♪♪♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY,
WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW."
MY GUEST TONIGHT IS AN ACTOR, WRITER, AND DIRECTOR YOU KNOW
FROM MOVIES LIKE "DEAD POETS SOCIETY," "BOYHOOD,"
"FIRST REFORMED," AND SO MANY MORE.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW," ETHAN HAWKE!
HI, ETHAN.
>> HEY!
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: HEY!
THERE YOU GO.
MATCHY MATCHY!
GOOD TO SEE YA.
LAST TIME YOU WERE HEAR, WE WERE TOSHING ABOUT YOUR SERIES GOOD
LORD BIRD.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHICH, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO TALK TO YOU.
UNFORTUNATELY SO, SOMETIMES, EVEN WITH THINGS I DESPERATELY
WANT TO SEE, I DON'T HAVE A CLANS TO WATCH IT UNTIL THE
GUEST IS HERE.
I WATCHED IT AFTER YOU WERE HERE.
GOOD LORD, IS GOOD LORD BIRD GOOD.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL.
IT'S FUNNY AND TRAGIC, AND WHAT A GREAT JOHN BROWN, BECAUSE A
CRAZY CHARACTER, I KNOW WE'RE NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT
I WANTED TO LOB THAT AT YA.
>> I APPRECIATE IT.
IT WAS ONE OF THE GREAT EXPERIENCES IN MY LIFE PLAYING
CRAZY JOHN BROWN.
>> Stephen: YOU LIVE IN NEW YORK.
ARE YOU IN NEW YORK NOW.
>> I AM, FREEZING MY BUTT OFF.
>> Stephen: YOU'VE GOT YOUNG KIDS, ARE THEY ENJOYING THE
SNOW?
ARE YOU PLAYING WITH THEM?
ARE THEY SLEDDING SOMEPLACE OR BURYING EACH OTHER?
>> TODAY WAS THE FIRST DAY I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF MY STATUS AS
DAD.
FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR YEARS, I HAVE BEEN SHOVELING THAT WALK.
YOU KNOW WHAT I DID THIS MORNING?
I SAID, GET OUT THERE AND SHOVEL THAT WALK!
I'M SITTING HERE AND HAVING A COFFEE, AND I WATCHED FROM THE
WINDOW.
I SAID, YOU KNOW, THROW THE ROCK SALT DOWN.
THE GIRLS WORKED REALLY HARD AND THEY DID A GOOD JOB, I WAS PROUD
OF THEM.
>> Stephen: HOW OLD ARE THEY?
ALL RIGHT, I HAVE 22-YEAR-OLD AND A 19-YEAR-OLD, BUT THEY'RE
NOT AT HOME.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
AND THEN MY YOUNGER TWO ARE 12 AND 9.
>> Stephen: OKAY, THAT'S OLD ENOUGH TO SHOVEL.
>> YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.
>> Stephen: PUT SOME DAMN HAIR ON THEIR CHEST!
>> THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.
THE 12-YEAR-OLD IS WORKING HARD AND THE 9-YEAR-OLD JUST HAWKS
SNOWBALLS AT HER SISTER THE WHOLE TIME.
>> Stephen: THAT IS THE JOB OF THE YOUNGER SIBLING IS TO HUCK
SNOWBALLS.
>> DIDN'T HELP AT ALL.
>> Stephen: YOU GREW UP IN NEW JERSEY.
YOU HAD ALL KINDS OF SNOW.
>> ALL KINDS OF SNOW.
I SHOVELED MORE THAN MY SHARE OF WALKS.
IVE DONE MY TIME.
>> Stephen: I ACTUALLY GREW UP IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
NOT THAT YOU ASKED, BUT THANK YOU.
I GREW UP IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND WE WERE SO EXCITED FOR SNOW
BECAUSE IF THERE WAS ONE FLAKE, THE CITY, EVERYTHING WOULD SHUT
DOWN.
YOU WOULDN'T GO TO SCHOOL FOR A WEEK.
>> YEAH, I DIDN'T MOVE TO NEW JERSEY TILL I WAS 12, SO,
YOU KNOW, I SPENT A LOT OF MY CHILDHOOD IN TEXAS AND IN
ATLANTA, GEORGIA.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
AND I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME IT SNOWED IN ATLANTA, I JUST
THOUGHT IT WAS, LIKE -- IT WAS GOD SAVING ME FROM A TEST.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD A SNOW DAY AND I DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO THIS
HISTORY TEST.
IT WAS HEAVEN.
>> Stephen: THE THING IS THE KIDS NOW, BECAUSE OF ALL THE
ZOOM TEACHING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON, MY FEAR IS THERE WON'T BE
SNOW DAYS AFTER THIS.
AND WHAT GREATER THING IS THERE FOR A PARENT TO TELL A CHILD, GO
BACK TO BED, IT'S A SNOW DAY?
>> I HAD THAT SAME THOUGHT.
I'M EVEN CURIOUS ABOUT US -- YOU KNOW, LAST TIME I WAS ON THE
SHOW FOR GOOD LORD BIRD, I NEVER THOUGHT THE NEXT TIME I WOULD BE
ON THE SHOW, WE WOULD STILL BE ZOOMING.
>> Stephen: THAT'S RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, I'M AN OPTIMIST, I'M CONSTANTLY THINKING, YOU
KNOW, THREE OR FOUR WEEKS, THIS IS GOING TO BE OVER.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ASPECTS OF THIS TIME OF OUR LIVES ARE GOING
TO CATCH ON.
WILL WE BE DOING ZOOM INTERVIEWS FOR THE REST OF THE TIME?
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN?
I DON'T KNOW.
>> Stephen: I THINK HAIRSTYLES ARE GOING TO CHANGE.
BECAUSE I'VE GOT -- I'VE GOT THE LONGER HAIR THAN I'VE HAD IN A
LONG TIME, AND YOU'VE STILL GOT YOUR JOHN BROWN BEARD.
>> I SHAVED IT OFF.
I JUST LET IT GROW BACK.
THAT'S HOW LONG THIS DAMN PANDEMIC'S BEEN IS THAT YOU
TRIED TO GET YOURSELF BACK TO NORMAL, AND IT DIDN'T WORK.
>> BUT WHO CARES?
WHAT'S NORMAL ANYMORE?
>> Stephen: YOU ARE MANY THINGS.
YOU ARE IN MOVIES, ACTOR, DOCUMENTARIAN, AUTHOR, NOVEL,
MUSICIAN.
HOW DOES ETHAN HAWKE DESCRIBE ETHAN HAWKE?
PIGEON HOLE YOURSELF, ETHAN HAWKE.
>> FIRST OF ALL, I'M NOT ASKED TO DESCRIBE MYSELF VERY OFTEN.
MAKES IT SOUND LIKE I HAVE A TINDER ACCOUNT OR SOMETHING.
>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE A TINDER ACCOUNT?
>> I DON'T, MAN.
I'M A HAPPY MARRIED MAN.
HOW DO I DESCRIBE MYSELF?
I GUESS IF I HAD TO -- PEOPLE OFTEN SAY THAT THING TO ME,
WELL, YOU DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT, TO ME, IT REALLY
DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THAT BECAUSE I'VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING OUTSIDE
THE ARTS.
YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WHEN MY DAD TOOK ME TO VISIT THE UNIVERSITY
OF TEXAS WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT COLLEGES AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S
LIKE THE BUSINESS BUILDING AND THERE'S THE ATHLETIC CENTER AND
THERE'S THE ARCHITECTURE BUILDING AND THEN THERE'S THE
ARTS.
AND THAT'S THE BUILDING I'VE SPENT MY WHOLE LIFE IN, AND
THAT'S JUST HOW I DESCRIBE MYSELF.
I'M IN THAT BUILDING.
I'M HANGING OUT WITH THOSE KIDS.
>> Stephen: IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND, LIKE,
OOOH, I WANT TO TAKE A SHOT AT THAT BUT I HAVEN'T, I'VE NEVER
REALLY DONE IT.
LIKE, HAVE YOU WANTED TO DANCE, OR HAVE YOU DANCED?
>> ARE YOU ASKING ME?
>> Stephen: WELL, I MEAN, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYBODY TO GO
WITH.
>> THIS INTERVIEW BECAME EXTREMELY INTERESTING.
>> SURE.
NO, I'M A REALLY BAD DANCER.
I WISH THAT -- >> Stephen: OR POTTERY OR
SCULPTURE.
IS THERE SOME FENCE THAT YOU HAVEN'T SWUNG FOR BECAUSE YOU
SEEM PRETTY FEARLESS.
>> I STARTED PROFESSIONALLY ACTING WHEN I WAS 13 YEARS OLD,
AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH, BUT IF I DON'T DO OTHER THINGS, I FEEL
LIKE -- MOST PEOPLE AT 13 ARE DOING THEIR PAPER ROUTE.
IF I WAS STILL DOING MY PAPER ROUTE YOU WOULD MAKE FUN OF ME.
I NEED TO DO OTHER THINGS TO SHAKE UP MY PERSPECTIVE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT IT FEELS GOOD.
THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH BECAUSE I SUND LIKE AN IDIOT?
>> Stephen: NO, THE LOGIC MAKES PERFECT SENSE, EXCEPT THE
PART I WOULD BE MAKING FUN OF YOU.
I WOULD JUST BE WORRIED ABOUT YOU.
I DON'T THINK I WOULD LAUGH.
>> NO, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, I FIND THERE'S A BUZZ YOU GET WHEN
YOU TAKE A DARE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT IT THAT YOU FEEL LIKE A
HUMAN BEING.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S THIS THING -- I'M AN ACTOR AND I GO ON THE
COLBERT SHOW AND I TALK ABOUT MY PERFORMANCES AND YOU GET THIS
ATTITUDE OF A PROFESSIONAL, I'M A PROFESSIONAL, AND IT MAKES
YOU, I DON'T KNOW, FEEL LIKE A GROWNUP IN A BAD WAY, LIKE
YOU'RE STUCK IN A RUT OR THAT YOU'RE ATROPHYING IN SOME WAY.
I'VE DONE A DOCUMENTARY, WORKED ON A GRAPHIC NOVEL, DONE PLAYS
AND MOVIES, AND EVERY TIME I PUT MYSELF SLIGHTLY OUT OF MY
COMFORT ZONE, I FEEL ALIVE AGAIN, IN A WAY THAT I LIKE.
>> Stephen: I LIKE ALLILLS TEAR COOK'S DEFINITION OF A
PROFESSIONAL, I'M AN ADULT IN A STILTED WAY IS, BUT ALLISTER
COOK SAID A PROFESSIONAL IS ONE WHO DOES ONE'S BEST WHEN THEY
DON'T PARTICULARLY FEEL LIKE IT.
>> YES.
I AM A PROFESSIONAL ACTOR.
TO BE TOTALLY HONEST, WHEN I WAS A KID MY MOTHER HAD A SHAKER
SAYING ABOVE THE TOIL IT AND SAID MASTER ONE TALENT AND GOD
WILL GIVE YOU MORE.
MASTER CRAFT AND GET THREE.
I HAVE DEDICATED MY LIFE TO IT, I HAVE FELT DIRECTING AND
WRITING ARE ANCILLARY TO ACTING AND TO KIND OF APPRENTICE THOSE
OTHER PROFESSIONS, I LEARN ABOUT MY CHOSEN FIELD AND HELPS ME.
TAKE GOOD LORD BIRD FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, TO PLAY A PART LIKE
JOHN BROWN, IT REQUIRED EVERYTHING -- IT USED EVERY
ASPECT OF ME, AND PART OF BEING A GOOD ACTOR MEANS BEING A FULL
HUMAN BEING, AND DOING THESE EXPERIENCES, I DON'T MEAN
PROFESSIONAL -- I LIKE YOUR DEFINITION OF PROFESSIONAL.
MINE -- I WAS MEANING IT -- I LIKE THE DEFINITION OF AMATEUR
AS A DEFINITION OF SOMEBODY WHO DOES SOMETHING FOR LOVE.
>> Stephen: GOT IT.
AND I TRY TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH THAT AMATEUR LOVE ASPECT
WHILE MAINTAINING THE DISCIPLINE AND INTEGRITY AND RELIABLENESS
OF A TRUE PROFESSIONAL.
>> Stephen: LIKE THAT ADDITIONAL APPRECIATION WE HAVE
FOR THE AMATEUR ATHLETE OR OLYMPIAN DOING IT AS AN
EXPRESSION OF THE FULLNESS OF THE TALENTS THEY WERE GIVEN.
>> OR WHEN YOU LISTEN TO YOUNG OR OLD PEOPLE PLAY MUSIC.
IF YOU SIT AND LISTEN TO A BUNCH OF PEOPLE HANGING AROUND THE
HOUSE THAT AREN'T PROFESSIONAL SINGERS, SOMETIMES THE MOST
HONEST STUFF COMES OUT OF THEIR VOICE, YOU KNOW.
>> Stephen: YOU'VE EXPRESSED YOUR VOICE IN A NEW WAY THIS
TIME, A NEW ART.
YOU'VE WRITTEN A NOVEL "A BRIGHT RAY OF DARKNESS."
I'LL PUT IT OVER THERE SO YOU CAN GET THE BIG PICTURE.
IT'S ABOUT AN ACTOR PLAYING HOT SPUR IN HENRY FORD ON BROADWAY,
A ROLE YOU PLAYED, I UNDERSTAND.
WHY WAS THAT -- WHY DID YOU WANT TO MAKE THAT THE MAIN CHARACTER
OF YOUR BOOK?
BECAUSE HE'S NOT THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THE PLAY.
>> NO, AND I WANTED TO -- THE LAST TIME I WROTE A NOVEL IT WAS
CALLED "ASH WEDNESDAY," IT WAS ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO.
WHEN I WAS ON THE BOOK TOUR, I HAD A VISION OF WRITING A NOVEL
ABOUT THE THEATER, AND I HAD THIS -- I WANTED TO DO FOR THE
ACTOR WHAT MELVILLE DID FOR THE WHALER.
I THOUGHT, WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT IF YOU COULD TAKE PEOPLE'S
SALACIOUS INTERESTS IN ACTING AND SHARE WITH THEM WHAT'S
ACTUALLY TRUE AND BEAUTIFUL ABOUT THE PROFESSION?
NOW, YES, I PLAYED HOTSPUR.
THIS IS A FICTIONAL ACCOUNT.
I TOOK 30 YEARS OF THEATER EXPERIENCE AND TRIED TO WEAVE IT
INTO ONE, YOU KNOW -- WELL, A NOVEL ABOUT A WHOLE THEATER
PRODUCTION, YOU KNOW, THE NOVEL STARTS IN THE FIRST DAY OF
REHEARSAL AND ENDS WHEN THEY STRIKE THE SET.
THAT WAS KIND OF THE ARCHITECTURE FOR THE NOVEL THAT
I HAD 20 YEARS AGO, AND I'VE JUST BEEN WORKING AT IT EVER
SINCE.
I THINK I REALIZED IF I WAS EVER GOING TO CONTRIBUTE AT WRITING,
I SHOULD PROBABLY DO THE FIRST THING WRITING TEACHERS TELL YOU
TO DO WHICH IS WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S WHAT I KNOW
SOMETHING ABOUT, IF I KNOW ANYTHING.
>> Stephen: ETHAN, WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK, BUT STICK
AROUND, FOLKS, BECAUSE, WHEN WE COME BACK, ETHAN'S GOING TO TELL
US ABOUT ONE OF THE COOLEST AND FITTING THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS I
COULD IMAGINE RIGHT NOW.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.