“You guys are so easy to fool, it’s unbelievable!” : Ethan Hawke shares how the legendary director improved his acting 18 years ago

The great filmmaker Sidney Lumet has had an exceptionally long career, working from the 1950s to the early 2000s, spanning several important periods in American cinema.

A director who left his mark on the history of American cinema with works that are widely cited and unanimously recognized as masterpieces: 12 Angry Men is, of course, his seminal film. Also Snakeskin Man, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Hill of Lost Men, Crime, Equus, The Web, Verdict, Prince of New York, The Race…

Manna signed a very solid thriller led by a great duo: Ethan Hawke and the much-missed Philip Seymour Hoffman: 7:58 This Saturday, released in 2007.

“Couldn’t stand fools”

In a very recent interview Vanity FairEthan Hawke rightly recounts his collaboration with this master of cinema, and especially Lumet’s awkward way in which he made his two actors compete to improve their performances.

“Phil was great, and by that I mean no bullshit. He was one of those people for whom getting a stage or missing it was a matter of life and death. He had a lot at stake and it could be very scary.” Hawke comments.

If Ethan Hawke had a hard time getting his character across, it was because he was trying to play “Alpha” when that character trait was more suited to Hoffman’s character, Ethan Hawke explains.

In the morning Hawke went to see Lumet, the director told him: “I saw the Rushes last night. Phil is so talented. He’s so talented! You know, I haven’t seen anyone work like that since Marlon Brando.” And I said, “Yeah, great, great. What about my job?” – “Ah, yes, yes, it was good, I mean it must be an honor to work with him.”

At the end of filming, I went to Phil and said: “You know, it was a great experience, but I’m glad it’s over.” I said to him, “Because if I ever hear that old geezer tell me again that I haven’t seen a piece like this since Marlon Brando…” And Phil said, “Did he tell you that?” And I said, “Yes.” He told me, “He used to tell me that about you every day.”

When the two actors confronted Lumet about his comments, he responded: “You guys are so easy to fool, it’s unbelievable!”

If you haven’t seen this little nugget yet, the film is available on DVD/Blu-ray as well as VOD.