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Ethan Hawke Explains Why Denzel Washington Once Told Him He Didn’t ‘Deserve’ An Oscar Nomination

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The Blue Moon actor also opened up about how he keeps award chatter from taking over his work and mindset
Ethan Hawke has revealed that his Training Day co-star Denzel Washington once told him he did not “deserve” an Academy Award for his role in the 2001 crime thriller.At the 74th Academy Awards, Hawke, now 55, earned a nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category for his performance in the film.

He faced stiff competition that year from actors including Jon Voight, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Sir Ian McKellen, before ultimately losing out to British actor Jim Broadbent for his role in Richard Eyre’s Iris.

 

 

The Texas-born actor would later go on to receive three more Oscar nominations, including nods in 2005 and 2014 for Best Adapted Screenplay, and another Best Supporting Actor nomination in 2015.Meanwhile, his Training Day co-star Washington, now 70, took home the Best Actor award at the 2002 ceremony, marking his second Oscar win after earning Best Supporting Actor for Glory in 1990.

According to Hawke, Washington believed that while the nomination was meaningful, the timing of a win mattered just as much.

Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke starred in Training Day togetherWarner Bros.
Reflecting on Washington’s advice and his own award experiences, the father of four told CBS Sunday Morning’s Tracy Smith: “I saw the whole thing as a victory lap.”“I knew that if not for the great light of Denzel’s performance, nobody would have even noticed me. So I was amused. I was nominated against Ian McKellen for Gandalf. Greatest performance in cinema history. He didn’t win either.”

“Another time I was nominated against Robert Duvall. One of my favourite actors and he didn’t win either. You take this for what it is.”

 

 

He went on to explain Washington’s thinking further, saying: “Denzel said something to me that I hope I am not paraphrasing. But the idea is that you don’t want to win now; you’re too young.”“It’ll kill your drive. You don’t deserve it yet. Earn it… By the time you get it, you want to earn it.”

Washington reportedly told Hawke that it wasn’t his time to winJ. Vespa/WireImage

 

 

The Black Phone actor added that Washington encouraged him to think differently about awards, suggesting that instead of letting a trophy boost his reputation, he should focus on using his reputation to give weight to the award itself.“Gotcha. I hear you loud and clear. So that keeps you working. Keeps you hungry.”

When asked whether he is deliberately tuning out the renewed Oscar buzz surrounding his latest film Blue Moon, in which he plays American lyricist Lorenz Hart, Hawke responded with a thoughtful pause.

 

 

“We live in a culture where it’s really hard to do anything now. You have to hold it in balance and be really grateful to be at this age, doing it this long, and have that conversation even exist,” the Gattaca star said.“The conversation existing is a victory in itself.”

He added that part of him still wants to honor the years of dedication he has put into his craft, and that there is real joy in simply loving the work and the experience of making the film.

 

 

For his performance in Blue Moon, Hawke has already picked up awards from film critics groups in Toronto, Los Angeles, and Boston.He is also currently in contention for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.

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