We are Ethan Hawke and Greg Ruth - Ask Us Anything!

How did your approach to writing a Graphic Novel differ from writing a screenplay for film?

The truth is this has been a giant learning curve for me, Greg has been teaching me about the power of the graphic novel throughout this process. And a lot of energy can be created in the space between drawings. And how the drawings relate to each other and what they provoke inside the reader. It's interesting not to have words be your primary tool to telling a story.

Hey Ethan! Always enjoyed your AMA's. You give such thorough and genuine answers.

What's the status of the Before films? Before Fifty coming up? Any plans to work with Linklater again? Are we getting that trilogy bluray?

ETA: I preordered Indeh! Can't wait to have it!

Thanks for preordering the book.

Here's the status on the BEFORE films: When we finished BEFORE SUNRISE, five years later Julie, Rick, and I got together to film a scene for WAKING LIFE and it was that little scene that gave birth to what became BEFORE SUNSET. We just loved working together and writing together. And so after BEFORE SUNSET we made a date to meet five years later and talk about whether we wanted to do it again. I remember we met at my apartment and talked for hours, and to our surprise we all saw Jesse and Celine in the exact same place and wanted to write the exact same movie, and that lead to BEFORE MIDNIGHT. We have a plan to get together in a little over a year and see if Jesse and Celine still have something to say.

Ethan, what was your last dream about? and do you ever have recurring dreams?

My last dream was about Greg. He was sitting on top of a flag pole. Naked. And singing this very melodic Broadway show tune. I believe it was called, "Baby Tears."

Ethan which take is usually your best take? 3rd? 7th? 12th?

I like as many as possible. But it's always better once the cameras stop rolling altogether.

Ethan - did Boyhood mess up your moviemaking life from a scheduling standpoint? How far in advance did you know that you were going to film the next segment, and did that ever prevent you from pursuing other films that would have been shot during those times?

I love the opportunity to work on projects for a long period of time. Greg Ruth and I have been working on INDEH for six years. I remember being the set of BOYHOOD getting an email from Greg with the latest batch of drawings. I've spent my life hopping from one project to the next—three or four times a year my job changes—so having some continuity in my work life helps make me sane. These long term projects create bridges that get me through an otherwise gypsy-like lifestyle.

what is your favorite color?

The color of baby tears.

Dear Greg,

Are you okay?

Love, Ethan

Hey Ethan, looking back on your whole career, how do you rank movie Gattaca?

Top 5.

To Ethan ◆You always bring the well-used brown leather bag. I'd love to know what's inside it???

Dead Poets Society will be screening on September 10ーOctober 7 once a day in all over Japan. The movie is chosen as "Everlasting Masterpiece". I will watch it first time in theater. wow!! Thank you very much for coming here and enjoy this book tour!! from Tomoko

That bag weighs a lot. I travel a lot and I can't stand being stuck in a hotel or in a airport or in a dressing room and having nothing to read.

Ethan, ever have people think they are being stealth and taking photos of you without your knowledge in public? Gives me the willies a bit when I see pics of people like that, what's it like? Get you paranoid, or otherwise ruin a meal or an experience?

I cannot tell you how often this happens. People will line their family up and then switch the camera real quick. People will run by me then act like they forgot their keys just to walk past and then yell, "YEP! That's him!" I've had people cop a feel while taking a photo. If you can think of it, it's happened.

Ethan.

I've always gotten the impression that you are more thoughtful than most in choosing what movies you do, as many of your movies and roles convey social and political messages, or insights into the human experience.

(1) Can you share with us what factors you evaluate in deciding when to take a role? (2) Can you share with us, if you have an opinion on this, the role movies do or should play in shaping society and/or how people think?

Thanks for saying that. How to pick the films you work on is something they can't teach you in theater school. In truth, I try to just follow my nose. It's a pretty non-intellectual process. I love being in a room with talented people, so even if Richard Linklater comes to me with something that seems like an outlandish idea (hey, I want to make a movie about a dream I had last night? Or, why don't we make a movie over the next 12 years?) I just go for it because I believe in him. With a film like PREDESTINATION, it's based on material written by one of my favorite authors Robert Heinlein. But I really try to make movies that I would want to see. Luckily for me, I love cinema so much that all genres are appealing to me. Some actors really excel at shape-changing themselves from role to role. I've always struggled in that way, but I've found that if I put myself in different kinds of movies, I can expand myself as an actor.

Ethan, how sick and tired are you of hearing about Training Day and Denzel? But seriously, thanks for the philanthropy and the amazing body of work. Are you as philosophical as you seem?

When I think about philosophy, and I think about the stars, when I ponder, "what is the great ocean of time?" I think, "How much dust can I find inside my naval?"

Hello Ethan and Greg! Thank you for doing this AMA. I am very excited to check out your new graphic novel!

Do you guys plan to write more [graphic] novels? If so, what topics may you have in mind?

Greg and I have had a ball working on this. And I am badgering and bullying him into a new book. This has been such a unique experience for me—just completely separate from my life as an actor and it's been so enjoyable. My hope is to have a five book series that I co-author with Greg.

What made you choose to write about the Apache wars? And what made you want to do a graphic novel as opposed to a regular novel or screenplay?

I started this project with a writer named Charles Gaines, and we were passionate about making the film about the same subject matter. Film is the language I know and understand. But the scope of the story and the leading characters being non-white was a combination that made film very difficult to finance. One day I was shopping for graphic novels for my son, and saw Greg Ruth's BORN IN THE BATTLEFIELD, and it was the first graphic novel I had seen that really attacked me viscerally and emotionally. It wasn't glib or ironic or detached. It was passionate. And all of a sudden, I thought maybe this story of INDEH is a graphic novel. So, through agents I asked Greg out for coffee. And he started to teach me about the medium. And more and more I came to view the opportunities the graphic novel presented to be uniquely suited for this story. And Greg and I then got to work... Six years later I'm on Reddit.

Hi Ethan, watched predestination last week. How confusing was it for you to act in it?

Not as confusing as it was for you to watch. PREDESTINATION is one of my favorite movies I have gotten to work on. Sarah Snook's performance deserves every award I can think of. This is a true story: The other day a cop actually pulled me over just to ask me what the hell happened at the end of PREDESTINATION.

Ethan, is there any movie you've been involved in which you felt disappointed by it's final product?

Hell yes. Almost every movie I've done for a minute or two, I've managed to convince myself that this movie could be a god damn masterpiece. And let's face it... most of them don't quite make that bar. Learning from your disappointments is essential if you want to have a long life in the arts. Most things aren't going to work. I tried to think myself like a baseball player—if I can bat 300, I'll stay in the pros; if I can bat 400 I'll be in the Hall of Fame.

Dear /u/iamethanhawke

Congratulations on your reddit cake day, when you blow out your candle, what'll be your wish?

For INDEH to reach the people that are interested in and for them to enjoy it as much as Greg and I have enjoyed working on it. I hate to be so earnest, but it's the truth.

Hey Ethan!

If you could play any character (fiction/non-fiction or even one you've created!) which one would it be and why?

And lastly, thank you for being a part of my favourite trilogy (Before) :)

I have a dream that at 80, I will get to chance to play King Lear in a new film adaptation by Richard Linklater. We have been discussing it for 17 years so far, and my hunch is that in another 35 years it will have gestated long enough to be something worth watching.

Ethan, is there any director that you want to work with that you haven't had the chance to yet?

The guy who directed all the episodes of the Love Boat.

I would love the chance to work with Spike Lee, CROOKLYN is one of my favorites. Also, Jane Campion would be wonderful to work with. James Wan. Kim Jee-woon. Kathryn Bigelow. There's just so many...

Ethan, I admire your work so much--from GATTACA to Boyhood to Born to be Blue--you have inspired me to pursue my passion for telling stories for people to enjoy. My question is, in acting or writing, when do you decide that you are satisfied with your work and ready to wrap it up? Do you get to a point when you know it can't be any better?

Thank you so much!

Usually you just end up calling it a day, particularly with writing. It's never as good as I want it to be. In fact, I find it hard to pick up books when they are done as all I can really see is the things I didn't do. With movies it's different because there's such a pressure with time and money. With the theater it's probably the best because there is an actual audience waiting for you to walk on stage and you just have to do it eventually. I made a documentary last year, SEYMOUR: AN INTRODUCTION, and while Seymour and I did Q&As after screenings of the film, I wished I was still filming and could have added some of the brilliant things he said in those post-screening dialogs. A couple of nights ago I got to perform a few songs with a jazz band at the Nuyrican Poets Café, and I met people there that played with Chet Baker and had new ideas for how my performance in BORN TO BE BLUE could have been better. It never stops.

Ethan, Which now deceased director or actor would you want to work with if you had a time machine or if the did can't back to life?
Mad respect BTW.

François Truffaut. When I was about 19, I went to Paris and buried a letter at his grave site. He did everything I wanted to do. He could talk about ideas without being pretentious. He could explore sexuality without being vulgar. He could being funny without being stupid. And he spoke to his time.

Do you like watching your own movies? If so, which is your favorite?

My favorite is always the most recent. For some reason our brains always stay in the present tense.

Ethan

How was it teaming up with Sir Denzel of Washington again?

Working with Sir D the first time was probably the single defining moment for me as far as becoming an adult actor. What he has accomplished in his lifetime as a leading man in movies is near impossible. He has not only a genuine first-tier movie star, but also one of the finest actors of his generation. And he's maintained a thirty-year career at the absolute top of my profession. All the while, he's done it with albatross of race as a weight to carry. So, what can I tell you? Working with him a second time was similar to catching lightning in a bottle twice. MAGNIFICENT SEVEN is a movie that's going to be a lot of fun. It's part of a whole western series that I seem to be releasing this year.

Ethan Any comic book character you'd like to potray in the future?

The funny thing about watching Greg draw all of these images over the years we have been making this novel, I can't help but play all of the cowboy characters in my head. There's a character named Gatewood based on a real person that I would love to play if INDEH could ever become a film.

Hi Ethan…..you are phenomenal and I’ve long admired your work! The Before films are absolutely brilliant – please tell me there will be another one.

What is a film you never tire of watching? What is a book you never tire of reading?

One thing I have noticed about myself is that I seem to gravitate to questions with massive compliments.

A film I never tire of watching is ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST. Coincidentally the book is pretty good too. It has my favorite line, right after R.P McMurphy fails his attempt to rip up the sink and throw it through the window and everyone's laughing at him, he turns to them and says, "At least I tried. God dammit at least I tried." in the Jack Nicholson voice

Ethan- acting interested you more than being an actuary? Is your father ok with this?

I think my father has come to love movies as much as me. He just texted me that last night he and some of his friends got together and revisited THE NEWTON BOYS. My father feels genuinely frustrated that this film has been largely ignored. But he's retired now and is no longer thinking as much about math or insurance.

Has working on this novel changed the way you see the logos of certain pro sports teams - Cleveland Indians, Chicago Blackhawks, or Washington Redskins?

That's a really interesting question. And it has. When I was a kid, I got introduced to a Native American actor named Pious Savage who was acting with me in the film WHITE FANG. He taught me a lot about representation and about white people's general desire to deify or vilify Native Americans. He changed my vision forever. So did the writing of Sherman Alexie, Joseph Boyden, and others. I find it embarrassing to the NFL that they have a team named the Redskins. I hope it's a situation that will soon be remedied.

It's strange in this PC world how often people seem to be careless with First Nation people. For example, can you imagine if the film MALCOLM X had starred Robert Duvall, Gene Hackman, Matt Damon, Jason Patrick... and Denzel Washington? They released a film called GERONIMO where Wes Studi's performance was billed under four white guys. It surprised me.

Hi, Ethan and Greg! BIG CONGRATULATIONS on this beautiful book! Here are questions from us,the love-ethan group in TOKYO. Your beautiful book has just arrived, and though I have read only FORWORD and AFTERWORD (so honest, profound and touching!), I am thrilled to learn the part of American history I don't know anything about.

To Ethan and Greg ◆What was the most difficult character or scene to write lines for or draw, and why?

◆Will INDEH have a second volume, or do you have a different project to work on together?

To Ethan ●When are you returning to Broadway, perhaps with the Night of the Iguana? I would love to see you again on stage. from YOKO

The death scene of Mangas Coloradas was the hardest thing to write and draw. Page 155 is the hardest drawing I've ever had to do in my entire life.

In regards to if INDEH will have a second volume, well that will entirely depend on you, oh gentle readers.

What book inspires you in your life?

Anything and everything written by Cormac McCarthy.

There are so many books that have inspired me throughout my life. Different books speak to me at different times. There have been times where the writing of Tich Nhát Hanh was absolutely essential to me. John Williams's STONER is kind of a CATCHER IN THE RYE for forty year-olds. Recently James McBride's GOOD LORD BIRD was a source of inspiration. In regards to graphic novels, I have to give a shout out to THE ESSEX COUNTY TRILOGY by Jeff Lemire.

What is the dumbest rumour you've heard about yourself?

That I was the reincarnation of Davy Crockett.

What was something that you guys learned because of/while writing this that had a major impact in your life?

One of the things I learned from Greg was about economy. I would have grand ideas for the novel, and he would say, "yeah, that'd be great if I had about 80 years to draw that." Working on a graphic novel is a little bit like writing an epic poem or something. And he used to say, "did they ever stop the STAR WARS movies to teach you about being a Jedi?" His point being in writing history we don't want to be teaching. Nobody wants to feel like they are being taught. We want to tell a story, we want it to be entertaining, and we want it to be true on an emotional level.

What has been the most inspiration to your work?

Thanks for asking this. INDEH would be impossible without the work of David Roberts. His book ONCE THEY MOVED LIKE THE WIND organized so much research into an immensely readable volume that really woke me up and inspired this whole endeavor.

Have you guys thought about adapting this graphic novel into another medium like a miniseries, movie, play or even a musical (a la Hamilton)?

I'm allergic to musicals, myself, but I would love to see this adapted into different media.

Would someone out there please send a copy of INDEH to Lin-Manuel Miranda?

What is the best compliment you've ever received?

"Your book got my girlfriend to start reading comics." and "I wanted to be a firefighter and save lives, but now I want to make comic books, so I guess those people have to take care of themselves."

/u/gmrepublican

Purge kicked fucking ass.

What current tv shows do either of you love?

Hannibal, Fargo, Penny Dreadful, and Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones. I'm a full on addict. I've been able to work with Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey in my life, and I would love anything they do, but this is hall of fame work right here.

Ethan, did you ever get the chance to meet Quentin Tarantino? What was he like?

Also, would you ever do a long project like Boyhood again or was it a once in a lifetime experience?

I have met Quentin and it's an overused word but he's a card-carrying genius. I hope somebody out there sends him INDEH because I hope he would love it. If you're his friend buy it for him for his birthday, will ya?

Hey Ethan, what is your favorite film so far of 2016?

NEIGHBORS 2.

Ethan, you mentioned in a recent interview how much you respected River Phoenix for his courage in taking on an LGBT role in My Own Private Idaho back when that was more taboo. I thought that was a surprising comment as you've never taken a role in an LGBT project. Do you think there is still a reluctance to take on roles like that now?

You know, seeing you type that, I am embarrassed that it's true. There's so many gay characters I would love to play—I hope I get the opportunity.