Ethan Hawke compares acting to 'the joys of doing drugs'

Ethan Hawke has compared the rush he feels from acting to "the joys of doing drugs".

The 53-year-old Hollywood star has a career that stretches back to 1985 with roles in iconic films including Before Sunrise, Reality Bites and Alive.

The Hollywood Reporter quotes the star reflecting on his achievements while on a master class panel at the Venice Film Festival where he raised laughs by comparing his career to getting high.

He said, "It was kind of like how one hears about the joys of doing drugs. You just want to do it again. It's such a wonderful feeling because you don't feel alone."

He continued, "There's a strange double-edged sword to being an actor, which is that on the outside, you get celebrated in success, but the true joys of performing are in disappearing...you feel yourself disappear and become part of this dream. And that's the feeling that's so wonderful. And you see the dream live in other people, and that's where the high comes from."

Discussing a low point of his career, the Moon Knight actor admitted he was disappointed that most of his projects had been directed by men.

He confessed, "I've worked with a lot of men from all over the world. And I've only worked with a handful of female directors, which is, I would say, embarrassing for me, but it's embarrassing for the industry."