Ethan Hawke was jealous of how Ben Affleck and Matt Damon entered Hollywood and found fame. The Sinister actor was just 18 when he starred alongside Robin Williams in the hit film Dead Poets Society. The film catapulted Hawke to immense heights, and he later took on lead roles, explored different genres, and became one of the most famous names in Hollywood, earning several honors along the way.

However, looking back on his career, the actor shared that there was one moment when he felt jealous of fellow Hollywood stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. As he recalled, this was ten years after the release of Dead Poets Society, when Damon and Affleck gained fame for Good Will Hunting. 

Ethan Hawke, in his conversation with John Feitelberg on Scene Stealers, was asked whether he would have continued his acting career if he had not starred in Dead Poets Society. To the host’s surprise, the actor revealed that he may have entered Hollywood a little later, which he feels might have been healthy development. He further added that he was jealous of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who rose to fame 10 years later with Good Will Hunting, because they had plenty of time to study filmmaking and acting. 

"Oh, because they arrived much more formed. They knew themselves, and they knew what they were doing, and they knew what kind of actor they wanted to be when they hit the ground," he said.

"And I was like learning on the fly, and you know that first now later will be last feeling I was like, ah I now see what that means, like these guys lapping me and passing me."

He added that while Damon and Affleck entered the industry well-informed, he had to learn things while working. After the success of Dead Poets Society, Hawke also left Carnegie Mellon University and pursued his acting career. Although the actor feels that he entered the industry a little early and had a different journey to fame, he admitted during the same interview that he has no regrets about joining Dead Poets Society.

“That Is the Attitude of a Lost Soul”- Ethan Hawke Fires Back at Actors Who Wouldn’t Shoot in Tulsa

And Hawke might not be wrong, since a role in Dead Poets Society was something Matt Damon and Ben Affleck had wanted and hoped for when they auditioned for the film.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck had auditioned for Dead Poets Society and hoped to work alongside Robin Williams, but were rejected. Later that Summer, they worked at a Cambridge movie theater that showed the film, and as they watched people come out emotional, they could only imagine that this could have been them.  During a conversation with Josh Horowitz on his Happy Sad Confused podcast, Damon recalled the rejection.

That could have been us," Damon recalled.

He explained how certain things in life and career can be difficult to understand and accept at the moment. And things eventually worked out for Damon and Affleck, who got their chance to work with Robin Williams ten years later when they wrote the script for Good Will Hunting and even won an Oscar. So, while Hawke was perhaps a little jealous of Damon and Affleck, the actors each had a unique journey in Hollywood.

“A Personal Disaster Zone”- Ethan Hawke Reveals What Happened After His First Oscar Nomination

What do you think about Ethan Hawke's story about Matt Damon and Ben Affleck? Let us know in comments.