The pair star as half-brothers traveling to their estranged father’s funeral in the new movie Raymond & Ray.
Why not go to me and ask ifEwan’sokay?"
joked Hawke at the PEOPLE and EW video studio at theToronto International Film Festivalin September.
Ari + Louise
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How is it that you and Ewan have not worked together yet?
I feel like you’ve been in each other’s orbit for a while.
ETHAN HAWKE:Funnily enough, we were attached to being in anAndrew Niccolfilm together.
Apple TV +
I want to say it was like 2000, 2001 or something.
And I don’t remember what happened.
The financing never came through or something like that.
Gilles Mingasson/Apple TV+.
But it was a great script by the same guy who wroteGattaca.
We’d been on each other’s radar for a long time.
What was it about this character that drew you in?
I was craving to do something simple and human.
And I wanted to do something simple and human.
There was something simple about it that, as an audience member, I find really appealing.
So I just wanted to make something like this, where the movie relies on intimacy and human behavior.
As an actor, you’re always drawn to those kinds of materials.
Speaking of those movies in the 90’s, you reminded me ofReality Bitesback in the day.
What would your character Troy Dyer think of your career arc?
It was a similar kind of character.
What Troy would think of my career, I don’t know.
He didn’t seem to be very impressed with anybody or anything.
Ray definitely does seem like Troy at 50 in some ways.
What kind of direction did you get from Rodrigo?
Did you base him on anybody?
You don’t have to fabricate a lot of it.
I just related to the guy.
You have to really think a lot about it.
Whereas this guy just felt like I knew him.
Did you bring any of your own relationship with your father into playing this character?
Well, I don’t think our experiences as human beings are extraordinarily unique.
A lot of the things that we feel most deeply we have in common with each other.
The specifics are not like my family at all.
But really the play is the thing.
And so I think this rumination on fatherhood and death and what brotherhood means are very alive for Rodrigo.
He’s thinking about them a lot.
And I do as well.
And so it’s all interesting.
I find it endlessly interesting.
It’s endlessly fascinating no matter what your family dynamic is.
What did you and Ewan talk about in terms of getting that relationship right and making it feel authentic?
Well, the joy of working with Ewan is that he’s always authentic.
I mean, it’s part of who he is and what makes him a good actor.
He’s an extremely honest person and extremely funny and he’s a good leader.
The easiest analogy about acting is it’s so much like being a part of a sports team.
There’s similar dynamics as far as team building and working well with others.
It’s like a piece of music.
There’s a place and time in any band.
He’s so good at it and he’s so experienced.
He’s been in all different kinds of films throughout his career, and so have I.
So we have a similar aesthetic.
It made it extremely easy.
Is there a particular role of Ewan’s that’s your favorite?
One of my favorites isBig Fish.
I always thought he was incredible in that movie.
And I mean, his consistency is extremely impressive.
I mean, it’s possible for you to talk aboutTrainspottingorMoulin RougeorBig FishorObi-Wan.
And the grace and ease and poise he has through all those performances.
But if I had to pick, I’d sayBig Fish.
It would be fun to put hisTrainspottingcharacter and myReality Bitescharacter together.
And they would probably take the piss out of both of us.
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