Hawke Praises Gomez, 'Doesn't Envy' Her Stardom

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Ethan Hawke skyrocketed to stardom at a young age, but unlike his The Getaway co-star Selena Gomez, the actor never had to deal with the perils of constant media scrutiny as a teen. In our sit-down with the pair promoting their action flick out August 30, Hawke couldn't help but praise the 21-year-old singer/actress for her prowess in the biz. 

"I don't envy it at all," Hawke remarked of the borderline obsessive attention paid to young stars like Gomez. "I doubt anybody finds that water easy to navigate, and the whole social media element of it is just an added hurdle. It's just like one hurdle to make it harder. The days of being able to quietly have a nervous breakdown or something and really be able to pull yourself back together without anybody paying attention are over."

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At 19, Hawke got his big film break with the Oscar Award-winning film Dead Poets Society which led to many opportunities for him to pursue similar passions like writing and directing. Gomez, he feels, is on the right track to rounding out her career and pursuing her interests with a good head on her shoulders.

"Selena's similar to me in a lot of ways, which is that we're both interested in a lot of different aspects of the performing arts, whether it's writing or singing or acting," he said, commenting that the industry often likes to put young stars on a pedestal while also confining them to "a box."

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"…They want to kind of smack you around, but at the same time they're rewarding you and it's a very confusing moment in your life because people are telling you you're important, and they're talking to you about ridiculously superficial things which you know are not important."

While the former Wizards of Waverly place star has been a paparazzi favorite as of late, especially since she and singer Justin Bieber became and on-and-off item, Gomez endures the scrutiny without complaint—well, apart from one.

"When people are not polite, I get snappy," she divulged with a mischievous smile.

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The Getaway, in theaters August 30, has Hawke playing Brent Magna, a man who must get behind the wheel and follow mysterious orders to save his kidnapped wife. Brent runs into a bit of trouble when "The Kid" (Gomez) attempts to rob him and instead puts her life in danger.