In a surprising turn that defies conventional fame and stardom veteran actor Willem Dafoe has been declared the most watched actor of 2024 according to Letterboxd’s annual Year in Review. The 69-year-old American actor claimed the top position despite not featuring as the lead in any of the five films he appeared in last year. His dominance comes over some of the most prominent international stars including Tom Cruise Ryan Reynolds Timothee Chalamet and Shah Rukh Khan.
Dafoe starred in Kinds of Kindness Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Saturday Night Zero and Nosferatu in 2024 playing powerful supporting characters that captivated audiences. While actors like Chalamet had box office juggernauts like Dune Part Two and Reynolds returned with Deadpool and Wolverine it was Dafoe’s consistent presence in critically recognized films that pushed him ahead.
Letterboxd a popular platform where users track and review films compiles its yearly data to determine rankings for most watched films most anticipated releases and most watched actors. The statistics include views for both current-year and past films which gives long-standing actors with expansive filmographies a strong edge. This method has helped Willem Dafoe maintain the top spot for three consecutive years—2021 2022 and now 2024.
The top 10 list for 2024 is filled with respected character actors like JK Simmons Josh Brolin Samuel L Jackson Dave Bautista and Stellan Skarsgard. Only a few mainstream leads including Timothee Chalamet Javier Bardem Mark Ruffalo and Brad Pitt made the cut this time.
Nosferatu was considered Dafoe’s most visible project last year but his overall impact stretched across genres and platforms as fans revisited his classic roles. This highlights how a versatile artist with a wide range of characters and long-standing appeal can outperform global icons in viewership.
Interestingly the report also indicates that Letterboxd’s user base is primarily located in North America and Europe resulting in limited representation of Asian content and actors on its global ranking charts. This explains the absence of top Indian or Chinese stars from the most-watched lists.
