Most actors in Hollywood have learned not to bite the hand that feeds them—namely the Academy Awards. But Ethan Hawke had no problem criticizing the Oscars in a recent interview with Gotham magazine.
“People want to turn everything in this country into a competition, so it’s clear who the winner is and who the loser is,” Hawke said. “It’s why they like to announce the grosses of movies, because it’s a way of saying, ‘This is No. 1.’”
The Hollywood Reporter quickly recounted the actor’s ravings against the Oscars. “It’s so asinine…if you look at how many forgettable, stupid movies have won Oscars and how many mediocre performers have Oscars above their fireplace,” Hawke ranted. “Making a priority of chasing these fake carrots and money and dubious accolades, I think it’s really destructive.”
Perhaps Hawke is just exhibiting sour grapes for not winning when he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for 2001’s Training Day or for co-writing 2004’s Before Sunset screenplay.
On the other hand, maybe Hawke did learn his lesson, because after the release of his Gotham interview, the actor released another statement to The Hollywood Reporter trying to make amends.
“I think the Oscars do a very good job in representing much of the great work in a given year. Inevitably though, many great films and performances are not recognized and can be overlooked due to the mass marketing and PR machines that march through the awards season. I don’t mean to take anything away from the genuine and deserved excitement that every nominee should feel.”
Looks like Hawke doesn’t want to alienate every single person in Hollywood….or those that might make it to the theater to see his next film, The Purge.
