Ethan Hawke is one of the most well-known and respected actors in Hollywood. Throughout his career, he made a legacy through the art he created, starring in movies of all genres and establishing himself as one of the greats. Having starred in many projects, he has also worked with some of the finest, most talented actors the industry has to offer.
In 2001, the actor starred alongside Denzel Washington in the massively successful film, Training Day. The film received excellent responses from fans and became extremely critically acclaimed. So much so, that it was nominated for two Academy Awards, for both the lead actor’s performances.
Although Washington secured his win, the same wasn’t the case for Hawke. During a recent interview, the Dead Poets Society actor revealed a piece of advice he was given by the Malcolm X actor that changed his perspective on the loss.
Oscars and Losses
In 2002, Ethan Hawke and Denzel Washington were both nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor categories, respectively, for their work in Training Day. It was Hawke’s first time getting nominated, and Washington was nominated for the fifth time. Unfortunately, by the end of the ceremony, only one of them took an award home.
While Washington won his second Oscar, Hawke lost his to Jim Broadbent, who won for his work in the 2001 film, Iris. It is only natural that facing such a loss on his first nomination was a very upsetting thing for the actor.
However, during a recent interview, Hawke revealed something else that made him feel a lot better.
Denzel Washington Changed Ethan Hawke’s Perspective
Recently, Ethan Hawke made an appearance on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace, where he talked about his first Oscar loss. It would seem that right after he lost the award, Denzel Washington turned and whispered some very meaningful words to the actor that have stuck with him to date.
“You don’t want an award to improve your status. You want to improve the award’s status,” Hawke recalled, quoting his former co-star. “That’s the way he thinks, and that’s what I’m talking about playing with [baseball great] Babe Ruth.”
Trying to make Hawke feel better about his loss, Washington told him that one does not need to win an award so one can gain more recognition; one should win an award, which would give the award more recognition. Such a mindset stuck with Hawke, who then went on to call the Malcolm X actor one of the greatest of all time.
Training Day is available for streaming on Netflix.
