Troy (Ethan Hawke) was NOT based on the USC film school classmate of screenwriter Helen Childress. A letter signed by Ms. Childress is on file, attesting to this fact, and was provided as a condition of a settlement between the parties. The Hawke character is the exact OPPOSITE of the real Troy Dyer according to Ms. Childress' own sworn statement, and a person from her college days who instead was professional, hard-working and honest.Hawke's character is a slacker and nihilist grunge rock musician by night, who loses job after job in a series of minimum wage dead end endeavors during the day. The character's last job is lost early in the film because of stealing a candy bar from an employer.The real Troy A. Dyer is a hard-working, honest, professional film producer and risk managment advisor who oversees the design of principal protected, film slate funds from his offices in Beverly Hills, CA and Chicago, IL. (source: wiki)