Ethan Hawke and Sydney Sweeney sat down for a candid “Actors on Actors” interview by Variety. The two stars touched upon topics related to acting as teens, fame, and family. During the talk, Hawke pivoted to his daughter Maya Hawke and the parts of her upbringing he wishes had gone differently. The exchange set up today’s headline and explained why his reflections land now. And because the conversation doubled as gentle mentorship, it also added context to Sweeney’s reactions.
Ethan Hawke shares Maya Hawke had a complicated childhood
As per a Variety interview dated December 11, Ethan Hawke said he always knew his daughter Maya was an artist. He explained, “I knew when she was about 4 that she was gonna be an artist.” The “Before Sunrise” actor continued, “And I knew that she was gonna be a very good one.” However, he also admitted regret. Hawke added, “There were a lot of things about her childhood that were really, really hard and complicated, and things I regret for her.”
He then recalled a teacher’s question to Maya and her striking reply. Hawke said the teacher asked, “Maya, are you happy?” According to him, she answered, “Do you really think that’s the question… Am I happy? No. But I don’t aspire to be happy.” Hawke said that response showed a kid who “vibrated” toward communication and the arts, and he believed the arts were “gonna save her life.”
For context, Maya’s mother is Uma Thurman. Hawke and Thurman married in 1998, separated in 2003, and finalized their divorce in 2005. Besides Maya, they have a son, Levon, and have co-parented their two children amicably since. Hawke later married Ryan Shawhughes in 2008, and they have two daughters, Clementine and Indiana. Maya is now an actor-singer best known for “Stranger Things,” often crediting both parents’ careers for her path.
Hawke and Sydney Sweeney’s conversation also veered into guidance and craft. He told the “Christy” star the world rewards risk, saying, “I really believe this: The world loves it when you take a dare.” Sweeney, for her part, praised his performance in “Blue Moon” and shared “Euphoria” lessons about making fearless choices. The moment ended warmly. After trading stories about training and stage fright, Sweeney told him, “Man, I wish you were my dad.”
Together, Ethan Hawke and Sydney Sweeney’s “Actors on Actors” exchange mixed career talk with a clear admission about Maya Hawke’s complicated childhood and a father’s plain regrets.
Originally reported by Santanu Das on Momtastic.
