Ethan Hawke hated the Independence Day script so much he threw it out of his car

Ethan Hawke says he was offered Will Smith’s role in Independence Day, but hated the script so much that he threw it out of a moving car.

Actor Ethan Hawke has said that he hated the screenplay for Roland Emmerich's 1996 blockbuster Independence Day so much that he threw it out of his car in disgust.

The makers had first approached the 47-year-old actor for a part in the film, which ultimately went to Will Smith and catapulted him to global fame. During an appearance on host Conan O'Brien's show, Hawke said he was bombarded with offers after the success of his film Reality Bites and it also included Independence Day.

"I'm driving cross-country with a friend of mine. I got the script to Independence Day, and there's like dollar bills attached to it," Hawke said. "And I'm reading it to my buddy in the car like, 'Isn’t this a bad line? 'ET phone home,' that's stupid.' And I'm going through it to the point where I literally throw it out onto the Texas highway," he added.

However, the actor later realised his mistake after he watched the film on opening day with a group of friends and his girlfriend at the time. "Everyone wants to go see Independence Day and I'm like, 'Alright, this will be amusing to see how bad it is. I walk into the theatre, it's obviously sold out. Will Smith says, 'ET phone home,' and the place roars. I mean they basically give a standing ovation in the movie. And I'm sitting there going, 'Oh my god.' I really didn't get the joke!" Hawke said.

Independence Day, which also featured Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum, had grossed over $800 million at the global box office.