Michael Cimino

In a radio interview, Willem Dafoe talked about being fired from his very first film. He was a ‘glorified extra’ on the set of the epic Heaven’s Gate in Montana and recalled, “One day we're sitting in a lighting setup, eight hours, full makeup, full costume, and we’re not even going to shoot.

By the time Heaven's Gate landed on the Croisette, a trail of rumors, allegations and serious problems was following it like a hound from hell. Hot from the success of 1978's The Deer Hunter - which received six Golden Globe nominations, with Michael Cimino winning as Best Director -  Cimino stirred a bidding war for his next project, the period drama, Heaven's Gate.