Ethan Green Hawke was born inAustin, Texas, on November 6, 1970.[1][2] His father, James Hawke, was an insuranceactuary, while his mother, Leslie (née Green), was a charity worker and teacher.[3][4][5] Hawke's parents were high school sweethearts fromFort Worth, Texas and married when his mother was seventeen.[6] Hawke was born a year later, while both of his parents were attending the University of Texas at Austin. His parents separated and later divorced in 1974, when he was four years old.[3][7]
With his mother's permission, Hawke attended his first casting call at age fourteen and was cast inJoe Dante'sExplorers (1985), playing a misfit schoolboy alongsideRiver Phoenix.[18][19] Although the film received positive reviews,[20] it performed poorly at the box office, leading Hawke to step away from acting for a time after its release. He later described the experience as difficult to handle at such a young age, remarking, "I would never recommend that a kid act".[17] In 1989, Hawke had hisbreakthrough role as a shy student inPeter Weir'sDead Poets Society.[21][22] The film was critically and commercially successful and won theBAFTA Award for Best Film.[23] Reflecting on the impact of its success, Hawke later said, "I didn't want to be an actor and I went back to college. But then the film's success was so monumental that I was getting offers to be in such interesting movies and be in such interesting places and it seemed silly to pursue anything else.'"[19] After filmingDead Poets Society, he auditioned for his next project, the comedy-dramaDad (1989).[24][25]
Hawke's next role was in theGeneration X dramaReality Bites (1994), in which he portrayed a disaffected slacker who mocks the ambitions of his love interest, played byWinona Ryder.[36] Ebert liked his "convincing and noteworthy" performance, writing that "Hawke captures all the right notes as the boorish Troy".[36]Caryn James observed that his "subtle and strong performance makes it clear that Troy feels things too deeply to risk failure and admit he's feeling anything at all".[37] The film did moderately well at the box office, grossing $41million on a budget of $11million.[38][39] Hawke starred inRichard Linklater'sBefore Sunrise (1995), the first installment of theBefore film trilogy.[40] He portrayed a young American man who meets a young French woman—portrayed byJulie Delpy—and they both disembark inVienna.[41] The reception for the film and Hawke's performance was positive, with the former receivinga 100percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[42]
"Writing the book had to do with dropping out of college and with being an actor. I didn't want my whole life to go by and not do anything but recite lines. I wanted to try making something else. It was definitely the scariest thing I ever did. And it was just one of the best things I ever did."
Hawke directed the music video forLisa Loeb's USBillboard Hot 100 number-one single "Stay (I Missed You)"; Loeb was then a member of Hawke's theater company.[43][44]Spin magazine named the video its Video of the Year in 1994.[45] Hawke appeared in a 1995 production ofSam Shepard'sBuried Child, directed byGary Sinise at theSteppenwolf Theater in Chicago.[46] He published his first novel, titledThe Hottest State, in 1996, which tells the story of a love affair between a young actor and a singer. He described writing the book as both the "scariest[... but also] one of the best things I ever did."[19]Entertainment Weekly said that Hawke "opens himself to rough literary scrutiny inThe Hottest State. If Hawke is serious [...] he'd do well to work awhile in less exposed venues."[47]The New York Times thought Hawke did "a fine job of showing what it's like to be young and full of confusion", concluding thatThe Hottest State was ultimately "a sweet love story".[48]
Hawke called his script inAndrew Niccol'sscience fiction filmGattaca (1997) "one of the more interesting" ones he had read in "a number of years".[49] In it, he played the role of a man who infiltrates a society of genetically perfect humans by assuming another man's identity.[50] Ebert called him a good choice for the lead role, stating that he "combin[es] the restless dreams of a 'Godchild' with the plausible exterior of a lab baby".[50] AlongsideGwyneth Paltrow andRobert De Niro, he starred inGreat Expectations (1998), a contemporary film adaptation ofCharles Dickens's 1861novel of the same name, directed byAlfonso Cuarón.[51] Hawke criticized the film's time of release, stating that "nobody gave a shit about anything butTitanic for about nine months after[...] particularly another romance".[52] He collaborated with Linklater once again onThe Newton Boys (1998), based on the true story of theNewton Gang.[53] The film saw generally negative reception;Rotten Tomatoes' consensus said that the "sharp" cast made up for "the frustrations of a story puzzlingly short on dramatic tension".[54]
In 1999, he starred as Kilroy in theTennessee Williams playCamino Real at theWilliamstown Theater Festival in Massachusetts.[55] That year, Hawke starred inSnow Falling on Cedars, adapted fromDavid Guterson'snovel of the same name. Set in the 1950s, he played a young reporter who covers the murder trial of a fisherman.[56] The film received a tepid response,[57] withEntertainment Weekly commenting that "Hawke scrunches himself into such a dark knot that we have no idea who [his character] Ishmael is or why he acts as he does".[58] Hawke's next film role was inMichael Almereyda'sHamlet (2000), in which he played thetitular character. The adaptation setWilliam Shakespeare's play in contemporary New York City, a choice Hawke said made the story feel more "accessible and vital".[59]
2001–2006:Training Day and further Linklater films
Hawke explored several projects outside of acting in the early 2000s. He made his directorial debut withChelsea Walls (2002), an independent drama about five struggling artists living in New York City'sHotel Chelsea.[70] That same year, he published his second novel,Ash Wednesday (2002), which appeared onThe New York Times Best Seller list.[71] Centered on anAWOL soldier and his pregnant girlfriend,[19] the novel earned praise from critics.The Guardian described it as "sharply and poignantly written[...] an intense one-sitting read",[72] while James noted that Hawke showed "a novelist's innate gifts[...] a sharp eye, a fluid storytelling voice and the imagination to create complicated individuals", though it found him "weaker at narrative tricks that can be taught".[73] Returning to Broadway, he playedHenry Percy (Hotspur) inJack O'Brien's 2003 production ofHenry IV.[74]Ben Brantley, writing inThe New York Times, opined that Hawke's interpretation of Hotspur might be "too contemporary for some tastes", but allowed "great fun to watch as he fumes and fulminates".[75]
Hawke returned to film in 2004 with two releases: the psychological thrillerTaking Lives and the romantic dramaBefore Sunset. Upon release,Taking Lives received broadly negative reviews,[76] though Hawke's performance as a serial killer who takes on the identities of his victims was favored by a critic from theStar Tribune, who said that he played the "complex character persuasively".[77] He then reunited with Linklater forBefore Sunset (2004), the second installment of theBefore trilogy.[78] Co-written by Hawke, Linklater and Delpy, the film follows a young man and woman who reunite in Paris nine years after meeting in Vienna.[79] AHartford Courant writer remarked that the screenwriting collaboration between the three "[kept] Jesse and Celine iridescent and fresh, one of the most delightful and moving of all romantic movie couples".[80] Hawke called it one of his favorite films, a "romance for realists".[81][82]Before Sunset was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.[83]
Hawke starred alongsidePhilip Seymour Hoffman,Marisa Tomei andAlbert Finney in the crime dramaBefore the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007), the final direction ofSidney Lumet. Hawke prepared for his role by working closely with Lumet during a two-week rehearsal period, which allowed the cast to make creative decisions before filming began. On-set, Lumet intentionally pitted Hawke and Hoffman against each other to heighten the tension.[93][94][95] InBefore the Devil Knows You're Dead, Hawke played the younger brother of a debt-ridden broker who entices him into a plan to rob their parents' bank, but the scheme goes awry.[96]USA Today'sClaudia Puig deemed the film "highly entertaining", describing Hawke and Hoffman's performances as excellent,[97] whilePeter Travers, writing forRolling Stone, stated that Hawke "[dug] deep to create a haunting portrayal of loss".[98]
To prepare for his role as a vampirehematologist in the science fiction horror filmDaybreakers (2009), Hawke studied "the greats" of past cinematic vampire performances, includingWillem Dafoe's portrayal in theShadow of the Vampire (2000).[104][105] He traveled to Australia to filmDaybreakers, which was directed bythe Spierig brothers.[106] The film fared well both critically and commercially, grossing $51million on a $20million budget.[107][108] Hawke's next role was inAntoine Fuqua'sBrooklyn's Finest, in which he portrayed a corrupt narcotics officer.[109] Although the film—released in the US in 2010—opened to mediocre reception,[110] his performance garnered praise from critics, including a New YorkDaily News reviewer who remarked, "Hawke—continuing an evolution toward stronger, more intense acting than anyone might've predicted from him 20 years ago—drives the movie."[111]
In January 2010, Hawke directed his second play, Sam Shepard'sA Lie of the Mind, on the New York stage.[112] It marked the first major off-Broadway revival of the play since its 1985 debut.[113] Hawke was attracted to the play's exploration of "the nature of reality" and its "weird juxtaposition of humor and mysticism".[114][113] In his review forThe New York Times, Ben Brantley lauded the production's "scary, splendid clarity" and praised Hawke for eliciting a performance that "connoisseurs of precision acting will be savoring for years to come".[115]Entertainment Weekly commented that althoughA Lie of the Mind "wobbles a bit in its late stages", Hawke's "hearty" revival managed to "resurrect the spellbinding uneasiness of the original".[116] The production garnered fiveLucille Lortel Award nominations, including one forOutstanding Revival,[117] and earned Hawke aDrama Desk Award nomination forOutstanding Director of a Play.[118]
In the2011 television adaptation ofHerman Melville'sMoby-Dick, Hawke played the role ofStarbuck, the first officer toWilliam Hurt'sCaptain Ahab.[119] He then starred oppositeKristin Scott Thomas inPaweł Pawlikowski'sThe Woman in the Fifth, a "lush puzzler" about an American novelist struggling to rebuild his life in Paris.[120][121] In 2012, Hawke appeared in the horror genre for the first time, playing a true crime writer inScott Derrickson'sSinister. Before the US release ofSinister, Hawke said that he had previously been hesitant about horror films because they often do not require strong acting performances. However, he mentioned that the producer ofSinister,Jason Blum, with whom Hawke had a background in theater, approached him with an offer involving a script that featured both a "great character and a real filmmaker".[122][123]
Hawke reunited with director Linklater and co-star Delpy for the third installment of theBefore trilogy, titledBefore Midnight (2013).[124] The film follows a couple, he and Delpy's character, who spend a summer vacation in Greece with their children.[125]Before Midnight received critical acclaim,[126] with one fromVariety naming the scene in the hotel room "one for the actors' handbook".[127] The film earned Hawke, Linklater and Delpy another Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.[128] Hawke next starred in the horror-thrillerThe Purge (2013), set in a future America where all crime is legal for one night each year.[129][130] Despite mixed reviews, the film opened atop the box office on its opening weekend with a $34million debut.[131][132] In early 2013, Hawke starred in and directed the playClive, written by Jonathan Marc Sherman and inspired byBertolt Brecht'sBaal.[133]
Hawke prepared for his role as a former racecar driver inGetaway (2013) by attending a one-day driving school at theMid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where he learned high-performance driving techniques such as180-degree spins ande-brake maneuvers.[134] The film was critically panned.[135] He played thetitle role in a Broadway production ofMacbeth at the Lincoln Center Theater in late 2013.The Hollywood Reporter critic David Rooney criticized the "disharmonious acting styles led by Hawke's underpowered take on [his] role".[136] Released in mid-2014, Linklater'sBoyhood follows the life of an American boy from age six to eighteen, with Hawke portraying his father.[137] The film became the best-reviewed release of 2014 and was named best film of the year by numerous critics' associations.[138][139] Hawke later admitted that the film's widespread acclaim came as a surprise, recalling that when he first joined the project, it felt less like a "proper movie" and more like "a radical '60s film experiment or something".[140]He earned several nominations for his performance, including the Academy Award,BAFTA,Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.[141][142][143]
Hawke reunited with the Spierig brothers for the science fiction thrillerPredestination (2014), in which he played a time-traveling agent on his final assignment.[144][145] Writing forVulture,David Edelstein wrote how he enjoyed Hawke's "low-key, solemn, enigmatic" performance.[146] He next reunited with hisGattaca director Andrew Niccol forGood Kill (2014), a contemporary war drama. In his "best screen role in years" according to Rooney, Hawke portrayed a drone pilot grappling with a troubled conscience.[147] He made his documentary debut withSeymour: An Introduction, which premiered at the2014 Toronto International Film Festival.[148][149] The film was conceived after a dinner party attended by both Hawke and its subject, classical pianistSeymour Bernstein.Seymour: An Introduction is a profile of Bernstein, who later said that, although he was normally a private person, he was unable to decline Hawke's request to make the film because the actor was "so endearing".[150]
In 2016, Hawke took on two unpleasant roles in succession, first playing the abusive father of a promising young baseball player inThe Phenom,[161] and then the stern husband ofMaud Lewis—portrayed bySally Hawkins—inMaudie. While some critics commended his surprising range, others argued that Hawke was "miscast" as a harsh figure.[162][163][164] He reunited withTraining Day director Antoine Fuqua and actor Denzel Washington forThe Magnificent Seven (2016), a remake of the1960 western film of the same name.[165] In the film, Hawke played a formerConfederatesharpshooter struggling withPTSD from theAmerican Civil War.[166][167] In the US, the film grossed $34.7 million in its opening weekend, topping the box office.[168] Also in 2016, Hawke narrated the interactive short filmInvasion!, which earned him and his co-creators aDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive – Original Daytime Content,[169][170] and released his fourth book,Indeh: A Story of the Apache Wars, which chronicles theconflicts between the Apache and the US.[171]
Hawke starred inPaul Schrader's dramaFirst Reformed (2017) as a former militarychaplain tormented by the death of his son, whom he had encouraged to join thearmed forces, while grappling with the looming threat ofclimate change.[172][173] Critics, includingSlate's K. Austin Collins, praised his performance, calling it "extraordinarily well-tuned" and stating that "every ounce of likability, vulnerability, angry cynicism and ineptitude [in his career] seems to be summed up here".[174] Hawke had two films premiere at the2018 Sundance Film Festival.[175][176] InJuliet, Naked, a romantic comedy adapted fromNick Hornby's 2009novel of the same name, he played an obscure rock musician whose eponymous album drives the plot.[177]Blaze, his third direction, is a biographical film about the little-known country musicianBlaze Foley and was selected for the festival's main competition.[178]
In 2019, Hawke returned to Broadway in the revival of Sam Shepard'sTrue West, co-starringPaul Dano. The production began previews in December 27, 2018, opened in January 2019 and closed two months later.[186] It was named a Critic's Pick byThe New York Times.[187] In 2020, Hawke portrayedNikola Tesla, the titular inventor and engineer, in the biographical drama filmTesla.[188] For the role, Hawke drew inspiration from both Tesla's own writings and singer and actorDavid Bowie, taking cues from Bowie's portrayal of Tesla inThe Prestige (2006).[189] ASlate writer said that his performance was "brilliant but psychologically tortured", suffering from a combination of both "germaphobia andobsessive-compulsive disorder".[188] Hawke published his third novel and fifth book, titledA Bright Ray of Darkness, in February 2021.[190]
In 2022, Hawke starred as the primary antagonistArthur Harrow in theDisney+ streaming seriesMoon Knight, produced byMarvel Studios.[191] Devan Coggan, writing forEntertainment Weekly, called him "unsettlingly charismatic" in the role,[192] while a critic for the Roger Ebert website called "his range, mix of intensity and subtlety in drama and his comedic skills[...] impressive".[193] InThe Black Phone (2021), Hawke played the role of aserial killer of children.[194] AnEmpire writer praised him for a "frightening and fascinating physical performance",[195] while Wendy Ide, writing inThe Guardian, said that his performance contributed to the film's "rewarding depth of dramatic detail".[196]The Black Phone was a significant commercial success, grossing $161.4 million.[197] He then traveled to Ireland to filmRobert Eggers'The Northman, a 10th-centuryViking epic in which he appeared alongsideNicole Kidman,Anya Taylor-Joy and Willem Dafoe.[198][199]
In 2022, Hawke's six-part biographical documentary onPaul Newman andJoanne Woodward,The Last Movie Stars, was broadcast onHBO Max.[200] In Linklater's biopicBlue Moon (2025), he led as songwriterLorenz Hart reflecting on himself on the opening night of the musicalOklahoma!.[201] A critic for theHouston Chronicle praised his performance as one of the year's best,[202] whileNBC News described it as a career highlight.[203] Later that year, he reprised his role as the serial killer of children inBlack Phone 2, the sequel toThe Black Phone.[204]Collider said that Hawke played "at his best as the Grabber",[205] whileThe New York Times said that his performance "create[d] a more cohesive picture than the original".[194]
Artistry and screen technique
Hawke has describedRobert De Niro as an influence on his acting.
Known for his versatility in a wide range of roles, Hawke was named byEsquire as the greatest actor of his generation in 2022.[206][207][208] He is also known for starring in both independent films and Hollywoodblockbusters.[5] He describes acting as a "shamanistic process", where "you give over to it, much like singing a song",[209] and compares portraying characters to music, stating that "you have to get inside your character's song".[5] Hawke is known for preferring the artistic aspects of being an actor rather than seeking commercial success or fame as afilm star.[210] He is a critic of the industry's increasing emphasis on social-media metrics over talent, calling some casting decisions "crazy".[211]
Hawke explained that the eclecticism and diversity in his roles stems from his early life; for his mother, he would portray figures like an "artistic, literary, conscientious political thinker". According toThe New Yorker theater criticJohn Lahr, the skills that acting demands—"empathy, imagination, charm, [and] surrender"—are features he developed through his experiences with his mother.[5] Hawke often tries to tell stories when writing, directing, acting and producing, a practice Lahr said set him apart from his contemporaries.[5] He has describedmethod acting as "crazy", though he acknowledges that it works for some performers. Hawke instead prefers what he calls "third-person acting", a technique that allows him "to truly become the characters he's playing".[212][208]
Hawke has cited bothRobert De Niro andDenzel Washington as major influences, particularly from a collaboration with the former onGreat Expectations (1998), during which he admired De Niro's work ethic: "He's not waiting for someone to give him permission to do the kind of work he wants [...] he's just coming in and doing that kind of work". He observed the same during the filming ofTraining Day (2001) with Washington,[209] who Hawke later referred to as the "greatest actor of our generation".[213] He describedAustin Pendleton as the "only acting teacher [he's] ever had".[210] Hawke has credited several directors as key influences, includingPeter Weir, who showed him "what filmmaking could be", andPaul Schrader andMartin Scorsese, whom he credits with shaping his "adult relationship with film" and motivating him to continue acting.[214] Hawke has received widespread critical acclaim for his creative partnership with director Richard Linklater, with whom he has collaborated on nine films.[215]
On May 1, 1998, Hawke married actressUma Thurman, whom he met on the set ofGattaca in 1996.[216][217] They have two children,Maya (born 1998) andLevon (born 2002), both of whom became actors.[218][219] The couple separated in 2003 amidst allegations of infidelity and filed for divorce the following year,[220][221] which was finalized in August 2005.[222] In June 2008, Hawke married Ryan Shawhughes, who had briefly worked as a nanny for his and Thurman's children before graduating fromColumbia University.[223][224][225] Addressing speculation about their relationship, Hawke stated that his first marriage had ended "due to many pressures, none of which were remotely connected to Ryan".[225] The couple has two daughters.[218][226]
Hawke identifies as afeminist and has criticized the film industry for being "such a boys' club".[227][228] He has served as co-chair of theNew York Public Library's Young Lions Committee, one of the institution's major philanthropic boards.[229] In 2001, he co-founded theYoung Lions Fiction Award, an annual prize recognizing outstanding fiction by writers under 35.[230][231] He was named a Library Lion by the New York Public Library in November 2010 and joined the library's board of trustees in May 2016.[232][233] In November 2016, Hawke and Ryan ran theNew York City Marathon to supportthe Doe Fund, a non-profit that works to break the cycles of homelessness, addiction and criminal recidivism.[234] AnEpiscopalian, he has said that faith played a larger role in his youth but that he failed to develop it further in adulthood.[235]
^Vadeboncoeur, Joan (January 22, 1995). "Despite Film Success, Hawke Keeps A Keen Eye On Theater".Syracuse Herald American. p. 17.
^abKennedy, Dana (April 14, 2002)."The Payoff for Ethan Hawke".The New York Times.Archived from the original on February 5, 2011. RetrievedFebruary 5, 2009.
^Brantley, Ben (February 19, 2010)."Home Is Where the Soul Aches".The New York Times.Archived from the original on February 25, 2010. RetrievedFebruary 22, 2010.
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