Ethan Hawke once lost a role to Ewan McGregor and he’s still not over it

Despite a fabled career which has included some very memorable roles, Ethan Hawke still holds a massive grudge against Ewan McGregor.

Cast your mind back to the hazy days of the early 2000s. Baz Luhrmann had burst onto the scene as this strange auteur director from Australia, Ewan McGregor was getting mainstream recognition from Star Wars, and Ethan Hawke headed a beloved romance trilogy. Then came along a film that would end up involving all three of them: Moulin Rouge.

In conversation with ScreenRant, Hawke revealed how McGregor took the leading role in Moulin Rouge away from him, as an adaptation of the musical currently rages on in the Australian theater scene. Hawke detailed how the story still embarrasses McGregor and how strong he believes his audition was.

“Ewan doesn’t like this because he gets embarrassed, but I gave one of the greatest screen tests of my life for Moulin Rouge. I did not get the part. I crushed this audition. And it just goes to show you how much I like Ewan’s work. I still went to see the movie on opening day and loved it. So, I got over it.

“But I will say, someday that audition will be seen and people are gonna rethink.”

Hawke is currently sharing the spotlight with McGregor for upcoming Apple TV Plus film Raymond and Ray, which is directed by Colombian director Rodrigo García. García has previously worked as a director on shows such as The Sopranos and Six Feet Under.

Raymond and Ray saw a debut at Toronto International Film Festival before its full release on Oct. 21.