Actor Willem Dafoe slams President Trump’s takeover of The Kennedy Center
Prolific Hollywood and stage actor Willem Dafoe raised concerns about President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center.
Dafoe spoke to Deadline at the Venice Biennale’s 53rd International Theater Festival, weighing in on Trump’s decision to remove the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts leadership — as the commander-in-chief is now serving as the Kennedy Center Board Chair.
Dafoe was reportedly taken aback by Trump’s move, considering the president is “someone that supposedly wants to limit government,” adding that the government has all of a sudden become “very invasive,” Deadline reported.
Actor Willem Dafoe raised concerns about President Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center. (Associated Press)
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“Let people do their art, let the art talk,” Dafoe said. He explained further: “We can develop our sense of compassion and responsibility socially, leave that to the people.”
Dafoe spoke to Deadline in an exclusive interview after he launched the Venice Biennale’s 53rd International Theater Festival while serving in his second year as artistic director for the festival.
Deadline asked Dafoe about “the dangers of Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.”
President Donald Trump was voted in as the Kennedy Center’s board chair earlier this year after remaking the venue’s board of trustees. (Getty Images)
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“Well, there’s many,” Dafoe responded.
“And it’s not just about bad theater,” he said. “I can’t imagine Donald Trump programming a good series of performances at the Kennedy Center. I don’t want to go down a rabbit hole here.”
New members on the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees include second lady Usha Vance, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, and White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino.
Dafoe added that theater is important to him and critical to society.
“I think it’s important as a place to come together and see where we’re at and what could happen. Because somewhere between the pandemic and advances in technology, everybody’s living in their own little bubble,” Dafoe told Deadline.
Ric Grenell, President Trump and the Kennedy Center. (Getty Images)
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“So the discourse comes sometimes a little blocked, and that has a negative effect sometimes because other people can take care of business when everybody’s busy in their little world. So theater represents a place to, in a very vital way, come together and reflect on where we are and think about a different reality than the one that’s given to us virtually.”
Dafoe has appeared in several Hollywood blockbuster films, including “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” the 2002 “Spider-Man,” directed by Sam Raimi, and last year’s Oscar-winning “Poor Things.”
Dafoe did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to the Kennedy Center for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
