John Hawkes: Dialogue is music and rhythm, eventually

Marking his 60th birthday tomorrow, American actor John Hawkes on career-defining moments and films that mattered.

Academy and Golden Globes award nominee John Hawkes has had an illustrious career in Hollywood, delivering notable films like Winter's Bone, The Sessions and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Ahead of his 60th birthday tomorrow, the actor tells mid-day that each passing year has afforded him the luxury of picking projects that appease his heart, instead of those undertaken for monetary benefits alone.

"One doesn't have a lot of security [in this profession], and often has to work on [whichever project] comes his way. As time passed by, I didn't have to worry. My family [was financially secure], so, I could be more selective," says Hawkes, who was also seen in the lockdown-favourite film, Contagion, that will air on Sony Pix tomorrow.

The decade-old Winter's Bone, that earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards, makes it to a list of top movies that defined his journey. "The character was a life-changing one. I also wasn't sure if I'd [perform] it well. It taught me the power of stillness, and silence, and how to use them as an actor," he says, adding that the 2000's biographical disaster drama, The Perfect Storm was another defining offering that taught him to "trust my instincts and be less afraid."

Hawkes doesn't have a formal education in either acting or music, but counts himself fortunate to have explored his skills as a lyricist, for cinema. "All [arts] connect with one another. A sculptor becomes a better one if he watches a play; a dancer can be inspired [to enhance her craft] after noticing a painting. Similarly, dialogue is rhythm and music, in a way. Music can help in getting the timing [on point]. The most challenging [work] was the film called Unlovable [2018], for which I wrote eight originals, and played along with the lead actress."

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