A moment of pure awards ceremony awkwardness unfolded in New York on Tuesday night, when actor Ethan Hawke publicly called out fellow star Rose Byrne over a negative online review she wrote of his debut novel more than a decade ago.
The Cringe-Worthy On-Stage Moment
The incident occurred at the prestigious Film Critics Circle Awards. Hawke was on stage to present Byrne with the Best Actress award for her performance in the psychological drama 'If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You'. Instead of simply handing over the trophy, Hawke decided to dredge up a piece of ancient internet history.
He referenced a two-star review Byrne had posted in 2010 on the Goodreads website under the username 'Rose'. The review was for Hawke's first novel, 'The Hottest State'. In it, Byrne described the book as "a lovely easy read" but brutally added: "It's kind of like a Ryan Adams song but not as good." At the time, Byrne was likely filming the TV drama 'Damages'.
From Embarrassment to Compliment
Celebrity blog Showbiz411 reported that Hawke was 'howling' as he recalled finding the review. Clips from the ceremony show a visibly embarrassed Byrne stepping up to accept her award, caught completely off guard by the public call-out.
Displaying quick wit, the Australian actress managed to turn the toe-curling moment around. "Thank you, Ethan … I never thought you would read that review. Ever!" she said from the podium. "Goodreads is so daggy, like, no-one reads it." She then pivoted to a heartfelt compliment, calling Hawke "the most magical person and artist" and revealing she had a poster for his iconic 1989 film 'Dead Poets Society' on her wall as a youngster.
Art Imitating Life and Oscar Buzz
Fans were quick to note the situation's uncanny resemblance to the 2018 romantic comedy 'Juliet, Naked'. In the film, Byrne's character writes an anonymous negative review of an album by a faded rock star, played by Hawke, who then tracks her down to thank her for her honesty.
The awards night comes as Byrne is tipped to earn her first Oscar nomination for her lead role in 'If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You', where she portrays a mother struggling to hold her life together. Should she win the Academy Award, she would become one of only three Australian actresses ever to take home the Best Actress prize.
