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Ethan Hawke is an American actor, director of two feature films, three Off-Broadway plays, and a documentary, and also the writer of the novels "The Hottest State" (1996) and "Ash Wednesday" (2002). Here are 50 interesting facts about the actor
- Born on 6 November 1970 in Austin, Texas as Ethan Green Hawke to Leslie Green, a charity worker and James Hawke, an insurance actuary.
- Hawke was raised entirely by his mother. The two relocated several times before settling in New York.
- His parents got divorced in 1974 when he was 4 years old. Seventeen year old Leslie Green and James Hawke were students at University of Texas when she gave birth to Hawke Junior.
- Hawke developed interest in acting at an early stage and made his stage debut at the age of 13 in a school production “Saint Joan.”
- During his days at West Windsor Plainsboro High School he took part in plays “Meet Me in St Louis” and “You Can’t Take it With You.”
- He went to Carnegie Melton University in Pittsburgh to study acting, but dropped out in 1989 when he was cast in the movie “Dead Poets Society.”
- His first film was 1985’s “Explorers” as a school boy alongside actor River Phoenix. He was only 14 at that time.
- His next movie was 1989’s Comedy “Dad.” He was reluctant to act again after his first movie was a failure at box office.
- “Dead Poets Society” was the breakthrough he was waiting for. He acted as a shy student opposite Robin Williams.
- This film still remains his most commercially successful movie grossing over US$235 million worldwide. The success prompted him to pursue acting as a career.
- He later described, “I didn’t want to be an actor and 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.”
- Young Ethan Hawke met director Peter Weir for the first time and thought he spoke funny. This was his first impression towards Australian accent.
- His leading role debut in a movie was in 1991’a “White Fang.” He played the character Jack Conroy, a young gold hunter.
- He then acted in war film “A Midnight Clear” in 1992, about the real World War 1 incident when German and British soldiers stopped fight for a day on the eve of Christmas and played soccer.
- His next project was a survival drama “Alive” in 1993 where a plane carrying Uruguayan Rugby team crashes and how they survive the ordeal.
- Hawke refused to grow beard for the movie and maintained the goatee all along.
- His performance as Troy in the drama “Reality Bites” in 1994 was praised all around. However, the film was a box office failure.
- Roger Ebert a film critic praised Hawke’s performance as noteworthy and said “Hawke captures all the right notes as the boorish Troy.”
- He received critical acclaim for his performance in the movie “Before Sunrise” in 1995 alongside Julie Delpy. The movie is a real life incident of the director Richard Linklater.
- It is claimed that most of the script was re-written by Hawke and Delpy, however they are not credited for it.
- The San Francisco Chronicle praised their performance stating “They interact so gently and simply that you feel certain that they helped write the dialogue. Each of them seems to have something personal at stake in their performances.”
- He published his first novel “The Hottest State” in 1996 that received mixed reviews. The book was about a love affair between a young actor and a singer.
- About writing novel Hawke said “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 reciting lines and not do anything else. I wanted to try making something else. It was just one of the best things I ever did.”
- Entertainment weekly said “If Hawke is serious he had do well to work awhile in less exposed venues.” The New York Times said “He did a fine job of showing what it’s like to be young and full of confusion, praising the book as sweet love story.”
- He however sold his book to Little, Brown and Company for $400,000.
- “Gattaca” in 1997 was the most interesting script read in a number of years, according to Hawke. He played as a man who infiltrates a society of genetically perfect humans by assuming another man’s identity.
- The co-actor in the movie is Uma Thurman who later became his wife. However, Hawke had to propose to her twice before she said yes.
- Hawke later played the lead in the movie “Great Expectations,” adaptations of the Charles Dickens novel by the same name.
- The lead character’s name was initially “Pip” but they felt it would sound odd in modern day. Hence they changed it to “Finn” named after Hawke’s dog.
- Hawke played as Jess Newton in the movie “The Newton Boys” based on the true story of the most successful bank robbers Newton Gang.
- He was praised by many for his performance in the movie “Tape” played alongside Uma Thurman. Roger Ebert noted that the performance for its “Physical and verbal acting mastery.”
- Hawke received nominations at Screen Actors Guild and Oscars for best supporting actor for his performance as Jake Hoyt in “Training Day” alongside Denzel Washington.
- Hawke has described that his best experience in Hollywood is “Training Day.”
- He married Uma Thurman, on 1st May 1998. The marriage did not last long and they filed for divorce in 2003.
- He has a daughter and a son with Thurman – Maya born in 1998 and Levin born in 2002.
- He made his directorial debut with “Chelsea Walls” in 2002 which was unsuccessful.
- He wrote his second novel “Ash Wednesday” the same year that was well received and featured on the New York Times Best Seller List.
- Hawke, Delpy and Linklater join together again for the sequel to “Before Sunrise” titled “Before Sunset.” He named it as one of his favorite movies.
- Hawke along with Delpy and Linklater wrote the screenplay for the “Before Sunset,” and it got nominated at Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay, his first screen writing nomination.
- In a nude scene involving Marisa Tomei in the movie “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.” Hawke insisted that a;; the male crew members be stripped naked to make her feel comfortable.
- He then appeared in another Linklater movie “Boyhood,” as a father. The movie was shot over a course of 12 years depicting the life of a boy from the age 6 to 18.
- Hawke was nominated for best supporting actor at Oscars, BAFTA, Golden Globe and SAG, for the movie “Boyhood.”
- He has always claimed that theatre is his first love, a place where he is free to be more creative.
- Hawke was bestowed with Michael Mendelson Award for Outstanding Commitment to theatre in 2008.
- He was also nominated for Outstanding Director of a Play at Drama Desk Awards for directing “A lie of the mind.”
- He owns a small island in Nova Scotia, Canada.
- He got married again in 2008 to Ryan Shawhughes who worked as nanny to his children in his first marriage.
- He co-found “young Lions Fiction Award” in 2001. This is awarded annually for achievements in fiction writing by authors under the age of 35.
- He along with his wife released a video supporting same sex marriage in New York, in March 2011.
- He has expressed his interest in Arts over Politics even though he has supported Democratic Party in 2000, 2004 and 2008.
