Ethan Hawke was born on November 6, 1970, in Austin, Texas. His passion for acting emerged early. Before graduating high school, he took acting classes at the McCarter Theatre, appeared in high school productions of George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan and Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, and also won a feature role at the age of fourteen in the 1985 film The Explorers. Ethan furthered his acting training at the British Theatre Association and Carnegie Mellon University. His natural talent won him a leading part in the 1988 acclaimed films Dead Poets Society and his portrayal of Todd Anderson is considered to be Ethan’s breakthrough role, one which would see him working steadily from that time on. He has appeared in some little-known films, but has also been a part of some major blockbusters, including his starring roles in the 1994 hit Reality Bites, Great Expectations, and Training Day. These films have seen him co-starring with such big names as Winona Ryder, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Denzel Washington. Hawke’s appearance in Training Day was praised by critics, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His upcoming films include Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead and Tonight at Noon.

In addition to being a talented actor, Hawke is also an accomplished writer and director and in 1996 he published his first novel. The Hottest State was purchased by Little Brown and Company for $400,000. The movie version of the novel is set for release at a future date and Ethan will appear in the film adaptation. Ash Wednesday, Ethan’s second novel was released in 2002 and was met with favorable reviews. He co-wrote the screenplay for the 2004 film Before Sunset, a movie in which he also starred. Ethan’s directing credits include Chelsea Walls and Straight to One.

In May of 1998, Ethan married Uma Thurman, the American actress who has had leading roles in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and the recently-released The Producers. Before their divorce in 2004, the couple had two children. Their daughter, Maya Ray, was born in 1998 and their son, Levon was born in 2002. Ethan is currently linked to the twelve-year younger Canadian model Jen Perzow. The couple began dating before his divorce was finalized, but Ethan maintains this relationship was not the cause of his marriage breakup, despite numerous rumors to the contrary. He currently resides in Nova Scotia, Canada where he intends to build a celebrity resort.

YUDDY