Hollywood has a funny way of pairing people up. Sometimes it's magic. Other times, it's just a job. But back in 2004, when Ethan Hawke and Angelina Jolie shared the screen in the psychological thriller Taking Lives, things got... interesting.
It wasn’t just a movie about a serial killer who steals identities. For the tabloids, it was a goldmine of rumors. For the actors, it was a project that would follow them for decades, though maybe not for the reasons they expected. Honestly, if you look back at that era, the chemistry was undeniable, even if the movie itself didn't exactly set the world on fire with the critics.
The Best On-Screen Kiss?
Let’s get the juicy stuff out of the way. Ethan Hawke hasn't exactly been shy about his time with Jolie. In fact, he famously told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that his best on-screen kiss was with her.
"Angelina Jolie was born to whittle men, to make them weak. And when she kisses you, you don't know your name."
That's a hell of a quote. Hawke, who has worked with everyone from Winona Ryder to Julie Delpy, didn't hesitate. He described the experience as "torture pain," comparing it to playing truth or dare with the hottest girl in high school. You can almost feel the nerves he had back then.
Breaking the Ice (And the Clothes)
There’s a legendary story from the set about a particular intimate scene. Apparently, Hawke was visibly shaking. He was nervous. To be fair, most people would be.
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Angelina, being Angelina, took charge. She supposedly suggested to the director, D.J. Caruso, that she should be the one to go fully nude while Ethan stayed in his suit. Her reasoning? It would make the scene feel more vulnerable and, ironically, help Hawke relax by shifting the dynamic. It worked. The scene became one of the most talked-about moments of the film, radiating a raw tension that most thrillers try—and fail—to capture.
The Rumors That Wouldn't Die
You can't talk about Ethan Hawke and Angelina Jolie without mentioning the elephant in the room: the affair rumors.
At the time of filming in 2003, Ethan Hawke was still married to Uma Thurman. By the time the movie hit theaters in 2004, they were separated. The timeline was messy. Tabloids like Star and various unauthorized biographies, including one by Andrew Morton, claimed that Hawke and Jolie had a "hot" fling on set.
Hawke has always denied this. He’s been vocal about the fact that his marriage to Thurman was falling apart for many reasons, mostly citing the difficulty of two "math stars" trying to share one home. "You're always away," he once explained. While the world wanted a scandalous narrative involving Jolie—the woman often cast as the "other woman" in that era—the reality was likely much more mundane. Or at least, more complicated than a simple on-set hookup.
Why Taking Lives Still Matters
Look, the movie got a 22% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hated it. They called it predictable. They said the ending was preposterous. Even Hawke himself eventually admitted he did the movie because he thought it would be a big hit, only to realize it was "terrible."
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But here’s the thing: it’s still a cult favorite for a reason.
- The Chemistry: It’s palpable. Even if the plot is "mush," as one UK magazine called it, the way Hawke and Jolie play off each other is electric.
- The Identity Twist: Without spoiling a 20-year-old movie, the way the killer operates is actually pretty creepy.
- The Supporting Cast: You’ve got Kiefer Sutherland and Gena Rowlands. That’s a lot of talent for a "bad" movie.
People still search for this movie because it represents a specific moment in Hollywood history. It was the peak of the "erotic thriller" hangover. It was before Jolie became the global humanitarian icon she is today. She was still the "dangerous" actress who did her own stunts and made co-stars forget their names.
The Professional Impact
For Ethan Hawke, Taking Lives was a rare foray into big-budget studio thrillers. He’s usually the indie darling, the guy from the Before trilogy or First Reformed. This movie showed he could play the "ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation" role, even if he didn't love the final product.
For Jolie, it was another brick in the wall of her "femme fatale" phase. She played Special Agent Illeana Scott with a weird, detached intensity—lying in graves to "feel" the victims. It was campy, sure, but she committed.
Where They Are Now
Fast forward to today. Ethan Hawke is a four-time Oscar nominee and a novelist. Angelina Jolie is a director and one of the most recognizable faces on the planet. They haven't worked together since.
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Maybe that’s for the best. Some pairings are meant to be a flash in the pan—a singular, high-voltage moment that lives on in late-night cable reruns and YouTube clips of "best movie kisses."
If you're looking to revisit the work of Ethan Hawke and Angelina Jolie, your best bet is to find a copy of the Taking Lives Director’s Cut. It supposedly fixes some of the pacing issues that bothered critics in 2004. Or, just watch the interview clips where Hawke gets flustered talking about her. It’s arguably more entertaining than the film itself.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- If you're watching for the first time, pay attention to the opening sequence with Paul Dano; it's widely considered the best part of the film.
- Check out the making-of featurettes to see the genuine rapport between the leads.
- Compare Hawke's performance here to Training Day to see how he handles different genre tropes.
The legacy of this duo isn't a blockbuster franchise, but a reminder of how sheer star power can occasionally make a "terrible" movie worth talking about for two decades.