Dafoe 's sole film release of 1986 was Oliver Stone 's Vietnam War film '' Platoon '' , gaining him his widest exposure up to that point for playing the compassionate Sergeant Elias . He enjoyed the opportunity to play a heroic role and said the film gave him a chance to display his versatility , saying " I think all characters live in you . You just frame them , give them circumstances , and that character will happen . " Principal photography for the film took place in the Philippines and required Dafoe to undergo boot camp training . '' Los Angeles Times '' writer Sheila Benson praised his performance and found it to be " particularly fine " to see Dafoe play " something other than a psychopath " . At the 59th Academy Awards , Dafoe was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor , but the stautette was awarded to Michael Caine at the ceremony . Dafoe provided his voice to the documentary '' Dear America : Letters Home from Vietnam '' ( 1987 ) and , in 1988 , Dafoe starred in another film set during the Vietnam War , this time as Criminal Investigation Command Agent Buck McGriff in the action thriller '' Off Limits '' . His second release of 1988 was Martin Scorsese 's epic drama '' The Last Temptation of Christ '' , in which Dafoe portrayed Jesus . The film was adapted from the novel of the same name and depicts his struggle with various forms of temptation throughout his life . Like the novel , the film attracted controversy for departing from the biblical portrayal of Jesus and was branded as being blasphemous . Dafoe 's performance in the film was widely praised , however , with Janet Maslin opining that Dafoe brought a " gleaming intensity " to the role
59th Academy Awards
59th Academy Awards
Willem Dafoe