Ethan Hawke Became An Actor Because He Didn't Believe His Father Loved Him
Many were surprised by Ethan Hawke's decision to play the villain in Moon Knight. The actor has been extremely critical of superhero movies (and blockbusters, in general) for years. So, when he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe it absolutely shocked fans. While some believe he did this because The Purge movies might have ruined his career, which once consisted almost entirely of independent dramas, Ethan has admitted that his entire approach to the craft has changed. He doesn't have the same opinion about it that he once did. And he certainly doesn't have the same motivation for being an actor.
In an interview with Vulture, Ethan claimed that he was driven to succeed as an actor in order to win the love of his father, James Steven Hawk. Here's the truth about his fractured relationship with his father, why he became famous, and how he and his career have evolved in 2022.
Who Is Ethan Hawke's Father?
Ethan Hawke's father, James Steven Hawk, was an insurance actuary. And the relationship between the two of them was strained, to say the least. Ethan grew up in Austin, Texas, and claims to be surrounded by "zealots". In an interview with Reader's Digest, he stated that his household was deeply religious. His mother, Leslie, went to an Episcopal Church, and his father was a Baptist. Neither of them was in the arts, and his choice to become an actor wasn't exactly welcomed at first.
Instead of religion, he found his spirituality in movies, music, and novels. And he found this passion quickly as he made his acting debut at the age of 12. Of course, his first big break came when he was cast in Robin Williams' Dead Poets Society. After the acclaimed drama, Ethan's star power skyrocketed for a time. But his newfound celebrity status and ability to pour his soul into his craft didn't fix the hurt in his heart.
James 'Jim' Hawk was only 20 when he had Ethan and divorced his mom just four years later. He soon vanished from Texas and Ethan's life. But a few years later, Jim returned. And this is when Ethan really started to try and win his love.
Why Ethan Hawke Became Famous
During an interview with The New Yorker, Ethan admitted that he tried to be "a lot more religious" to impress his father and even pretended to have a stronger Southern accent as he believed that this would please his dad.
"I loved him so much," Ethan Hawke said. "I wanted him to like me. I was aware that I was performing for him. I hated myself for it."
Ethan claims to have adopted a different personality around his charity worker mother, Leslie. She became fascinated with his artistic side as his career took off. Essentially, Ethan was playing two roles to win his parents' love. And he was just 16-years-old. According to Looper, Ethan had a mental breakdown on a flight because of this and ended up taking off his clothes.
"When I was young, my father was a hero beyond heroes, because it's so easy to love someone who's not present," the actor told Reader's Digest. "And then getting older, I really resented him and felt totally abandoned."
While Ethan initially played down his early successes in Hollywood around his father, part of him wanted to excel there so that his father couldn't deny what a successful man his son had become. In an interview with Vulture, Ethan said that his reasons for becoming an actor have changed since then.
"When I was younger, I think I did it because I wanted people — namely, my father — to notice me and love me. Okay, that’s a pretty juvenile motivation, but an understandable one, right? But if you’re 25 and you’re still acting because of something like that, you’re kind of an idiot. I mean, my father does love me, it’s time to move on! So now that I’m not doing it for attention, am I doing it for material gain? That doesn’t feel honest. So it’s always evolving. I’m always curious to meet actors like Christopher Plummer or Jeff Bridges, people who’ve been doing it even longer than I have. Where does it take you?"
Ethan went on to say, "Luckily, acting can be infinitely fascinating. It’s tied to what it’s like to be alive. Oftentimes, if I can integrate what makes me a good actor with making me a stronger person, then good things happen. I try to listen to my son as effectively in life as I listen as an actor, you know what I mean? In acting, they often say it’s moment-to-moment work, but you also hear that in life, too: Just live in the moment. So acting and being are kind of symbiotic, in a strange way. The more deeply you explore acting, the more you realize that everything about your personality is a kind of artifice. Acting teaches you that you can change the way you talk, but you’re still you. You can change your outfit, you can look like a total idiot, but you’re still you."
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