Willem Dafoe says the emotional struggle of the deputy sheriff he plays in the upcoming film "White Sands" is a perfect metaphor for the optimism he holds for America's future.
"Just as the character in the film finally manages to rise from the ashes of his life, I believe in the possibility that new leaders will emerge out of people's discontent and they'll offer a new way of thinking and a sense of hope," the 36-year-old actor said."I've been too lucky and seen too many beautiful things in my life to be anything other than an optimist," he said.
In "White Sands," which opens Friday, Dafoe plays a New Mexico lawman whose pursuit of some bad guys leads him into a steamy romance with a woman played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.
Dafoe's previous credits include playing a wicked sleazeball in "Wild at Heart."