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Willem Dafoe says he's proud of his comic book role as the villain Green Goblin in the Spider-Man movies.
The 55-year-old US actor was asked several times about his performances in the web-slinger franchise at a news conference at South Korea's Pusan International Film Festival - instead of his more critically acclaimed roles in socially conscious dramas like Platoon and Mississippi Burning.
One reporter even apologised for the line of questioning.
"That's part of my story. Don't be sorry. I'm very proud of that movie," Dafoe responded.
Willem was in Pusan to promote the film noir A Woman, which was directed by his wife, Italian filmmaker Giada Colagrande. He plays a novelist who is devastated by the death of his wife but also caught up in a new romance.
Dafoe said he has become more adventurous in choosing new parts because he is now an established actor who can afford to take creative risks.
"I feel like I can be a little more reckless," he said.
The veteran actor has kept up a diverse mix of characters in his recent career. Among his latest releases are Miral, in which he plays an American who witnesses the development of an orphanage for Palestinian children. He also plays a nine-foot tall Martian warrior in the animated film John Carter of Mars.
"I'm very much attracted to strong directors, passionate directors, people who are on fire to express their cinema. I am less interested in exercises in style," he said. "I require more adventure and stimulation."
