> At a Glance
> – Ethan Hawke says fans now ignore him to meet his Stranger Things star daughter, Maya
> – The reversal has happened “like five times,” he told TODAY on Jan. 7
> – Hawke calls watching her succeed “one of the most incredible feelings I’ve ever had”
> – Why it matters: Shows how next-gen fame can eclipse even 40-year Hollywood veterans
After 40-plus years in Hollywood, Ethan Hawke is experiencing a new kind of spotlight-one where 27-year-old Maya Hawke is the main attraction.
The Role Reversal
Chatting with Craig Melvin about his Blue Moon Golden Globe nod, Hawke laughed as a clip rolled of Maya describing a fan stopping them on the street.
> “Sorry, I’m not doing any pictures today,” Hawke had told the stranger.
> > “I don’t know who you are, man. I wanted to talk to Robin.”
Hawke quickly noted his daughter was being modest; similar encounters have occurred “like five times.”
Proud Dad Moments
Rather than bristle, Hawke revels in the shift.
- Maya gravitated toward arts early-painting, writing poems, attending Broadway shows
- Family outings included Adele and Taylor Swift concerts plus French-film screenings
- Watching her join “that collective dialogue” at a high level, he says, “feels great”
> “It’s been one of the most incredible feelings I’ve ever had in my life.”
Ethan Hawke
At the 37th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, he also shared his reaction to Stranger Things ending and being honored at the event.
Key Takeaways
- Four-decade star Ethan Hawke is now recognized primarily as Maya Hawke‘s dad
- He calls the experience moving, not bruising
- Maya’s breakout as Robin Buckley on Stranger Things fuels the new dynamic
- Hawke has four children: Maya and Levon with Uma Thurman; Clementine and Indiana with Ryan Shawhughes
For the veteran actor, being upstaged by his daughter isn’t a career footnote-it’s a front-row seat to the next generation’s ascent.
