Academy Award and Tony Award nominee Ethan Hawke is no stranger to the spotlight.
From his star-studded marriages, scandalous personal life, and talented offspring, the public has grown up watching Hawke in classic hits such as Dead Poets Society and Great Expectations.
The former 90s heartthrob went on to appear in a string of hard-hitting thrillers such as The Purge and Training Day and was embroiled in a string of scandals including his marriage to his former nanny.
The Hollywood star also owns a private island in Nova Scotia, Canada and claims he has a secret connection to playwright Tennessee Williams.
To celebrate his 51st birthday, let’s take a look inside the life of the famous actor
Scandalous love life
(Image: FilmMagic)
Heartthrob Hawke married movie star Uma Thurman after the pair met on the set of Gattaca in 1996 and they share two children together.
The couple separated in 2003 amid allegations of Hawke’s infidelity and they filed for divorce the following year after seven years of marriage.
The separation came after rumours that Hawke had an affair with their nanny, Ryan Shawhughes. The rumours were seemingly confirmed in 2008 when Hawke married the former nanny.
The couple also have two children, Clementine and Indiana.
(Image: Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)
The 51-year-old dated a string of beauties before his two marriages, including Canadian model Jennifer Perzow, actress Julia Roberts, and TV personality Elisa Jordana.
While Hawke and Thurman have spoken about how difficult their divorce was, they’ve both praised the success of their children.
Daughter Maya burst onto the acting scene making her film debut in Little Women alongside Emma Watson and appeared in Netflix hit Stranger Things. The pair’s son Levon also starred alongside his sister in Stranger Things.
Ethan said back in 2013 of his divorce: “I definitely think my frontal lobe was not finished. I had no business taking vows that would last more than two weeks.”
Career
(Image: PA Archive/Press Association Ima)
He started auditioning for acting roles at just 14, landing a role in the movie Explorers in 1985.
He returned to the big screen in 1989 when he appeared in acclaimed hit Dead Poets Society alongside Robin Williams. The late actor is said to have been a close mentor of Hawke’s during the start of his career.
Aside from film, Ethan Hawke is also active in the world of theatre. He made his Broadway debut in The Seagull in 1992 and in1995 he appeared in Buried Child in Chicago.
His theatre career led to a Michael Mendelson Award for Outstanding Commitment to the theatre.
(Image: PA)
He went on to appear alongside Winona Ryder in the cult classic Reality Bites and starred opposite Denzel Washington in Training Day.
In 2013, Ethan Hawke opted to star in hit horror film The Purge. The movie was a hit with audiences and went on to spawn four sequels.
In January, Hawke was cast as the primary villain in the Disney+ streaming series Moon Knight and is to appear in The Northman alongside Nicole Kidman.
The actor released his first novel, The Hottest State, in 1996 which was a love story between an actor and a singer. A decade after its release, Ethan directed a movie based on his book.
The star released his second novel, Ash Wednesday, in 2002 — which follows an AWOL soldier and earned the title of New York Times bestseller.
His third novel, A Bright Ray of Darkness, was published in February 2021.
Tennessee Williams
(Image: Getty Images)
The beloved actor is said to be the great nephew of beloved playwright Tennessee Williams on his father’s side.
The star has always been a fan of Williams, and is currently set to direct and adapt Camino Real, Tennessee Williams’ wildly experimental play, into a feature film.
When asked about if she’s related to the famous playwright, daughter Maya said recently: “My dad says so. I don’t really believe it. But I’d love to do a Tennessee Williams play some day. I haven’t done any theatre since school and it’s top of my list.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
