis Theroux that he was removed from the cast of another movie due to his association with The Last Temptation of Christ.

The “Nosferatu” star shared, “I mean, down the road, I was cast in one project, but the studio removed me because they didn’t like that I was associated with *The Last Temptation of Christ*. However, I don’t want to make a big deal about it because it could have been much worse.”

Dafoe expressed surprise at the huge backlash, arguing that the film’s only purpose was to focus on Jesus’s human nature, not to degrade religious beliefs. He found the backlash extremely strange.

The “Kinds of Kindness” actor said, “It’s just strange. In a world of slasher films and explicit content, people get so upset about this because it’s based on a novel. Broadly speaking, they’re just changing the classic story a little bit to consider the character of Jesus differently—that’s all.”

The 69-year-old veteran actor explained that “The Last Temptation of Christ”, as a movie adaptation of the book, reinterprets the story of Jesus by focusing on his human side rather than his divine nature.

“It’s not this plot to overthrow or change religious thought. It’s a consideration, another way of looking at the human aspect of Jesus, as opposed to the divine part,” described Dafoe.

Dafoe admitted that much of the interpretation—and the subsequent backlash—depended on director Martin Scorsese’s vision. He added that the film’s criticism took on antisemitic overtones in America because the religious right made an association, labeling it as “the evil people in Hollywood.”

While The Last Temptation of Christ’s release had a significant impact on Willem Dafoe’s career, he is now booked and busy with a lineup of several movies. He last appeared on the big screen in Robert Eggers’ gothic tale “Nosferatu”.