Ethan Hawke credits his return to stage acting for helping him get over his depression following his divorce from Uma Thurman.
The 47-year-old actor went through tough times after splitting from the ‘Kill Bill’ star in 2005, but has said throwing himself into his work and returning to theatre acting rather than Hollywood movies helped him to get himself back on track and improve his mental health.
He said: "I’ve never been anti-Hollywood. I just really decided that I needed to get close to what I really love about what I do. If you live long enough, sometimes you have to have a gut check moment – and the theatre has been that for me."
Ethan – who is now married to second wife Ryan Hawke, with whom he has daughters Clementine, 10, and Indiana, seven – now balances the stage with his movie work, and says the mix helps to keep him grounded.
The ‘First Reformed’ star said: "It’s much harder [being in the theatre]. It requires a higher level of discipline. Nobody goes to get you coffee. You don’t get paid a lot of money. You’ve got to get yourself to work everyday. You get to keep your sense of humour.
"I started actively thinking, ‘S**t, it’s time to get on stage again’. It just feels like what I should be doing next. I spent a lot of energy on these three movies, with directing, then doing a really serious movie, and then a comedic performance in ‘Juliet, Naked’. I feel ready to go on stage."
On top of his varied acting career, Ethan is also a director – with his most recent project being new biopic ‘Blaze’ – novelist, and screenwriter.
Speaking to People magazine about his career, he said: "Curiosity makes life so much fun. When you start losing your curiosity, then everything just kind of gets sanded down and all the joy diminishes. If you’re looking at everything with the eyes of a student, it all becomes dynamic again."
Ethan Hawke: Stage acting helped my mental health
