P.M. BRIEFING : Dafoe’s Role Follows Pattern

Actor Willem Dafoe said he was attracted to the role in the new film “Triumph of the Spirit” in much the way he was drawn to his roles in “Platoon” and “The Last Temptation of Christ.”

“They’re so unusual,” said Dafoe, who is picky about parts he will play. “They’re so huge. They raise so many interesting questions that you don’t quite know what it is before you start working on it.”

Dafoe, whose acting career took off two years ago after the movie “Platoon,” is back in the spotlight again with his new film.

In “Triumph of the Spirit,” Dafoe portrays a boxer who fights for his survival after he is imprisoned at a Nazi death camp with his family. The critically acclaimed film is based on the life of Salamo Arouch, a Greek Jew and middleweight boxing champion who was sent to Auschwitz.

“I think I’m attracted to roles that are kind of mythic and have some size and, you know, are full of possibility,” he said of his penchant for playing unforgettable screen characters.