Posted on 12/22/2025 10:02:16 AM PST by nickcarraway
Ethan Hawke called celebrity a “poison” for a young actor’s brain.
The actor, 55, sat down for “The Joe Rogan Experience” to talk about his start in Hollywood as a young man, as well as to reflect on the psychological effect of becoming famous at a young age.
“I think celebrity is like a tiny drop of mercury. Or it’s poison. It’s poison for your brain,” the actor said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
He knows whereof he speaks.
Ethan’s new series “The Lowdown” is great.
He brings likeability to ever character he plays.
He played Lorenz Hart in ‘Blue Moon’. He’ll get awards for it, depending on the obstacles of jealousy and financing of the industry
Similarly, social media is poison for non-celebs. The younger the user, the greater the toxicity.
He’s right, look at all these Nickelodeon actors who turn to drugs or kill themselves..being a celebrity IS poison it rots the brain
How selfless of him to warn us all!
And Disney child actors...............
We have seen what happened to the Disney kids in the last 40 years. Why is it this never happened to the child actors of the 1930s?
Shirley Temple said be she and her mother had to deal with perverts in Hollywood. It therefore appears to have happened for 90+ years.
But, sitting down with Joe Rogan for another interview, isn’t Ethan taking another dose of “poison”?
He is now 55.
We have seen what happened to the Disney kids in the last 40 years. Why is it this never happened to the child actors of the 1930s?
If Hollywood insiders spoke of what some do and give up to be a celebrity many would rethink the idea of it.
Hollywood doesn’t make movies they make deals
Mickey Rooney
It did happen to child stars of the 30s. We just didn’t have a media that cared and Hollywood was very disciplined in keeping their perverts, groomers, and homos out of the spotlight and out of politics.
I grew up with one actor who did “utility” rolls since he graduated high school. But he got one roll which became one of the most popular series of movies ever made. Now, he has to be in hiding because of his celebrity. Not the kind of personal ego “celebrity” Hawke is talking about. But I can definitely see how even if you didn’t want it, you still got it and your life is no longer free from prying eyes and insane fans.
I thought it was common knowlege that suddenly becoming rich and famous at a young age is destructive.
Harrison Ford is a great example of an actor who struggled for a while and was able to handle the money and success because of it — not being too young or getting it to easily. Of course, that didn’t stop him from dumping his wife, but the point stands. It didn’t “poison” him.
You see these young actors, singers, sports athletes who are massivly successful right out of the gate and they often can’t handle it.
The kids from the Little Rascals were mostly damaged for many years. Spanky and his older brother Tubby went back to Texas and survived. Robin Blake had lots of problems. Darla was damaged. Alfalfa was messed over.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.