Washington [US], April 27 : Actor and writer Ethan Hawke has shared the advice he got from his 'Training Day' co-star Denzel Washington after he lost at the 2002 Academy Awards, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In the same year, the two were nominated for their roles in the 2001 film, including best actor and best-supporting actor, respectively. While Washington won in his category, Jim Broadbent beat out Hawke for his performance in Iris.
In his recent appearance on Max's Who's Talking to Chris Wallace, he shared why Washington whispered in his ear during the ceremony that it's better to lose the Oscar.
"You don't want an award to improve your status. You want to improve the award's status," Hawke recalled, quoting his former co-star. "That's the way he thinks, and that's what I'm talking about playing with [baseball great] Babe Ruth."
"I think when all is said and done, he's the greatest actor of our generation," he said.
The actor admitted that he was just thankful to be nominated. "I was at the Oscars sitting beside Denzel Washington and nominated against Ian McKellen. I had already won. It was impossible for me not to see it any other way."
'Training Day', directed by Antoine Fuqua, follows a rookie cop who spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be. It stars Denzel Washington as Alonzo Harris and Ethan Hawke as Jake Hoyt. It also features Scott Glenn, Eva Mendes, Cliff Curtis, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Macy Gray in supporting roles, as per The Hollywood Reporter.