Ethan Hawke (54 years old), actor, remembers his first Oscar nomination: “I took my daughter Maya to kindergarten and her teacher came up to me with tears in her eyes”

The actor, writer and director reflects on his career in an interview on the occasion of the premiere of 'Blue Moon', his new collaboration with Richard Linklater

At 54 years old, Ethan Hawke doesn't need to prove anything. With four Oscar nominations and a career marked by versatility, the actor, writer and director reflects on his career in a recent interview with Varietyon the occasion of the premiere of 'Blue Moon', his new collaboration with Richard Linklater. But among the most emotional memories, stands out the day he received his first Academy Award nomination for 'Training Day' (2001), an experience that, according to him, was as unexpected as it was moving.

“I didn't even know that the nominations were announced that day,” says Hawke. “I took my daughter Maya, who was four years old at the time, to daycare. Her teacher, Odette, came up to me with tears in her eyes and said: You've been nominated for an Oscar.”

The actor confesses that at that moment he didn't fully believe it. When he got home, he turned on the television and confirmed it on CNN. “It was surreal,” he recalls.. “I had a dentist appointment that morning (and if you know me, you know I don't go much), so I used that as an excuse to skip it.”

That same day, he received a call from Denzel Washington, his co-star in 'Training Day', who was also nominated. “He told me, 'Do you know why I'm so happy that you were nominated? Because it means that people have seen the movie. And if they have seen it, I'm going to win.'”

Washington was right: he won the Oscar that year. But what marked Hawke the most was the advice he gave him after the ceremony: “He told me: Don't worry. You don't want to win it yet. It will mean a lot more later. And he was right.”

Hawke has waited 12 years for 'Blue Moon'

In the interview, Hawke reflects on how success can be as difficult to handle as failure: “Philip Seymour Hoffman used to say that the two hardest things in our profession are failure and success. Failure can destroy you, but so can success. Phil was the first of our generation to win an Oscar, and he deserved it. Watching a contemporary become a mature artist is inspiring, but it also forces you to confront your ego.”

Hawke also talks about 'Blue Moon', his new film with Linklater, which has taken 12 years to become a reality. The director gave him the script more than a decade ago, but asked him to wait. “I think Rick was waiting for me to get older,” he explains. The character, composer Lorenz Hart, required someone who could embody the emotional exhaustion of an artist who feels obsolete.

Read also

During those years, Hawke and Linklater met periodically to read the script and review it with screenwriter Robert Kaplow. “Most directors don't wait two weeks for an actor. Rick waited more than a decade. That says everything about who he is.”

In 'Blue Moon', Hawke shares the screen with Andrew Scottwhom he admires since he saw him play Hamlet 15 years ago. On a particularly intense day of filming, the two worked on a seven-page scene that condensed 25 years of friendship into a single discussion. When finished, Hawke discovered that Scott had received 19 Emmy nominations that same day. “He didn't mention it at any point. He didn't even stop to call his agent. He just worked. I went home thinking: This guy fits perfectly into our group.”

About his legacy, Hawke is cautious. “Thinking about legacy is dangerous. It makes you see yourself in the third person, and that only leads to vanity or resentment. Nothing good comes out of that conversation.”

He also reflects on his evolution as an actor, moving from youthful roles to more complex work. “The last ten years have been a transition into character work. 'Blue Moon' allowed me to do that kind of performance in a leading role, which was exciting.”