Ethan Hawke's wife Ryan Shawhughes fled the set of his new movie Blue Moon after seeing his "combover"

Hawke has now revealed playing the diminutive character changed his outlook, telling the Guardian newspaper: "Because the world is heightist. It's ingrained in our culture, it's in our language. Tall and handsome. Proud and strong. It's tough when people don't want to flirt with you. It changes how you see yourself."

He went on to reveal an actor friend came to the set and had a go at standing in Hawke's trench and it horrified the man's wife.

Hawke explained: "[His wife said] 'Wow, that's so interesting . I definitely wouldn't have married you.' Because that's shocking, right?

"That this woman who he's been married to for 20 years should be put off by something so superficial. Not his brain, not his talent, not his looks, not his essence. You're short and you're bald. That's not masculine to me."

Director Linklater then told the movie star: 'Yeah, but your wife said that, too."

Hawke then explained Shawhughes - who he has been married to since 2008 - was more put off by the combover he was sporting.

He said: "Yeah, OK, she did. It wasn't the height or the balding that bothered my wife. It was the combover.

"The disguise is always worse than the thing itself. I dyed my hair, very obviously dyed, and then I did the combover.

"And Ryan came to visit the set one day, and she looked at me and said: 'You know what, I'm leaving. I didn't marry Larry Hart'."

Blue Moon follows Hart in the grip of alcoholism and depression in 1943 on the opening night of his former creative partner Richard Rodgers' new musical Oklahoma! which he created with Oscar Hammerstein - and Hawke previously admitted making the film was exhausting.

Speaking to BANG Showbiz and other assembled media at the BFI London Film Festival premiere of Blue Moon, the actor said: "Highlight day on set? Wrap!

"It was so exhausting playing this part and trying to get inside this world. I remember when we wrapped I felt amazing."

Hawke was particularly grateful for the support of director Linklater, adding: "This movie was almost like playing a character who is walking in front of a firing squad and can't stop talking.

"He is absolutely terrified that the world is leaving him behind. It's such a complex part and I don't think I could have done it without Richard. It's his passion, his intelligence, his grace and his care. That's how you do it."