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

Categorized in : Thinking Facts Trying

I've very rarely worked with somebody that had such a clear idea of what Alejandro Amenábar wanted to do and what he wanted to achieve. The guy is incredibly prepared. He was clearly making a movie for himself and his own dream. I just tried to be a part of that dream. It's a rare opportunity.

dream opportunity ideas

I did this movie right after it about the life of Chet Baker. It's called Born to Be Blue. In that situation, there's a real clear character you're drawing on. It's a real person. It's really exciting and interesting to do the research to figure out how to make that a nuanced, three-dimensional human being.

real blue character

It's always a unique challenge when you're working with somebody where English is their second language.

language unique challenges

The script [of Regression] wasn't the draw for me. It was largely Alejandro [Amenabar] and his way of talking. To hear him talking about the script was way more interesting than the script. He wrote it, and so, English is his second language. It's an interesting thing. I've had that before. I was directed by Alfonso Cuarón before, too. It's always interesting when you're being directed by somebody like that. So much of directing is about communication, and finding the right words, and what it means, and how to convey certain emotions and ideas.

communication talking mean

Whenever a really passionate, talented filmmaker seems to have an interest in me, I take it very seriously because I like to work.

filmmaker passionate interest

Alejandro Amenábar has a unique way of approaching movies and thinking about something which was new to me. It was different. I have a lot of respect for him so I just took a gamble.

different unique thinking

Alejandro Amenábar is a very interesting filmmaker. I had really liked The Others, which was a movie he made with Nicole Kidman a few years ago. He made a very compelling case about how much he wanted me to be in this movie. Whenever a really passionate, talented filmmaker seems to have an interest in me, I take it very seriously because I like to work.

bars years interesting

I feel like everyone I meet is an imaginary friend. I don't know. The older I get the more I wonder what's real.

real wonder feels

For me, the real goal is to integrate. The thing that I'm most happy with is the fact that I've been able to keep doing all of it - to keep writing, and to keep acting in movies, and to keep acting on the stage, to keep directing plays. I find that they feed each other, and that I learn about acting from directing and I learn about writing from acting.

real play writing

Nightmares are a strange thing. Your worst fear is sometimes something you enjoy thinking about, for some strange reason. I don't know why that is, but it's some kind of fantasy that people play out. "What would I do to protect my children? I'd do anything." And then, you watch it play out. I'm petrified of such a thing.

play children thinking

I’m always astonished, I’m sure you are too, you can go on Apple TV now and see that Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow made a movie together that I never heard of. What? and like, Matt Damon’s in a Clint Eastwood movie I never heard of?

entertainment

And I noticed recently if you put in a column of every movie I ever did where I carry a gun, and every movie where I don’t, and my salary… I really think it would be about 92 percent to 8 percent.

entertainment

You realize how much our identity has been wrapped up, about what we want, and how we see people, and how hard it is to sell a movie without a gun — no wonder we’re in turmoil over this subject.

entertainment

You know, I auditioned for 'Titanic.' Sometimes I muse on what would have happened. That would have been such a different life.

know you sometimes life