Ethan Hawke says his journey with filmmaker Richard Linklater has led to the “role of a lifetime” playing Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon. The two have been collaborating for years. Audiences got to watch Jesse (Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) fall in love and then realize the reality of staying with a “soul mate” in the Before Trilogy. Hawke reprised his role as Jesse in the mixed media animation, Waking Life. He spent twelve years filming Boyhood. Hawke is in two of Linklater’s lesser-known works: The Newton Boys and Tape.
Nadine Whitney spoke with Ethan about the decades long collaboration.
Nadine Whitney: You’ve spent a lot of time with Richard. He’s a genre chameleon in a similar manner to you and your choice of roles. Are you ever surprised by his ideas?
Ethan Hawke: Yeah. I mean, it was so fun when I sat and watched an early cut of Nouvelle Vague. I’ve known this guy for 30 years. It was just the two of us. I watched it. I literally looked at him and thought “Who are you?” I had no idea that movie was inside of him. He continues to surprise me. Hitman is such an interesting work.
I mean, there’s a certain style, you know, the Before Trilogy and Boyhood are kind of one lane. But then there’s something else. I remember when I went to go see School of Rock, I was like, well, you just made a classic movie. Like, what? His career is so fascinating to me. If you know him well, none of it is really surprising except making a movie in black and white in French, because his French is terrible!
I feel so proud of watching him evolve. I knew, I knew after seeing Slacker that his was one of the great voices of my generation. I just I felt it walking out of the movie theater. I was like, who is this person? I hadn’t met him yet. You know, but to get to grow up with him and watch him evolve into where he is now. He’s a great teacher, too. I love his knowledge of cinema and the way that he puts its force into the world.
I love the way he thinks, I love how humble he is. I love how hard working he is. You know, a little bit like Sidney Lumet or something. He doesn’t sign his name to the bottom of everything. Every movie has its own identity and own personality. I mean, there’s a certain continuity to what makes a Linklater film, it’s very warm.
I just really enjoy working with him, and I like, I like the subjects that interest him. So, we’re very simpatico that way.
