During  press conference for his new historical drama The Weight, the Oscar-nominated actor was asked his position on the responsibility of big names to speak out on topics like fascism. He took a moment to contemplate the question before saying: “Alright… the last place you probably want to look for advice in your spiritual counsel is a bunch of jet-lagged, drunk artists talking about their films.”

One of the reasons he loves The Weight is because “at it’s core, it’s about a group of people who don’t think they have anything in common who band together to fight institutional greed and malevolence. And that’s worth fighting for.”

Hawke concluded his answer with a more direct answer to the reporter’s question: “Anything that fights fascism, I’m all for it.”

“The last time I spoke publicly about any of this, I was really shocked about how much animosity it was met with,” Hawke said candidly. “You know, people saying, ‘Actors shouldn’t talk about politics’ and things like that. I really feel like the answer is the absolute inverse, that everybody should be — we’re all citizens of the world and all of us matter, all of us have a voice and everybody’s welcome to disagree. That’s part of the benefit of living in a free society.”

“We’re just sharing art,” he said. “We’re not some of the greatest minds in the world that try to make the planet live in peace.”

But he added that it should be a priority of every adult to “take care of all the children” and “the young people in our lives, and make sure they have a good world.”

He ended his response by addressing the journalist directly. “I feel like there’s a slight agenda to your question that’s different from my agenda,” Hawke said. “But I respect you and I respect the question.”

“The Weight,” which world premiered at Sundance Film Fest last month, follows “a group of desperate convicts on a journey through a physically and morally treacherous backcountry. Ethan Hawke gives a muscular performance as the film’s reluctant but resourceful hero, while Russell Crowe is quietly menacing as his foil. Julia Jones brings dignity and defiance to her role as Anna, the sole woman in the group.”

Berlin has long been a festival home for Hawke, who premiered all 3 of Richard Linklater’s “Before” films there.

Last year, the duo debuted Lorenz Hart biopic “Blue Moon” in competition, which went on to earn Hawke best actor nominations at the Oscars, BAFTAs, and SAG Actor Awards.