Ethan Hawke, with a career peppered with critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations, once experienced the bittersweet melody of Oscar near-misses. Nominated for his role in Richard Linklater’s groundbreaking drama Boyhood (2014), Hawke, 53, faced stiff competition in the Academy Awards race. The actor felt his chances would slip away after he beheld J.K. Simmons’ incredible performance in Whiplash.
Make note that Hawke was nominated for his first Oscar in the Best Supporting Actor category for Antoine Fuqua’s Training Day; however, Jim Broadbent won the honor for his role in Iris.
As nobody enjoys losing, Hawke may have needed some guidance, which he eventually received from Denzel Washington, who gave him some encouraging words after this Oscar loss. The former has also received Oscar nominations for a couple of other films, including Before Sunset and Before Midnight.
How Did J.K. Simmons’ Win for Whiplash Impact Ethan Hawke’s Oscar Aspirations?
Ethan Hawke is no stranger to the splendor of one of Hollywood’s biggest nights—the Academy Awards. The decorated actor has been nominated several times over the years, but it was his nomination for the Richard Linklater drama Boyhood that has stuck with him the most.
Sadly, Hawke’s chances of taking home the Oscar were considerably faded after he saw J.K. Simmons’ incredible work in the psychological drama Whiplash. Hawke previously spoke on Live! With Kelly and Michael about his thoughts on the prestigious award (via E Online).
As Hawke reflected on his Oscar journey, he couldn’t help but acknowledge the brilliance of the legendary Spider-Man actor in Whiplash. The former confessed that Simmons’ performance was so exceptional that he already felt defeated after watching his film.
I saw that movie Whiplash. That movie was so good I walked out and my wife said, ‘How do you like it?’ ‘Oh, it was great’ .
When his wife asked, “Why do you say that?” Hawke admitted:
That guy just took my Oscar. I really knew it. The guy is brilliant in that movie. I love that movie.
Whiplash won the Academy Awards for Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing, among other honors, and made $49 million on a $3.3 million budget (Box Office Mojo). Hawke received his first Oscar nomination for Training Day, which he eventually lost. Despite this defeat at the Academy Awards, the actor found solace in the advice given to him by his co-star, Denzel Washington.
Ethan Hawke Reflected on Denzel Washington’s Guidance After Oscar’s Defeat
In recognition of his work in Antoine Fuqua’s crime thriller Training Day, Ethan Hawke received a 2002 Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Thankfully, his co-star Denzel Washington—who also happened to win the Best Actor Oscar for the same film that same evening—gave him some much-needed insight.
Last month, during his appearance on the Max series Who’s Talking to Chirs Wallace? Hawke revealed the counsel Washington offered him after the former’s Oscar rout (via Deadline). According to Washington’s logic, as the Boyhood actor put it,
It’s better that you didn’t win. Losing was better. You don’t want an award to improve your status. You want to improve the award’s status. That’s the way he thinks.
In his laudatory remarks, Hawke admired his Training Day co-star’s perspective and recognized the “power” that the Academy Award holds because of actors like Washington:
The Academy Award has more power because Denzel has a couple. It didn’t elevate who he was.
Washington is a celebrated actor who has received numerous Oscar nominations and has won two of them, as Hawke mentioned. Glory, a historical drama from 1989, earned the former his first Oscar in 1990 for his supporting performance. He has received nominations for a number of other flicks, including Malcolm X, Fences, Cry Freedom, and Flight.
Anyway, Ethan Hawke’s journey with the Academy Awards is not just about the nominations or the wins, but about his dedication to his work and his respect for his fellow actors.
Whiplash is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
