Willem Dafoe and Emma Stone are starring in two new movies, Poor Things and And, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.

Poor Things is based on the 1992 novel of the same name and centres around a woman whose brain is replaced by that of her unborn child.

On the other hand, And follows the story of Belle Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by an eccentric but brilliant scientist.

In a recent New York Times profile of Dafoe, it was revealed that he asked Stone to slap him 20 times off camera on the set of And.

“Dafoe insisted that the move would look more genuine if he were actually being slapped, and then took the (staged) blow some 20 times,” wrote Susan Dominus in the piece.

Stone spoke highly of Dafoe’s acting abilities, stating that “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.” Lanthimos also praised Dafoe’s actions, saying “That’s what you want from actors, to want to be part of it in any way.”

Last year, Dafoe shared an “interesting” pitch for a Joker sequel.

“There is something interesting about, like, if there was a Joker imposter,” he said.

“So it would be possible to have not duelling Jokers, but someone that [claims] to be the Joker that isn’t the Joker.

If you had Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker and then you had someone who was either imitating or riffing off what he did,” Dafoe said, adding: “I fantasised about that.”

Dafoe’s idea came after many fan videos appeared on social media claiming the actor had physical similarities to the original Joker character from the comics.

Dafoe has been known to push his limits when it comes to acting.

In 2019, he starred in The Lighthouse, a psychological horror film where he spent months living on a remote island in isolation with co-star Robert Pattinson.

Dafoe’s dedication to the role earned him critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination.

In the same New York Times profile, Dafoe spoke about his approach to acting, stating that “It’s not so much a matter of becoming someone else.

It’s finding what’s weird in you and working with it.” He also expressed his desire to work with more experimental filmmakers, saying “There are certain people I’d like to work with who are trying things that are not necessarily conventional.”

Dafoe has had a long and successful career in Hollywood, appearing in over 100 films throughout his career.

He has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Martin Scorsese, Lars von Trier, and Wes Anderson.

Stone has also had a successful career in Hollywood, starring in films such as La La Land, The Help, and Birdman.

She has won several awards throughout her career, including an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in La La Land.

The upcoming films Poor Things and And will mark the first time Stone and Dafoe have worked together.

Fans of both actors are excited to see what they can bring to the screen.