Key ideas from Ethan Hawke

• "I cannot tell you how grateful I am for that first experience" - Ethan on his first film flopping, which taught him not to take success seriously and gave him "permission to fail"
• Ethan's early career failure at 14 with Explorers proved crucial: when Dead poets society succeeded, he didn't believe the hype, having learned that praise means nothing
• "Celebrity is like a tiny drop of mercury. It's poison" - discussing how fame destroys cognitive development in young actors, comparing it to concrete that can't be fixed once it cures wrong
• Denzel Washington's "King Kong ain't got shit on me" monologue in Training Day was completely improvised from months of accumulated preparation and research
• "The voice of our spirit is extremely gentle, and it's difficult to hear it" - on following intuition and recognizing pivotal moments that shape your path
• "I really have always only performed for whoever it is that made me" - Paul Schofield's quote about performing King Lear at his local church instead of the West End, choosing to walk to work over prestige