Willem Dafoe on 'Late Fame': New York in the 70s Was a Special Time

In Kent Jones's film 'Late Fame', Willem Dafoe plays Ed Saxberger, a retired postman and one-time poet who is rediscovered by a group of young admirers. The film, based on Arthur Schnitzler's novella, is set in present-day New York and explores themes of aging, art, and gentrification. Dafoe, who turned 71, reflects on his own career and the changes in New York's artistic scene since the 1970s, when he co-founded The Wooster Group. He notes that while the city was financially troubled and violent, it fostered a vibrant cross-fertilization of the arts. Dafoe also discusses the film's younger cast, including Edmund Donovan and Greta Lee, and the dynamic between reality and fiction on set. 'Late Fame' is released in UK cinemas on 4 September.