Ethan Hawke is only 55, but he’s a very old soul by Hollywood standards.
The versatile star got plenty of work as a child actor, dating back to films like “Explorers,” “White Fang” and “Dead Poets Society.” And he never stopped, stacking up an impressive crush of roles over three decades including his Oscar-nominated turn in “Blue Moon.”
Hawke plays lyricist Lorenz Hart at a critical time in his life and career. It’s the star’s latest collaboration with director Richard Linklater (“Boyhood,” “Before Sunrise”).
Few actors grasp the Hollywood ecosystem quite like Hawke. Been there, survived that. That’s impressive, given how cutthroat show business can be.
That means he knows that sharing his progressive views won’t hurt his professional standing. Heck, it’ll only help.
Take the politically-charged comments he made last month regarding the current administration. He didn’t mention the name Trump, but he didn’t have to utter it.
“There’s a kind of fear in the air that I’ve never felt before,” he continued. “And it’s not America. To get to be an artist in a free country, I’ve had enough of an education to know what a privilege that is. And I don’t feel that way anymore. And that’s something that has to change.”
Mind you, Hawke didn’t speak up during the rise of Cancel Culture, sensitivity reader censorship, The Twitter Files or other speech assaults.
Now, he sees a frightening new America under a certain U.S. President. And that wasn’t all he’s said about Trump.
Last year, Hawke excoriated the real estate mogul for demanding restitution for the government’s Russia collusion hoax investigation.
Agree? Disagree? Hawke went there all the same. And he didn’t suffer any blowback for that stand. (Nor should he, of course)
Now, Hawke is singing a different tune.
The actor, when pressed about artists addressing political subjects like so-called “fascism,” Hawke offered a radically different take.
“Alright… the last place you probably want to look for advice in your spiritual counsel is a bunch of jet-lagged, drunk artists talking about their films.”
He then segued to a more generic commentary on the “power of cinema,” tying it back to his new film, “The Weight.” He capped his response by saying he’s against “fascism,” which is akin to suggesting it’s wrong to kill people or steal from strangers.
It’s as inocuous as possible.
What changed?
Perhaps he’s been reading about other A-list stars who have decided to clam up about politics and let their work speak for them. Or, he may know that while the Legacy Press will fawn over every progressive word he utters, social media users and podcasters will fact-check him.
Either way, Hawke did a remarkably 180 on political “hot takes” in mere weeks.
