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Q: Settle a bet for me: Is it true that Willem Dafoe was in a movie with Madonna?

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Author: 
Adam Thomlison / TV Media

Any great actor, especially one as prolific as Willem Dafoe, will tell you that they can't all be gems.

And so yes, offbeat cult favorite Willem Dafoe did star in Madonna's financially disastrous erotic thriller "Body of Evidence" in 1993.

It seems surprising, since at the time he was an Oscar-nominated up-and-comer who'd worked with some of the greatest directors in the business -- David Lynch (in 1990's "Wild at Heart"), Oliver Stone (in 1989's "Born on the Fourth of July") and Martin Scorsese (in 1988's controversial "The Last Temptation of Christ," playing no less a role than Jesus Christ).

In his defense, he's not the only notable actor with a Madonna flop on his resume. Two-time Oscar winner Sean Penn starred in her 1986 comedy "Shanghai Surprise" (they were married at the time).

She even appeared in a Woody Allen picture -- 1991's "Shadows and Fog," which, as has been the case with most of her films, did poorly at the box office.

And in defense of Madonna, "Body of Evidence" isn't the only questionable entry on Dafoe's resume. Four years later, he appeared in the high-budget, low-grossing "Speed 2: Cruise Control," and just this past year he appeared (in voice, at least) in the even higher-budget box office disaster "John Carter."

 

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