Ethan Hawke once believed that filmmaking would always be as magical as his experience on the set of Dead Poets Society, but reality quickly proved otherwise. The five-time Oscar nominee reflected on his decades-long career while promoting his The Lowdown costar Kyle MacLachlan's new memoir, Fictional Selves, at a book talk on September 28, according to People magazine.

Hawke, 55, noted he had a "great experience" on the set of his 1989 breakout film, which also starred Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, and others. "I thought Dead Poets Society is what making a movie was like.

It's not what it's like." Hawke was only 18 years old when he rose to prominence with the film. Over the next decade, he established himself as a leading man with projects like Reality Bites, Gattaca, and Great Expectations.

During that time, he received a harsh reality check about the industry. "A lot of people are really cold and crass and mean and they really want to sell something and they want to manipulate you and they don't respect actors," he reflected.

Thankfully, Hawke found a safe haven when he first worked with Richard Linklater on 1995's Before Sunrise. The duo went on to collaborate on many projects, including Boyhood and Blue Moon.

"The creative space that I know from working with Richard Linklater... is a very safe place," he said. "And you can talk about anything if you're among friends, right?

You can share the darkest thought if you know you're loved. And that's what a Linklater set feels like." Hawke continues to balance major cinematic projects with independent productions, remaining a respected figure in modern American cinema.