Dafoe Talks Green Goblin

Willem Dafoe has been lean and mean before. But never green.
To assume the identity of the Green Goblin, archenemy of Spider-Man (played by Tobey Maguire of The Cider House Rules) whose exploits reach the big screen on May 3, the 46-year-old yoga enthusiast squeezed into a custom-sculpted, skintight suit, seen here for the first time.

The actor compares wiggling into the ensemble to "putting toothpaste back into the tube." The entire look of the movie villain is sleeker than his comic-book counterpart, who was more like a demented brownie.

To chase after his creepy-crawly, web-shooting nemesis, the Goblin hops aboard his glider, a vehicle that feels like "a cross between surfing, snowboarding and riding a mechanical bull. I'm locked into these shoes with clips like a ski boot." Movements are controlled by computer. "I have to zig when I have to zig and not zag. It can be hairy," especially if he is hanging high in the air.

The snug outfit is a bit uncomfortable, but after enduring bloodsucker accouterments — sharply pointed nails, teeth and ears — for his Oscar-nominated role in last year's Shadow of the Vampire, he finds the Goblin gear is tolerable if somewhat warm. But, as Dafoe notes, "I'm always better hot than cold."