Ethan Hawke Opens Up About His Anger Toward Tom Cruise
Ethan Hawke, the veteran actor known for his thoughtful approach to acting, recently shared his frustrations about how Hollywood has changed in the age of blockbuster films. In an interview with Variety, Hawke pointed to Tom Cruise as a major influence on the industry, saying that Cruise’s dedication to performing his own stunts has unintentionally created pressure for all actors to follow suit.
Tom Cruise has totally changed what’s expected for actors, Hawke said. He admitted that over the years, the pressure has made him angry at times. Some part of me is getting angry over the years because everyone somehow feels like they’re less if they use a stunt team, he explained. For Hawke, this focus on extreme physical stunts can distract from the main goal of acting: telling a story and developing a character.
Hawke’s newest film, The Weight, is a departure from the typical high-octane action movies. Directed by Padraic McKinley, the film is set in 1933 Oregon and follows Samuel Murphy, a widower in a labor camp who becomes involved in a dangerous gold-smuggling scheme to reunite with his daughter.
Hawke praised the film’s grounded approach. What I liked about our movie is there were no ridiculous stunts, he said. It’s not about things blowing up, so most of the stunts were things we could do. They weren’t superhero things.
Ethan Hawke says he’s angry with Tom Cruise because he “has totally changed what’s expected of actors.”
— Emir Han (@RealEmirHan) January 25, 2026
“Some part of me has been getting angry over the years because everyone thinks you're somehow less if you use a stunt team."
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Hawke’s recent and upcoming work shows his balance between artistic projects and larger films. He earned praise for Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon, a jazz-focused drama about songwriter Lorenz Hart, which premiered in early 2026. He also returned as The Grabber in the horror sequel The Black Phone 2. In The Weight, he stars alongside Russell Crowe, Julia Jones, and Austin Amelio.
Drawing inspiration from directors like Peter Weir, Hawke said he is willing to play within the sandbox of commerciality as long as the work stays meaningful. By taking roles in intimate dramas and larger historical epics, he continues to navigate modern Hollywood on his own terms.
Do you agree with Ethan Hawke that the pressure for actors to perform their own stunts has gone too far, or do you prefer the authenticity that stars like Tom Cruise bring to the screen?