Ethan Hawke’s movies remain effortlessly entertaining in great part due to his stellar performances. While Hawke has put in a considerable amount of excellent work throughout his career, Training Day remains one of his most iconic films. The actor received praise for his role in Antoine Fuqua’s 2001 crime drama, in which he starred opposite Denzel Washington. Unlike his co-star, Hawke didn’t score an Oscar for his work, but he did receive some keen advice from Washington about that loss, which turned out to be “right.”
As part of the 74th Academy Awards, Ethan Hawke was nominated for Best Supporting Actor alongside Ben Kingsley, Ian McKellen, Jim Broadbent and Jon Voight. The category was stacked, and Broadbent ultimately won the award for his performance in Iris. I’d be tempted to think that losing such a prestigious award would sting to some degree. However, as Hawke explained during his appearance on Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, he explained that some wise words from his co-star put it all into perspective for him:
I believe it was Denzel who said to me, ‘Don’t worry, you don’t want to win it yet. It’ll mean so much more later.’ He was right.
That nomination marked the Dead Poets Society alum’s first from the Academy, so I can understand what his thinking is. Had Hawke won the award that night, he obviously would’ve been excited but, if he’d won it so quickly, he may not have treasured it as heavily since he scored that honor his first time around. I’d imagine that an actor appreciates such an honor even more if they’ve worked years to accomplish it. All in all, I find this perspective shared by Hawke and his equally famous co-star refreshing.
In Training Day (which is currently available to stream with a Netflix subscription), Ethan Hawke plays a young LAPD officer named Jake Hoyt, who’s looking to join the department’s narcotics squad. As part of an evaluation for the job, Jake must work with celebrated detective Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) for a day. It’s during that patrol that Jake learns Harris is a corrupt and dangerous lawman.
Ethan Hawke’s performance in the 2000s thriller film is strong, and he was more than deserving of his nomination. While he didn’t win, Hawke was just excited to receive a nod for his work. Amid his interview with Variety, the actor also recalled what happened on the day he learned of his nomination:
I went home and saw it on CNN. It was surreal. I had a dentist appointment that morning — and if you know me, you know I don’t go to the dentist much — and I used it as an excuse to skip it. Then Denzel called and said, ‘You know why I’m so happy you were nominated? If you got nominated, it means people saw the movie. And if people saw the movie, I’m going to win.’
Denzel Washington certainly knows how to keep a level head, and he seemingly maintained it throughout awards season as well. For his role as Harris, he won the Oscar for Best Actor, becoming only the second Black actor to win in that category. Washington’s turn as Alonzo is both scary and mesmerizing, and who could forget the iconic “King Kong” scene? Washington may not fret about Oscar wins or snubs, but it’s fair to say it would’ve been surprising had he not been awarded one for this stellar performance. To put it simply, that kind of dramatic turn is like lightning in a bottle.
As for Ethan Hawke, he later received three more nominations from the Academy – two for Best Adapted Screenplay and another for Best Supporting Actor. Eyes are once again on him, as many are predicting he’ll be a major awards contender this year due to his leading role in Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon. It’s likely Hawke will receive various nominations in the coming months, including an Oscars nod. Yet, based on his Training Day-related comments, I doubt Hawke will be fixated on trophies (though it’d be great to see him win).
Check out Hawke’s range by seeing Blue Moon and The Black Phone 2, which are now playing in theaters amid the 2025 movie schedule.