Ethan Hawke's Best Roles

Ethan Hawke has been acting for over three decades now! Born on Nov. 6, 1970, in Texas, he got his start as a teenage actor and has enjoyed an impressive—and underrated—career in a range of roles and genres, from romance to horror, science fiction, and action. In this gallery, we're looking at the very best of Ethan Hawke movies. Enjoy!

Ethan Hawke, who is 50 years old today, has been acting since the mid-1980s. But Dead Poets Society, from 1989, was the film that gained him widespread recognition. In the movie, Hawke played shy prep school senior "Todd Anderson," a suitable role for Hawke, who was also 18 when he acted in the film.

Before Sunrise marked the beginning of the iconic Before romance-drama trilogy, in which Hawke starred as "Jesse" opposite Julie Delpy as "Céline." The 1995 film was highly praised and only gained further recognition with the later sequels.

Ethan Hawke turned crime-drama star in 2001's Training Day, alongside Denzel Washington. The narcotics and gang investigation film has rightfully become a classic of the genre, one of Hawke's must-see works.

In 2004, the story of "Jesse" and "Céline" continued in Before Sunset, a sequel to Before Sunrise. It picks up the story nine years later — again receiving the highest of critical praise and an Oscar nomination for Best Writing. The multitalented Hawke also contributed to the screenplay. 

In 2007, Hawke appeared in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, a cold, violent drama film. His acting builds suspense alongside co-stars including the late-great Philip Seymour Hoffman, Albert Finney, and Marisa Tomei.

Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy made movie magic once more in 2013's Before Midnight, which currently completes the trilogy of Before movies. Hawke contributed to the script, for the story which again takes place nine years after the events of the previous film.

Between 2002 and 2013, Ethan Hawke acted in scenes for the unique film Boyhood. Released in 2014, the drama covering the upbringing of "Mason" unfolds with footage filmed across a decade. Hawke played "Mason Sr." in the fascinating and critically-acclaimed drama experiment.

In biographical film Maudie, Ethan Hawke co-stars with actress Sally Hawkins. Seen here, the actor plays "Everett Lewis," a role that was originally going to be filled by actor Sean Bean. However, Hawke ended up taking the role in the film about the life of folk artist Maud Lewis. It was a critical success and won awards on the festival circuit in 2016.

In First Reformed, Hawke gives a tour-de-force performance as "Ernst Toller," who faces issues of faith and morality while serving as pastor. It was written and directed by Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader.