Ethan Hawke on 'Moon Knight,' 'Gattaca' and His Love of Sci-Fi

During the pandemic, Ethan Hawke knew he'd have to be creative to keep working. "We've all just lived through an extremely interesting time and people were kind of desperate to figure out new ways to make art," he told Newsweek in an exclusive phone interview.

For the four time Oscar-nominated actor, that meant saying yes to a string of projects that may not have otherwise been on his radar, including The Northman ("A bonkers, gonzo metal movie I absolutely love."), Moon Knight ("My first venture into mainstream entertainment in a while."), and the new Audible Original, Fishpriest ("An old school cop drama that's a little bit Training Day and a little bit The Wire.") Such projects became "my war against the pandemic," Hawke said with a laugh.

On Fishpriest

Fishpriest is an eight-episode Audible Original crime drama created and produced by Treefort Media and written by Mike Batistick (The Americans, The Affair) about a disgraced NYPD detective who gets a chance to right past wrongs when an old crime syndicate rises to power again in the Bronx. The story takes place in the 1990s when Thomas "Fishpriest" Barth (Hawke) gets caught in the middle of a drug war after the Jamaican Shower Posse threatens to harm his wife and daughter unless he facilitates the release of a prominent gang member from prison.

"Thomas is a broken individual trying to figure out what love is, what family is, what loyalty is and what to do when these things cross-connect and short circuit," explained Hawke. The character is a familiar one for the actor who frequently portrays members of law enforcement in films like Brooklyn's Finest, and Training Day.

"Cop dramas are incredibly interesting because they are always high stakes but still deal with really ordinary people," he said. He sees the genre as "a cross section of all different kinds of humanity," and a method of storytelling that "doesn't try to be political because you're dealing with all facets of society so it's political in its DNA."

Though there's still plenty of action and intrigue along the way, Fishpriest is unique in how it lets listeners inside the head of Hawke's character as he grapples with the personal cost of undercover work, the toll his choices take on his family, and the real reason he wields a fishing tool as his weapon of choice.

"As a kid he used this tool called a fishpriest to lead fish into the next lifetime and he still carries it around as a tool of intimidation against criminals," Hawke explained. "Like all good crime fiction, the glory is in the details."

On Moon Knight

After wrapping Fishpriest, Hawke went all in on the Disney+ juggernaut, Moon Knight. Hawke told Newsweek he was attracted to the series because it "isn't really connected to the rest of the Marvel Universe. It's its own kind of comic book story." He said Marvel gave him and co-star Oscar Isaac "permission to venture into the unknown," and to "create characters that haven't been played before." For Hawke, it was "a lot of fun" to play the villain, but he said the real joy was getting to work with Isaac and seeing what he was able to do with such a complex character. "There was space in this project for Oscar to create a real three-dimensional performance inside of a swashbuckling action picture," he said.

Hawke also loved diving back into science fiction again. "There were opportunities in Moon Knight for a lot of mind-bending, trippy elements that I think science fiction does better than any genre," he said.

On past roles

Indeed, thanks in part to his own mind-bending performance in Gattaca, the 25-year-old sci-fi film continues to be a topic of discussion, including for how well it predicted the future. One thing Hawke said the film absolutely got right, "is our overwhelming desire as a community and society to place people in labels," and in how much it "nailed how humanity is lost in one's obsession with the accumulation of wealth and status even though that's really not what we're here for."

Hawke also revealed that Gattaca, "has my favorite line I've ever said in a movie." It's a line his character delivers to his brother near the end of the film when asked how he was able to best him despite his having a genetic disadvantage. "I never saved anything for the trip back," Hawke's character replies. "The moment reminds me of the George Bernard Shaw line, 'I want to be thoroughly used up when I die," Hawke explained to Newsweek.

Despite the hundred-plus roles he's had over his career, the one Hawke is probably best known for is his portrayal of Jesse in the Before trilogy. The beloved films, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight, chronicles the love story of Jesse (Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) over nearly two decades as their relationship begins, begins again, and then strains in a way that comes full circle to how the characters met at the start.

"Those films are some of the most meaningful work experiences of my life," Hawke said, unsure if he'll return to the role again in the future. "There's definitely a chance, but there's something about the three films that feels complete to us. None of us want to try and ask lightening to strike four times."

Regardless of lightning striking again for those characters or not, Hawke's career remains red hot as it plays out across streaming services, the big screen, or within one's ear buds. "This has been a fun moment for me," he told Newsweek, "I'm just grateful for the ride."

Fishpriest is available exclusively from Audible starting May 19.