Actor Willem Dafoe not happy with Trump takeover of Kennedy Center

Actor Willem Dafoe is not happy with President Donald Trump’s “invasive” takeover of the Kennedy Center.

The star of stage and screen spoke with Deadline about the government interfering in the arts and expressed surprise that Trump would take on the role of the venue’s chairman after he ousted the leadership of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, saying, “for someone that supposedly wants to limit government, the government has all of a sudden become very invasive.”

Trump must “let the people do their art, let the art talk,” Dafoe said in the interview at the Venice Biennale’s 53rd International Theater Festival, where he is artistic director.

“We can develop our sense of compassion and responsibility socially, leave that to the people,” said the 69-year-old who appeared in last year’s Oscar-winning “Poor Things.”

Asked about “the dangers of Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.,” Dafoe told Deadline, “Well, there’s many.”

“And it’s not just about bad theater,” he said. “I can’t imagine Donald Trump programming a good series of performances at the Kennedy Center. I don’t want to go down a rabbit hole here.”

“I think it’s important as a place to come together and see where we’re at and what could happen,” he said of the theater’s place in culture and society. “Because somewhere between the pandemic and advances in technology, everybody’s living in their own little bubble.”

“So the discourse comes sometimes a little blocked, and that has a negative effect sometimes because other people can take care of business when everybody’s busy in their little world. So theater represents a place to, in a very vital way, come together and reflect on where we are and think about a different reality than the one that’s given to us virtually,” he told the outlet.

Trump has big plans for the Kennedy Center, including an update to its interior. The new Board of Trustees includes second lady Usha Vance, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, and White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino.

Trump not pleased with things at Kennedy Center after tour, vows to fix: ‘This is a shame’ https://t.co/0XL2jBFd5e via @BIZPACReview

— BPR based (@DumpstrFireNews) March 18, 2025

Social media users were not impressed with Dafoe’s take on Trump’s involvement with the Kennedy Center.

Dang it, I used to really like him.

— Les and Spot (@LesAndSpot) March 28, 2025

Only the leftists are screaming. I’m looking forward to our talented and patriotic artists now having THEIR work showcased at the Kennedy Center instead.

— Diane Singer (@Diane119103) March 28, 2025

DAMN IT! Will actors please stop destroying their popularity?
Is he in an upcoming Disney movie?

— Doc Burk (@DocBurk6) March 28, 2025

Such a shame I liked William Dafoe as an actor. Always a downer to find out the people you like are far leftists or people that have TDS.
Ruins it for me, I can never watch their movies going forward. Just ruins it.

— Johnny Zohar (@SexyJC8675309) March 28, 2025

If it makes anyone feel better, his words were very measured and his opinion was fair. Definitely not a TDS riddled rant.

— ATJameson (@AaronTo64018465) March 28, 2025

I’d say the libs running the place..took huge salaries and left it bankrupt would be considered very invasive if not criminal

— Michelle Snyder (@mrjrsnyder1) March 28, 2025

Senior Staff Writer
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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