Skip to main content
SeeProvence

Willem Dafoe to play Vincent Van Gogh

Hollywood star to film at the Yellow House site in Arles

featured in News & reviews Author Ellie Mahoney, Provence Editor Updated

Willem Dafoe, famous for his roles in Platoon, Spider-man, Born on the Fourth of July and as the voice of one of the characters in finding Nemo, will be taking on a new role as Vincent Van Gogh. 

Talking about the new film, Dafoe said that the project was inspired after the discovery of some 'lost sketch books' by the painter, in 2016. 

He said "It's a very beautiful script, which concentrates on the last part of Van Gogh's life, which is the most dramatic but also the most productive."

Filming is set to start in Arles before the end of this year, on the site of the Yellow House which Van Gogh painted in 1888. 

Dafoe follows in the footsteps of other famous actors to portray Vincent Van Gogh on screen, including Tim Roth, Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirk Douglas. 

van Gogh self portrait

Follow in the footsteps of Van Gogh on a visit to the wonderful city or Arles, where the artist spent around 15 months, creating up to around 200 paintings and a great many sketches. 

You can enjoy a walking tour of some of the places where he set up his easel and canvas or visit the Van Gogh Foundation to see some of his works.