Ethan Hawke Shines a Light on a Musical Legend With Blue Moon

Ethan Hawke, one of Hollywood's most versatile actors, first worked with director Richard Linklater in 1995 on the romantic drama Before Sunrise, in which he played a young American who falls in love with a French woman. Exactly 30 years later, they've released their ninth collaboration. In Blue Moon, Hawke plays the brilliant but tormented lyricist Lorenz Hart, the man behind "My Funny Valentine." The film is set over a single evening at Sardi's restaurant in New York, as Hart drinks himself into oblivion at the opening night party for Oklahoma!, the groundbreaking musical by his former creative partner, Richard Rodgers (played by Andrew Scott). The film is melancholy and heartbreaking, but Hawke plays Hart with the wit and charm of the lyricist's best songs, which landed him a Golden Globe nomination for best actor.

Do you have a favorite Rodgers and Hart song?

I played Chet Baker in another film, and anybody who knows Chet or that period of jazz knows there’s a ton of Rodgers and Hart all through his career. I performed “My Funny Valentine” in the Chet Baker movie, so I have a long relationship with that song. I learned to play it on the trumpet; I learned to sing it. It’s one of the most romantic songs ever written. Hart’s lyrics are like perfect haikus; his turns of phrase are so captivating and unexpected.

Richard Linklater sent you the script many years ago.

Yes, the dialogue was razor-sharp; it was lacerating. It was strangely like a Rodgers and Hart song, both melancholy and joyous. I called Linklater and said I loved it, that it should star me. And he said, “You can’t play this part; women still want to sleep with you. But maybe if we wait…” So we worked on the script for about a decade. And finally, Rick called me and said, “I saw you on Jimmy Fallon last night, and you’re ready for Blue Moon.” That was a joke, and also not a joke.

What was your first role in a movie?

I was 14. It was a film called Explorers, and my costar was River Phoenix. It was like a dream, and I don’t say that in a positive way. Being ripped from high school and being on a Hollywood film set was an out-of-body experience. It was like an acid trip. The movie was a giant flop, and that was incredibly depressing and a great blow to my 15-year-old mind. My next film was Dead Poets Society, and that restored my faith. It was a before-and-after moment for me.

Are you more like a cat or dog?

Everyone who knows me would say that I’m a dog. I’m friendly—I wish I wasn’t. I always wanted to be cooler.

Do you have a go-to karaoke song?

I don’t sing karaoke—I like watching people sing karaoke. I’ve spent so little of my adult life single, but when I have been single, I like karaoke because women seem to enjoy it so much. I like people to be relaxed, and karaoke is very effective for getting them relaxed.

It's not a flattering quality, but I think that I'm a closeted musician. I love music so much that singing badly personally offends me. I don't want to do it. I don't mind other people doing it, but in the back of my mind, I'm good at it. And whenever I do karaoke, I'm not good at it.

Do you have any scars?

I did Shakespeare's Henry IV, and I played Hotspur. I got a terrible cut in one of the sword fights, right in my stomach. It was a profound moment in my life because I felt like I was dying, my character was dying, and I had to keep doing all these shows. And when I was about 16, I got stabbed. It was one of the first times I was absolutely bombed out of my mind. My friend’s father had two swords over their fireplace. We took them down and had a massive sword fight.

Have you ever pretended to have a skill in order to get a part?

One of my favorite quotes is when somebody asked Warren Beatty if he’d ever had any homosexual experiences, and he said, “Let me put it this way: I’m not above blowing Tennessee Williams for a very good part.” Meaning, “I could pretend!” That’s part of my job.

Style Director: Allia Alliata di Montereale. Codirector: Frank Lebon. Director of photography: André Chemetoff. Hair by Jawara for L’Oréal Professional at Art Partner; makeup by Lauren Parsons for Sisley Paris at Art Partner; manicure by Jolene Brodeur for Dazzle Dry at the Wall Group. Set design by David White at Streeters.