I have totally hitched my wagon to the horse of storytelling, and the idea that none of us know why we're born, or why we're gonna die, or what we're planted here, or what's on the other side of the galaxy, or when time began, or when time end. The whole nature of reality is pretty up for grabs, really.

Ethan Hawke

Categorized in : Ideas Reality Horse

Depression is a real demon in the woods for a lot of creative people, you know? It's part of what the documentary is trying to be about for me, finding balance, where the beauty that is attainable in the creative arts can be matched with the scratchy roughness of regular life.

Ethan Hawke

real people art

You don't need other people to affirm that you're a valuable person.

Ethan Hawke

valuable people needs

Success isn't measured by what you achieve, it's measured by the obstacles you overcome.

Ethan Hawke

obstacles overcoming success

It's difficult to make any kind of action movie that might be unique or worth watching.

Ethan Hawke

unique action might

I met a lot of famous people when I was about 24. And none of them seemed very appealing. And so I didn't know why I would struggle to be that kind of person.

Ethan Hawke

humor inspiration struggle

Read. It makes you more intelligent. It’s that simple. We all see the universe through the tiny keyhole of our own eyes, and every book is another keyhole from which you can gaze.

Ethan Hawke

intelligent eye book

Don't you find it odd," she continued, "that when you're a kid, everyone, all the world, encourages you to follow your dreams. But when you're older, somehow they act offended if you even try.

Ethan Hawke

growing-up dream kids

I don't think Emma Watson needs any advice. She's an incredibly smart young woman who knows what she wants out of life and she has some great parents.

Ethan Hawke

smart parent thinking

Friends can hurt you, but the possibility of pain with lovers is so much greater because your expectations are so high. You don't ask as much of your friends.

Ethan Hawke

pain hurt expectations

Time is what creates trust.

Ethan Hawke

There is no trick to writing a believable love story, a heartbreaking scene or real-sounding dialogue. All you need is to tell the truth. It’s always heartbreaking.

Ethan Hawke

heartbreaking real writing

I really did Regression to work with Alejandro [Amenabar]. I found him very interesting. His movie, The Others, is one of the better scary movies of the last period of time.

Ethan Hawke

regression scary interesting

The older I get, the more I realize how rare it is to meet a kindred spirit.

Ethan Hawke

kindred-spirit realizing spirit

If you can channel the best part of you that is bigger than yourself, where it’s not about your ego and not about getting ahead, then you can have fun and you aren’t jealous of others. You see other people's talent as another branch of your own. You can keep it rooted in joy. Life is long and there are plenty of opportunities to make mistakes. The point of it all is to learn.

Ethan Hawke

jealous mistake fun

Happiness is in the doing not in getting what you want.

Ethan Hawke

getting-what-you-want want happiness

In fact, I think my life is always going to be difficult, because I am trying to do something... "original" is a big word. It's kind of pathetic, but I have to love what I'm doing.

Ethan Hawke

trying facts thinking

Directing is like putting together a collage.

Ethan Hawke

collages together

The older I get, the more obvious it is that you're not really in control of your life, you're a part of a larger wave, no matter who you are.

Ethan Hawke

control-of-your-life wave matter

I've always been interested in directing. I started acting when I was thirteen years old, so I've had some desire to do something else in my life.

Ethan Hawke

acting desire years

The truth is that the more you get paid, the less freedom you have. They never pay you for nothing.

Ethan Hawke

truth-is paid pay