Ethan Hawke Blasts Hollywood's 'Greedy' Power Players as He Predicts a 'Massive Rebellion' Against Them

Ethan Hawke criticized the powerful forces and wealthy players he believes control the entertainment industry, calling them "greedy" and predicting massive cultural backlash.

The five-time Oscar nominee shared a blunt assessment of Hollywood's current fiscal climate and the ultimate fate of its elites in a new GQ interview published on October 13.

Hawke, 55, emphasized his belief in a massive counter-movement. "I believe in rebellion. And I think people are going to wake up and punch back and there's going to be massive movements in music and massive movements in live theater and massive movements of people getting together," he said.

He urged people not to worry about those driven purely by wealth: "The money and the greedy b------- that think they control everybody, they always lose in the end... They think they're winning, but they're losing cause their lives are worthless.”

Hawke expressed exasperation with modern Hollywood's financial mechanics, pointing to a lack of compensation for true creativity. "There's a direct correlation. I find that the more you love a project, the less you get paid," he stated. "If you want to beat the algorithm, it's very difficult to do that and be paid.”

Right-wing actress Justine Bateman sided with Hawke, posting on X, "Ethan Hawke is correct. This growing destruction is our next chapter.”

Hawke's comments align with a recent wave of industry frustration, coming alongside other recent criticisms from actors — such as Dakota Johnson calling Hollywood an absolute "mess" and Drake Bell publicly lambasting SAG-AFTRA over health plan thresholds.

Hawke has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, frequently aligning himself with Democratic political figures and initiatives.

In the 2024 U.S. election cycle, Hawke explicitly endorsed the Democratic ticket. Speaking about the race at the Lucca Film Festival, he stated, "Kamala Harris is driving the bus I want to get on.”

While on The View, he targeted Trump’s financial conduct and honesty, contrasting him with Jimmy Carter to highlight what he called Trump's "lack of integrity."

In separate interviews, he likened the POTUS' rhetoric and governing style to "fascist behavior" and oligarchy.

Hawke has routinely framed his creative work in opposition to Trump. During the press circuit for The Magnificent Seven, he even joked that the film's true meaning was about "people gathering together to defeat [Trump].”

More recently, he quipped on Late Night With Seth Meyers that his terrifying villain character "The Grabber" in The Black Phone series was a subconscious nod to Trump.