Ethan Hawke Recalls His First Oscar Nomination 25 Years Ago for “Training Day”: 'Feels Like 6 Years Ago' (Exclusive)
Ethan Hawke Recalls His First Oscar Nomination 25 Years Ago for “Training Day”: 'Feels Like 6 Years Ago' (Exclusive)
Tommy McArdle, Andrea MandellSat, February 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM UTC
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Ethan Hawke looks back on his first Academy Award nomination, for 2001's Training Day, with PEOPLE
Hawke is nominated for Best Actor at the 98th Oscars on Sunday, March 15 for his performance in Blue Moon
This marks Hawke's fifth Oscar nomination. He has also earned nominations for performances in Before Sunset and Boyhood, as well as his work as a screenwriter for the movie Before Midnight
It's been 25 years since Ethan Hawke's first Oscar nomination for 2001 's Training Day, and it's feeling a bit like a full circle moment.
Recently nominated for Best Actor for his work in Richard Linklater's Blue Moon, 25 years ago, "I was the youngest in my category and now I'm the oldest," Hawke, 55, tells PEOPLE in this week's issue.
"And it happened so fast. It feels like six years ago that Training Day came out to me in my brain, so it's hard not to think about a lifetime spent doing this," he continues. "I'm incredibly grateful to be here and to still be doing this dance because I enjoy it a lot, but it does make you think a lot about time."
Ethan Hawke photographed PEOPLE on February 10, 2026.Credit: Michael Schwartz; Set Design: Sean Costello/Art Department Agency
Hawke famously costarred with Denzel Washington in 2001's Training Day, a crime thriller that saw the two men portray a pair of police officers — one rookie and one veteran — on the beat in Los Angeles. Hawke, then 31, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor with the Oscar ultimately going to Jim Broadbent for his performance in Iris.
What might he tell his younger self now of how to navigate such career milestones?
"I was having a great time in 2001. I don't know if I needed a lot of advice," Hawke says with a laugh. "I knew how fortunate I was to be there, to get to do this whole event with Denzel. He's one of the greatest actors who've ever lived, and so to get to ride shotgun — that wasn't lost on me what a special experience that was."
Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke in 2001's Training DayCredit: Warner Brothers/Getty
"I've always been patient," he adds. "It wasn't like I was here like a bag of anxiety [or] nerves. I enjoyed every second, and I'm trying to do the same now."
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The nomination was the first of five Academy Awards nods Hawke has received in his career, including nominations for performances in Before Sunset and Boyhood, as well as his work as a screenwriter on Before Midnight. This year, Hawke is nominated for Best Actor for his performance as Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon alongside fellow nominees Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent).
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Ethan Hawke as Lorenz Hart in Blue MoonCredit: Sabrina Lantos/Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Blue Moon marks a ninth collaboration with Linklater, 65,and the two have a 10th project in the works.
“We started working together in 1994,” says Hawke, who released Before Sunrise with Linklater in 1995. “We've been pushing each other and driving each other for 30 years. And we've made films that are really meaningful to us. And when other people like them, it feels tremendous.”
On Sunday, March 1, Hawke is also nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role at the 2026 Actor Awards. Hawke was similarly nominated for that award (formerly known as the SAG Awards) for Training Day.
Conan O'Brien is returning to host the Oscars live on Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming on Hulu. (Starting in 2029, the award show will air on YouTube.)
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
