Movies Willem Dafoe insisted Emma Stone slap him 20 times while filming their new movie The pair star in Yorgos Lanthimos' upcoming films And and Poor Things. By Christian Holub Christian Holub Christian Holub is a writer covering comics and other geeky pop culture. He's still mad about 'Firefly' getting canceled. EW's editorial guidelines Published on March 2, 2023 12:37PM EST Never doubt Willem Dafoe's commitment to the craft — even if it means him accepting multiple slaps from Emma Stone. The actor will appear in two new movies from The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos alongside The Favourite veteran Emma Stone. While Poor Things, based on the 1992 novel of the same name, is the Frankenstein-like story of a woman whose brain is replaced by that of her unborn child, we don't know much about And. But a New York Times interview with Dafoe has revealed an enticing tidbit about one of its scenes. In it, Stone's character smacks Dafoe's. Willem Dafoe; Emma Stone. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images; Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Given that Dafoe's And character is off camera for the shot, it wasn't necessary for him to be on set that day. Nevertheless, as Susan Dominus writes in the piece, "Dafoe insisted that the move would look more genuine if he were actually being slapped, and then took the (staged) blow some 20 times." Said Stone of his dedication: "There's this instinct to perform that many actors have — the 'look at me, look at me!' kind of performer. He's the opposite of that." Apparently, it was common for Dafoe to show up to the set of And when he wasn't officially needed — "self-motivating to set," in the language of assistant directors. "That's what you want from actors," Lanthimos said. "To want to be part of it in any way." Dafoe's latest movie, Inside, finds him playing an art thief who gets trapped in a minimalist luxury apartment after a heist gone wrong, where he must then try to survive without much access to food or toiletries. Despite all these upcoming projects, the actor is hungry for more. He recently revealed that he is still very much interested in playing the Joker if Warner Bros. is up for it — an understandable wish given that Dafoe has lost out on four Oscar nominations in his career and the Joker is a proven Oscar-winning role. Dafoe's latest movie, Inside, is out March 17. Read the full story at The New York Times. Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more. Related content: Willem Dafoe still wants to play a version of the Joker The Favourite director 'truly humbled' by film's 10 Oscar nominations