Ethan Hawke credits Tom Cruise with raising the bar for actors

Ethan Hawke has praised Tom Cruise for changing the standards of acting in Hollywood.

The 55-year-old actor, currently starring in the historical action-drama The Weight, said Cruise’s dedication to performing his own stunts in films like the Mission Impossible series has set a new benchmark for actors.

“Tom Cruise has totally changed what’s expected for actors,” Hawke told Variety. “Some part of me gets frustrated because everyone somehow feels like they’re less if they use a stunt team. What I liked about our movie is there were no ridiculous stunts. It’s human. It’s not about things blowing up, so most of the stunts were things we could do. They weren’t superhero things.”

Hawke also reflected on his own career, explaining how he has adapted over the years to remain relevant in Hollywood.

“This job is a constant re-contextualisation, not for yourself, but for the people watching,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. 

“I came out of the gate getting leading parts, and that can breed laziness about the methodology of acting. I’ve been teaching myself to reboot—from leading man to character actor—and thinking, ‘What if I could combine these things?’ Without that, you get fewer opportunities.”

The veteran actor added that he’s willing to embrace commercial projects while staying true to his craft. 

“Peter Weir used to talk about how much he loved Tarkovsky, but he said, ‘That’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to make popular art.’ And as a popular artist, I’m willing to play within the sandbox of commerciality.”