Ethan Hawke has been nominated for an Oscar for lead actor for his role in “Blue moon,” directed by Richard Linklater from a screenplay by Robert Kaplow. In the film, Hawke plays lyricist Lorenz Hart, who wrote the sharp, witty words to such standards as “My Funny Valentine” and “Blue moon.”
The drama captures one night with Hart near the end of his life as he waits at Sardi’s for his former songwriting partner Richard Rogers (played by Andrew Scott) to arrive for a party celebrating the premiere of “Oklahoma!” by turns funny and self-pitying, full of regrets, disappointments and thwarted ambitions, Hart is portrayed by Hawke as a man who has frequently enough been his own biggest obstacle and is coming to realise his time has passed him by.
Hawke had been previously Oscar-nominated for supporting actor in 2001’s “Training Day” and 2014’s “Boyhood” – and for co-writing “Before Sunset” and “Before Midnight.” He has been acting professionally as he was a teenager, with an extensive list of credits that includes “Dead Poets Society,” “Reality Bites,” “Gattaca,” “Hamlet,” “Before the devil Knows You’re Dead,” “First Reformed” and many more.
Speaking on the phone during the morning of the Oscar nominations from his home in Brooklyn, the 55-year-old hawke showed no signs of slowing down, as he was heading to Park City, Utah, the next day for the Sundance Film Festival. His new project, “The weight,” starring Hawke and produced by his wife Ryan Hawke, would be premiering there and Hawke would also be speaking at a tribute to Robert Redford.
“It is true that this last year is one of the hardest working years of my life,” said Hawke. “I went from ‘Blue Moon’ straight to ‘The Lowdown’ straight to ‘The Weight.’ Somehow figured ‘Black Phone 2’ in there. I worked my ass off the last year. Ask my kids; they’re not happy about it.”
You recently did an interview where you said you thought you were maybe doing too many interviews. So I guess I apologize in advance.
Ethan Hawke: It’s just funny, the amount of energy it takes to kind of penetrate the zeitgeist today is a lot more than it used to be.I hate to sound like an old man, but it used to be you go on “Letterman” and everybody knew about your movie. And now it’s like, wow.It’s just a lot different.
Congratulations on your nomination today. Were you watching the announcements? How did you find out?
Hawke: I don’t do that to myself. I found out because my wife woke me up and told me.I let myself try to sleep in so that I could try to avoid the stress.
This is your fifth Oscar nomination, but the first for
Ethan Hawke expressed deep gratitude and personal connection to the recent New York Stock Exchange bell-ringing ceremony celebrating the film “Musical Chairs.” He described the event as particularly meaningful, given the film’s origins in a long-standing friendship with director Richard Linklater.
“It feels so fantastic to get this for a movie that was made so organically and rose up through friendship,” hawke said. “robert Kaplow is a brilliant screenwriter and Rick’s his friend, and we’ve been talking about this for a decade. That’s the way all of the projects that I’ve done with Rick have happened – they’re born out of friendship.”
Hawke emphasized the importance of friendship in life, stating, “Friendship is the substance of our life. When friendships happen the right way, they’re effortless, and your life is richer as of them. Your character is improved. I always tell my kids,you spend your life with your friends,so choose them wisely. They really shape you.” He considers Linklater a defining filmmaker of their generation.
He noted Linklater’s unique approach to filmmaking,highlighting that despite directing two critically acclaimed films this year – “Blue Moon” and “Nouvelle Vague” – Linklater doesn’t seek personal accolades. “He disappears and lets the project appear,” Hawke explained, drawing a comparison to the late director Sidney Lumet, praising both filmmakers’ dedication to their work.
Hawke’s connection to the film extends beyond the collaboration. He felt a strong resonance with the story of Lorenz Hart and the themes explored in “Musical Chairs.” “It has to do with what the film’s about – my love of the theater and the people who dedicate their life to creativity, and the highs and lows of that life. It’s kind of a howl into the night of an artist being left behind.” He acknowledged the frequent indifference artists face, contrasting it with the excitement of the bell-ringing ceremony.
The project’s decade-long growth, characterized by patience and a delicate approach, also resonated with Hawke. He and Linklater understood the film’s fragility and nurtured it over time.
