Ethan Hawke names the only three actors who can do it all: “Most people can’t”
Despite his expansive career and considerable success, Ethan Hawke remains one of the few actors who seems genuinely uneasy with the limelight. He often prefers to focus on the accomplishments of others, admiring the people who inspire him. This humility and gentle demeanour bleed into his craft, enabling him to create layered and vulnerable characters that resonate with humanity.
When asked about the actors who most inspire him, Hawke highlighted three individuals who consistently defy convention, emphasising the unique traits that allow them to stand apart in their craft.
Few great actors can truly adapt to any character—many are good at playing villains and many are great at playing the protagonist, but few can blend both categories. However, Hawke explained that he believes the hallmark of a great actor is the ability to do both, saying, “The greats can play offense and defense, and most people can’t. Jack Nicholson, Gene Hackman and Denzel manage to be equally compelling as protagonist and antagonist.”
Nicholson, of course, is one of the most celebrated actors of all time, rising to fame as the studio system in Hollywood began to crumble and forging a new path with the new auteurs of the time, working with Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Roman Polanski, Michelangelo Antonioni and Dennis Hopper. He expertly blurs this line in The Shining, being someone we both pity and are terrified of, swinging to new levels of unhinged madness as his character becomes plagued by the desire to murder his own family inside the abandoned hotel. However, he can also tug on your heartstrings while also playing a deeply selfish character, finding a way for us to feel for the character in Five Easy Pieces through his own self-loathing and fear of failure.
Denzel Washington has done something similar in his career. Through his performances in films like Training Day, The Tragedy of Macbeth, and Malcolm X, he explores the unspoken aspects of his characters in a commanding yet subtle way. He knows when to dip into the darkness and when to come back into the light, finding a perfect balance between the two.
Gene Hackman, meanwhile, is perhaps best known for The Conversation, The French Connection, and Bonnie and Clyde. His weathered yet emotionally revealing persona makes him the ultimate movie star. He is haunting as the villain in the 1978 Batman film while intensely sad and fraught in The Conversation.
The legacy of these actors continues to resonate with artists today, with many actors citing them as key influences in their work due to their fearlessness and dedication towards their craft. I’m sure many would also praise Hawke for similar reasons, despite his self-deprecating language about his work, with performances in Before Sunrise and First Reformed that have hugely moved people around the world and in which I cannot imagine a world without him.
