Skip To...
Ethan Hawke is finally addressing a major loss in his career more than two decades after it happened. In 2002, Hawke was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor category for his role in Training Day. His co-star Denzel Washington also received a nomination for Best Actor. Unfortunately, only one of them — Washington — went home with an Academy Award. Despite the big disappointment, Hawke received a piece of life-changing advice from Washington.
Ethan Hawke Reveals Denzel Washington’s Advice After Oscars Loss
Hawke spilled the tea about the big advice he received from Washington during a recent appearance on Who’s Talking To Chris Wallace? When asked about what his co-star said, Hawke confirmed that Washington did tell him, “It’s better that you didn’t win. Losing was better.” Elaborating on the words of wisdom, the 53-year-old said Washington told him:
“You don’t want an award to improve your status. You want to improve the award’s status. That’s the way he thinks.”
Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke explained that Washington urged him to rise above the superficial desires of winning a prestigious award. “The Academy Award has more power because Denzel has a couple. It didn’t elevate who he was,” the Texas native noted. Hawke further likened his co-star to baseball legend Babe Ruth, saying acting with Washington felt like playing with Ruth. In his words:
“That’s what I’m talking about playing with Babe Ruth. When all is said and done he’s the greatest actor of our generation.”
Ethan Hawke
How Does Ethan Hawke Feel About Winning An Oscar?
Although Hawke lost the Academy Award for his role as Detective Jake Hoyt, he went on to bag three more Oscar nominations. He was nominated once more for the Best Supporting Actor category and twice for the Best Adapted Screenplay category. Sadly, Hawke has yet to win an Oscar.
When host Chris Wallace asked if he would have loved to win the Oscars on the fateful night despite Denzel Washington’s advice, Ethan Hawke replied, “No,” before adding, “I mean, yeah, I guess. I was at the Oscars sitting next to Denzel Washington and nominated against Ian McKellen. I had already won. It was impossible for me not to see it any other way.”
