Ethan Hawke revealed that he finds it ‘crazy’ that actors get cast in projects solely based on their Instagram following.
The Before Sunrise actor, 54 – who has been busy promoting his upcoming musical drama Blue Moon – shared his thoughts on the topic during an appearance at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival this week.
The star explained he is baffled by the idea that social media followers are considered by some casting directors to be more important than talent and experience.
‘I really feel for these people. It’s really hard,’ Hawke stated, per Variety. ‘Sometimes I’ll be setting a movie up and someone will say, “Oh, you should cast Suzie.” I’m like, “Who is she?” “She has ten million followers.”‘
He added, ‘I’m like, “Okay cool, has she acted before?” “No, but…” And you’re like, “Wow, so this is going to help me get the movie made? This is crazy.”
‘So if I don’t have this public-facing [platform], I don’t have a career? And if I get more followers I might get that part? What?’
Ethan Hawke. 54, revealed that he finds it ‘crazy’ that actors get cast in projects solely based on their Instagram following; seen earlier this month in Berlin
Ethan – who currently boasts 1.5 million followers on Instagram – also observed that so many young performers ‘think being an actor is protein shakes and going to the gym.’
The Hollywood star continued, ‘I wish they could meet Phil Hoffman like I did when I was 18, because it’s a much more substantive and enjoyable life.
‘I mean, go to the gym if you want to, but that doesn’t make you – Robert De Niro is not great because he has a six-pack. If the part calls for it, he’ll do it, and that’s awesome. But he’s so much more than that.’
Despite his feelings towards the matter, Hawke revealed that his daughter Maya has actually been teaching the veteran actor how to use social media apps like Instagram.
The Black Phone star shares the Stranger Things actress, 26, as well as son Levon, 23, with ex-wife Uma Thurman. His is also father to Clementine, 16, and Indiana, 13 – whom he shares with wife Ryan Hawke.
Ethan said, ‘She’s like, “Dad, you need an Instagram account…That was a terrible post dad, get rid of it.” But she’s an artist, my daughter.
‘You can’t stop her. She’s always creative: painting, singing, writing music, acting. I don’t worry about her, she’ll figure that out. But I learn a lot from her now.’
Maya also recently claimed that directors are facing increasing pressure to hire actors and actresses who have big social media followings.
The star explained he is baffled by the idea that social media followers are considered by some casting directors to be more important than talent and experience; seen earlier this month in Berlin
Despite his feelings towards the matter, Hawke revealed that his daughter Maya has actually been teaching the veteran actor how to use social media apps like Instagram
She has actually been warned against deleting her own Instagram account by film directors, who suggested that it could harm her career prospects.
Maya held a conversation about the topic during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast last week.
‘I’m talking about deleting my Instagram and [some directors are] like, “Just so you know when I’m casting a movie with some producers, they hand me a sheet with the amount of collective followers I have to get from the cast.”
‘”So if you delete your Instagram and I lose those followers, understand these are the kinds of people I need to cast around you,”‘ she explained.
Ethan has been busy promoting his upcoming biographical musical drama titled Blue Moon – which also stars Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Scott.
The premise follows, ‘the story of Lorenz Hart’s struggles with alcoholism and mental health as he tries to save face during the opening of Oklahoma!’ per an IMDB synopsis.
Hart was notably a lyricist who was also the creative partner of composer Richard Rodgers.
Ethan said, ‘She’s like, “Dad, you need an Instagram account…That was a terrible post dad, get rid of it.” But she’s an artist, my daughter’; the pair seen in 2024 in NYC
Lorenz is known for the lyrics to songs such as Blue Moon, The Lady Is A Tramp, Manhattan and My Funny Valentine.
The film – which was directed by Richard Linklater – is currently competing for the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, which is set to conclude later this week on February 23.
Hawke has opened up about his transformation into a balding Hart – who also stood at five feet tall.
The actor shaved his head for the leading role which was topped with a greasy comb over style – which Ethan expressed was ‘demolishing to my vanity,’ per The Hollywood Reporter.
‘We did it with old stagecraft thing, to make me look shorter, but all day long, I was lower than I am in real life, doing scenes jus
t staring up at Margaret Qualley.’
He reflected, ‘It’s very interesting how people treated you differently, particularly the way women treat you…Everybody giggles at you, they poke your ear, they pat your head and they don’t take you seriously.
‘It was very really important for me to understanding Larry Hart and how he moved through the world.’
Ethan has been busy promoting his upcoming biographical musical drama titled Blue Moon – which also stars Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Scott; seen in 2023 in Sweden
The actor shaved his head for the leading role which was topped with a greasy comb over style – which Ethan expressed was ‘demolishing to my vanity,’ per The Hollywood Reporter; Lorenz seen above (left) with Richard Rodgers
Hawke added of the late lyricist: ‘He was kind of a beautiful wreck of a guy. He had that genius, but then he’s a gay guy, at at time when your sexuality is against the law.
‘He’s [5-foot] tall, he’s balding, he lives with his mom, [and] he’s a addict, which is probably the defining character that’s really screwing up his life,’ he said.
‘As alcohol is the great destroyer of art and lives.’
Blue Moon is slated to release later this year in the United States in May.
