Ethan Hawke on Shedding Hair and Height to Play Lorenz Hart in ‘Blue Moon’

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Ethan Hawke‘s acting in the film “Blue Moon” directed by Richard Linklater has been widely praised and is generating significant attention in the early stages of award season, following its global debut in Berlin on Tuesday evening.

In this film, Hawke transforms dramatically from his usual self to portray Larry Hart, the well-known American musical theater lyricist, who was Richard Rodgers’ creative counterpart and partner. The story unfolds in real time, focusing on Hart as he grapples with alcoholism and depression during the opening night of Oklahoma!, a Broadway triumph for Rodgers and his first musical collaboration with Oscar Hammerstein. Andrew Scott takes on the role of Rodgers, Margaret Qualley portrays Elizabeth Weiland, Hart’s student and protegee. Bobby Cannavale plays Eddie, Hart’s bar-keeping confidant.

However, the movie truly shines with Hawke’s exceptional portrayal, as he dominates every scene. His character, Hart, transitions seamlessly between a captivating storyteller and a downtrodden has-been, seeking redemption from Rogers for a potential comeback. Remarkably, Hart also endeavors to win over Elizabeth, disregarding their significant age gap (she is 20, he’s 47) and the fact that Larry is gay.

Hawke found it challenging to his pride when he transformed into the 5-foot balding Hart, requiring him to shave his head (since a greasy comb-over barely concealed his glossy scalp). Performing as the shortest person in the room was equally humbling for him.

Hawke mentions that in a playful trick, we made him appear shorter on set compared to Margaret Qualley, which meant he had to spend the entire day looking upward during scenes. He explains this experience as intriguing because people treated him differently, especially women who often joked with him, petted his head, and didn’t take him seriously. This helped Hawke better understand Larry Hard’s character and how he navigated through life.

Linklater describes Hart as a tragically flawed yet beautiful individual. He possessed immense talent, but his struggles included being gay during an era when it was illegal, dealing with personal insecurities like short stature, baldness, living with his mother, and battling addiction – issues that significantly impacted his life. Alcohol, according to Linklater, was a destructive force both in Hart’s art and his overall life.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the next project from the dynamic duo, Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke. “Blue Moon” marks their ninth film together, and it’s been quite a while since we last saw them in 2014 with the extraordinary “Boyhood”. Their creative journey has taken us through the enchanting “Before” trilogy, the thought-provoking “Fast Food Nation”, and the thrilling “The Newton Boys”. I can hardly wait to see what they’ve cooked up this time!

Hawke remarks, “It seems like we’ve been engaged in a continuous dialogue for thirty years.” He first encountered him after he dropped by to watch a play I was performing, and our conversation extended till four in the morning. That was three decades ago. Since then, we’ve continued our discussions, and films emerge from those exchanges.

Over a span of 12 extraordinary years, starting from the warm days of May 2012 and continuing up until the sultry afternoons of August 2013, I had the privilege of joining forces with Linklater and Hawke on the incredible journey that was filming “Boyhood.” Each summer, we would reunite to capture moments in this remarkable tale.

It nearly took the same amount of time to produce “Blue Moon”. The concept originated from writer Robert Kaplow, whose novel “Me and Orson Welles” was adapted into a film by Linklater in 2008. Both Hawke and Linklater had an interest in adapting Kaplow’s story about Lorenz Hart into a movie; however, according to Hawke, Linklater felt he wasn’t old enough to play the part during the 2010s.

Rick [Linklater] told me, ‘You’ve got to show more expression.’ I thought, let’s improvise. But he insisted, ‘No, no improvisation.’ Instead, he chose to wait. He could have easily picked another actor, but he didn’t. He opted for patience.

Linklater’s version of the film’s origin tale is slightly different.

The director playfully remarks, ‘[Hawke] joked that he wanted to wait until [he] looked so old nobody would want to be with him.’ However, it’s clear that [Hawke] deeply admired the character and was thrilled about the prospect of portraying him. The idea of casting [Hawke] in this role had been under consideration for a decade.

For about every couple of years, Hawke, Linklater, and Kaplow would gather around the script, inviting friends over to read and discuss it. Robert would tweak and fine-tune certain aspects while we deliberated further. Recently, we revisited the script again, discussing and refining our ideas, with Robert making a few adjustments here and there. It steadily improved over time, becoming better and better until last year when Rick suggested it was time for Blue Moon. I agreed, thinking it had been twelve years since we started! Rick insisted that now was the perfect moment, so we finally embarked on it.

For the acclaimed actor Hawke, embodying Hart proved to be no easy feat. Beyond the physical transformations, Kaplow’s extensive script required Hawke to deliver lengthy monologues throughout the film, expressing heartfelt odes to love and beauty while interspersing them with sharp criticisms and humorous commentaries on the world of musical theater.

Hawke remarks, “This dialogue is truly captivating, and the lines are a joy to deliver, yet it’s demanding to maintain this extended, live-action flow.” He further adds that Rick envisioned the entire film to emulate the rhythm and dynamics of a Rogers and Hart song – shifting between heartbreaking and humorous, silly and intelligent, and even strange. So, I viewed the whole thing as if it were lyrics in a song.

During the filming process, he occasionally expressed to me: “I’m reaching the pinnacle of my abilities; this is incredibly challenging,” as noted by Linklater. I was there to encourage and spur him on further. Our dynamic revolves around mutually challenging each other and those within our sphere.

Hawke remarks, half-teasingly, ‘I can’t believe Linklater is still willing to collaborate with me.’ After all, he’s dedicated numerous years of his time, refining my acting performances. I imagine he must be tired of seeing me. Yet, I’m deeply appreciative that he still considers me worthy of collaboration. This sense of gratitude compels me to strive for excellence.

Hawke and Linklater intend to continue their long-standing dialogue, which spans over three decades. Currently, they are engaged in what may turn out to be their tenth joint project, a historical piece set in the 19th century that is currently under development. It’s possible that we’ll catch a glimpse of it in Berlin as early as 2035.

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2025-02-19 19:28