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Ethan Hawke Fulfills Dream To Play Chet Baker In ‘Born To Be Blue’

By Amy Feinstein
Published on: 12:29 PST, Mar 10, 2016

For years, Ethan Hawke has been yearning to take part in a biopic about the life of crooner Chet baker, and Hawke’s wish has finally come true with Born to Be Blue. Hawke was able to channel the boyish crooner Baker in the upcoming film by Robert Budreau.

According to Rolling Stone, though Ethan Hawke is known as an actor, his musical style and abilities are inspiring in Born to Be Blue. Ethan Hawke’s music does not sound like an imitation, but rather an ode to the style and grace of Chet Baker, according to Robert Budreau.

“Ethan’s vocal performance is brilliant because he doesn’t try to mimic Chet Baker.”

Ethan Hawke’s performance seems inspired by Baker’s spirit.

Musician and composer David Braid, whose band accompanied Ethan Hawke in the Baker movie, refers to Hawke’s portrayal of Chet Baker as inspired. Chet Baker’s music is also being brought to an entirely new audience with this film, and the soundtrack will stand on its own as a must-have. The movie will be released at the end of the month through IFC Films.

The Toronto Sun is reporting that Ethan Hawke threw himself into perfecting his trumpet playing, in order to make his portrayal of Chet Baker seem realistic. Every night for five weeks, Hawke spent his evenings in his hotel room, practicing the trumpet. Getting the playing style and the mannerisms of the musician/heroin addict down just right was critical to the Hawke, a native of Austin, Texas.

Though Hawke had hoped to film in Paris, or another big jazz club city, instead they shot the Chet Baker film four hours outside of Ontario, much to the chagrin of Hawke. But on the inside, most jazz clubs look a lot alike.

In a review, the Toronto Sun says that Ethan Hawke brings a great deal to the role of Chet Baker. The story begins in Italy in 1966, with Baker in jail, hallucinating on drugs. A filmmaker visits him in jail, and they go back in time, to Birdland in 1954, when Baker is making his debut.

Much of the movie is about Chet Baker’s efforts to get clean, and stay clean, and also recover from an injury to his mouth that comes from being beaten up. As a trumpet player, Baker’s mouth was obviously critical. In making a recovery, Baker is hoping for a comeback. The review said that Ethan Hawke and the cast were a large factor to the success of the movie. Well, that and the music of Chet Baker.

Slate suggests seeing Born to Be Blue, as Ethan Hawke channels his inner Chet Baker, and brings a lot to the table. The movie premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year to rave reviews that combine acting along with excellent music. The Hollywood Reporter said that Ethan Hawke was as good in Born to Be Blue as he was in Boyhood.

Though it is not a traditional biopic, in that it does not run in a traditional timeline, it tells the story with the creativity that the musical genius brought to his work. Chet Baker was known for “My Funny Valentine,” and his album Let’s Get Lost.

Will you go to see Ethan Hawke in the Chet Baker movie?

[Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images]

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