Ethan Hawke: “Today is a much better time than before to make movies as a young woman”
The actor Ethan Hawke, 47, is concerned that his eldest daughter Maya Thurman-Hawke, 19, is about to enter the acting business: “On the one hand, it is frightening to see my daughter getting into this business now. But if you know her you will understand that there is no alternative: She is determined to become an actress.” The #MeToo debate has come at just the right time for the father: “The good news is that the #MeToo debate is currently setting a real revolution in motion. Today is a much better time than before to make movies as a young woman. Even though I didn’t notice any abuse myself, I have seen bad male behaviour throughout my whole career. And I am pleased that some of these men are now being brought to justice.” The actor, however, warns against adding too much to the debate: “Of course, we should distinguish between those who are abusing from a position of power and those who simply have an odd fetish. Because sexuality is also something strange. And I’ve met a lot of strange women and men in my life, whom I wouldn’t necessarily place in the category of abusive.” Hawke is hoping for more jobs for women in Hollywood: “I hope that one of the positive effects of the #MeToo debate will be that women will end up getting more jobs in the film business. It’s a disgrace how far away we are from 50:50 when it comes to directing, for example.”
Hawke also talks about how he sees himself at the age of 47: “Yes, I am more relaxed. I’ve been feeling like an old young man for the past ten years. Now I’d say I feel like a young old man. Much earlier I always blamed everyone else for the bad things in life. As a young man, I was carrying a kind of basic frustration around with me. What I notice now is that I am less interested in myself than I used to be.”
Please indicate the source “ZEITmagazin MANN”. The new edition is published on Tuesday, 13 March 2018.
