MCM: Ethan Hawke

Ethan Hawke has had success in both independent and mainstream films, plus he’s made his own movies, acted in theater, and written novels. He’s made nine films so far with director Richard Linklater, from the romantic Before trilogy co-starring Julie Delpy to the 11-year project of Boyhood and most recently Blue Moon. That biopic inspired me to see if Hawke had done any other historical work, and yeah, there’s a few to check out even if they aren’t very frock-y.

 

 

Todd Anderson in Dead Poets Society (1989)

Hawke has mentioned this movie in interviews over the years, saying working with Robin Williams was the first time Hawke felt like an actor:

“We had this scene, ‘I sound my barbaric yawp over the rooftops of the world.’ And it’s etched in my brain as him standing in front of me, writing ‘yawp’ on the chalkboard, and he said, ‘Todd doesn’t think he has anything of value inside him.’ That scene is pretty much shot in one take. … Peter Weir shot it on a Steadicam spinning around us. I remember Robin hugging me after that scene was over. It’s a high I’ve been chasing the rest of my life.”

 

Jack in White Fang (1991)

Ethan Hawke said of this film:

“I had to act with this wolf. And it’s kind of the greatest teacher I ever had because the wolf doesn’t act. The wolf just deals with the circumstances that are in front of it. If you start ‘acting’ with the wolf the wolf gets totally freaked out and wonders why you’re so weird. So when parts are well-written you can disappear into them.”

 

Sgt. Will Knott in A Midnight Clear (1992)

 

Jess Newton in The Newton Boys (1998)

 

Ishmael Chambers in Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)

 

Starbuck in Moby Dick (2011)

 

Chet Baker in Born to Be Blue (2015)

 

Paul in In a Valley of Violence (2016)

 

Everett Lewis in Maudie (2016)

 

Goodnight Robicheaux in The Magnificent Seven (2016)

 

Sheriff Pat Garrett in The Kid (2019)

 

Nikola Tesla in Tesla (2020)

Hawke said of this movie: “Nikola Tesla deserves to have about 18 films made about him — but this is the best one I’ll be in.”

 

John Brown in The Good Lord Bird (2020)

Ethan Hawke said of this production:

“‘The Good Lord Bird’ is one of the greatest novels I’ve ever read and I was desperate to put it on film. As systemic racism has reignited itself as front page news, the story of Onion Shackelford’s ride with John Brown seems more relevant than ever.

Warning label: This is not your school librarian’s John Brown, he’s a historical figure but reimagined by McBride. Imagine if Huck Finn were a cross-dressing mixed race boy and crazy God fearing ‘Jim’ was crazy God fearing John Brown and instead of a paddle and a raft they had a six shooter and stallion.”

 

King Aurvandil War-Raven in The Northman (2022)

 

Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon (2025)

Ethan Hawk told NPR about this movie:

“The physical things are kind of easy. … Anybody can shave their head and do a comb-over. But it was really the soul of a person who was loathing themselves, and at the same time, thinks they’re smarter than everybody else. … Imagine if you only worked with one other person for 25 years and you achieved incredible heights and this person now doesn’t wanna work with you anymore. So it’s truly heartbreaking for him because I think he’s smart enough to know that the world is changing, we’re in the middle of the war, the jazz age is being left behind, something new is happening and he’s not gonna be a part of it.”

 

Samuel Murphy in The Weight (2026)

 

 

What’s your favorite historical role by Ethan Hawke?