The Major Movie Role Ethan Hawke Is Glad He Lost To Leonardo DiCaprio

Ethan Hawke had always had the vibe of an artistic theatre kid rather than a movie star. He was shooting "Dead Poets Society" at 19 (his second feature), "Alive" and "Before Sunrise" in his early to mid-20s, and "Hamlet" at 30, while his contemporaries like Matthew McConaughey, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Ben Stiller were trying to get into the biggest and most crowd-pleasing movies. He pretty much stayed the course of an artist (even with "Training Day") and stuck to deeper, somber, more existential films that had something to say beyond simply being entertaining. If you look at his career and what he achieved over the years now, it's safe to say that his choices paid off in dividends.

As Hawke revealed in a recent interview with GQ, early stardom would've likely ruined him. He had a shot at it in the mid-'90s when he auditioned for James Cameron's epic box office juggernaut, "Titanic," for the lead role of Jack, which eventually went to DiCaprio, of course. Hawke explained that, in retrospect, he was fortunate not to get that kind of fame so early on. As he said:

"I don't think I would have handled that success as well as Leo. He was a f****** Beatle."

It was also lucky for us that instead of Cameron, he began working with another fantastic filmmaker, Richard Linklater, on one of the best (if not the best), most authentic and beautiful romantic drama trilogies that has ever graced the silver screen.

"Titanic" broke the box office in 1997, but some could argue (myself included) that Andrew Niccol's mind-blowing "Gattaca" — starring Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, and Jude Law — coming out the same year was actually a better and much more nuanced film. More importantly, it expanded Hawke's range and versatility as an actor, which became his trademark. After that movie, you can't really say that he's ever been typecast in anything — especially not in "Training Day" alongside Denzel Washington's "King Kong ain't got s*** on me!" dirty cop — yet in a way he always stayed true to his own vision and artistic integrity without selling his soul (or artsy reputation) for a big paycheque. He also talked about why that is in the same interview. He said:

"Money is as money does. You can use it for freedom. A lot of the best movies I've done don't pay you very well. You've got to do something that's relevant to contemporary audiences. The idea of artistic integrity is a real balancing act. Paul Schrader can want you but if he can't raise the money with you attached, you're going to lose that role."

It's safe to say that he's been doing a great job at balancing. For instance, he admittedly turned down several roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but eventually gave in to play the villain, Arthur Harrow, in Disney+'s "Moon Knight." I mean, you have to admire that even when he's choosing to be in something so light and entertaining, he picks the one project that's quite different and unique from the rest. If it's any indication, his upcoming period drama with Linklater ("Blue Moon") and TV show with "Reservation Dogs" co-creator Sterlin Harjo ("The Lowdown") is another reassurance that Ethan Hawke keeps doing Ethan Hawke even at 54. Good for him (and us), I say.