Ethan Hawke is one of the most renowned actors currently working. He has four Academy Award nominations to his name - two for acting and two for writing. Slowly, he's branching into the world of directing. His new film Wildcat, starring his daughter Maya as Flannery O'Connor, comes to theaters on May 3rd - which makes this the perfect opportunity to dive into some of Hawke's earlier work.

He has played some of the most iconic characters in cinematic history. Whether he's playing a terrifying villain like The Black Phone's Grabber or a sympathetic romantic lead like Jesse Wallace in Before Sunrise, he brings nuance to every role he takes on. It's no wonder he's had a remarkably prolific career on both the big and small screens and should be celebrated for that.

10 Pastor Ernst Toller's Emotional Turmoil Allows Hawke to Shine

First Reformed is one of Hawke's lesser-known films, but it features some of his best work. He plays the pastor of a small church in upstate New York as he tries to balance his faith, the care of his people, and the despair brought on by the tragedy of his everyday life. Amanda Seyfried, Cedric Kyles, and Victoria Hill star alongside him, and the film is directed by Paul Schrader, one of the most acclaimed directors of the modern era.

For his performance, Hawke earned near-universal acclaim. He won countless awards on the indie film circuit, such as at the Independent Spirit Awards and the Gotham Awards. Critics called it one of the best performances of the year, and it's gone down in history as one of Hawke's most interesting roles, especially since it's such a far cry from the characters he took on earlier in his prolific career.

9 Troy Dyer Revived His Career

Before the release of Reality Bites, Ethan Hawke's career struggled. It's only because of Winona Ryder that he signed onto the movie in the first place. He hit a lull after Dead Poets Society and didn't like the direction his career was headed in the years after the film. Winona Ryder, however, admired his work greatly and stated that she would only work on the film if he would star alongside her. Of course, he agreed to take on the role of Troy Dyer.

And he shines in the film. Troy is the kind of multi-faceted character that only an actor with Hawke's level of talent could tackle properly. He captures the more problematic aspects of Troy without ever making him dreadfully unsympathetic, which reflects his remarkable ability to find the admirable in characters that would otherwise just be the villains in their stories. The ups and downs of his relationship with Lelaina, Winona Ryder's character, hold audiences' attention in part because of how brilliant the actors themselves are in the roles.

8 King Aurvandil War-Raven Makes a Major Impact

Robert Eggers' Viking epic The Northman is one of the best films he's ever released. It follows Amleth, a Viking prince who, after his father's murder, sets out on a quest to avenge him. It takes heavy influence from Norse mythology, blending aspects of it with history to create one of the most compelling historical dramas in recent years. Though it underperformed at the box office, fans and critics alike thought it was one of the year's most interesting films. It earned praise for the performances of its cast and its direction.

Though he may not be in the movie for long, he makes a massive impact within his limited screen time. He faces death without fear of the pain it will bring him and adores his son above all else. His death catalyzes the entire plot, and therefore, he could be considered one of the most important characters in the movie. His final confrontation with his brother and murderer, Fjolnir, is one of the film's highlights, and Hawke should be acclaimed for it.

7 Vincent Freeman Overcomes Insurmountable Odds

Gattaca depicts one of the most realistic dystopian societies ever put on the screen. In a world where scientific advancements are becoming increasingly concerning, its depiction of the dangers of being able to genetically modify children feels remarkably relevant. In this world, parents can select which traits their kids will have - putting them at a distinct advantage over those whose parents didn't want to put their children through something like that.

Hawke plays one of the children whose genome was not altered in his youth. The issue with that: he wants to be an adventurer, which is a profession reserved only for those who had their genomes perfected before birth. Therefore, Vincent masquerades as someone whose genome was edited to gain access to the opportunities he otherwise never would have. He captures Vincent's quiet anger and determination with incredible talent. His performance brims with silent resentment, especially regarding those who look down upon him because of his "lesser genetic status."

6 Jake Earned Hawke His First Oscar Nomination

Training Day was perhaps Hawke's greatest triumph since Dead Poets Society. He starred alongside universally acclaimed actors such as Denzel Washington and Eva Mendes. The film follows two LAPD officers, Jake Hoyt, and Alonzo Harris, over twenty-four hours in some of LA's most gang-ridden neighborhoods. It earned praise for the performances of its two leads, who were both nominated for Academy Awards but met with some criticism about its screenplay.

Hoyt is one of the most morally complicated characters Hawke has ever played. The author described him as someone who is ultimately an honorable man but who is so desperate to improve his status among the force that he's willing to go to dangerous extremes, especially when encouraged by Harris - a trait that Hawke brings to the forefront of his performance. He

5 Mason Evans, Sr. Appears in One of Hawke's Most Unique Projects

Boyhood, Hawke's most recent collaboration with renowned director Richard Linklater, is one of the most technically marvelous features in either of their filmographies. The movie, which follows a young boy between the ages of six and eighteen, was shot from 2002 to 2013 at the same time every year - thus realistically depicting how the characters age. It effortlessly captures both the pain and beauty of growing up and was released to universal critical acclaim. To this day, it is the most recent to boast a perfect 100 on Metacritic, and the only one released in the 21st century to have that score.

Hawke portrays the young boy's father. Every tortured moment the character has behind the scenes is matched perfectly to a moment of love for his two children, who are the reason he keeps living after his divorce from his wife. He works every day to do the best he can, and strives for perfection in every moment. Hawke captures every ounce of Graves's pain and adoration in equal measure, leading to one of the most effortlessly balanced performances in his filmography. For his work in Boyhood, Hawke earned yet another nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

4 The Grabber Highlights Hawke's Strength Across Multiple Genres

The Black Phone is one of the most interesting horror films in recent history. It's yet another successful entry from Blumhouse Productions, one of the most renowned companies in the genre, and met with immense critical acclaim upon its release in 2022. The film features a young boy, Finney Blake, as he works to escape the clutches of the Grabber. Throughout this process, he hears from the ghosts of the previous children kidnapped by the Grabber through the titular phone, and they teach him how to evade death. It earned praise for breaking some horror movie conventions, especially because the movie doesn't rely entirely on jumpscares to provide its frights.

Hawke's performance as the Grabber is positively bone-chilling. He looms throughout the story, a constant threat to Finney's safety if he were to make even the slightest misstep as he tries to determine how to escape captivity unscathed. The moment when he recaptures Finney after being alerted to the child's escape efforts sends chills down the audience's spines. A lesser actor would not have been able to handle this role with such tact and grace, and it's a testament to Hawke's prowess through multiple genres that he was able to do this film so well.

3 Arthur Harrow Is One of Marvel's Most Interesting Villains

Moon Knight is perhaps the most unique of the Disney+ entries to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It boldly travels into territory the rest of the franchise never dared to go - especially concerning its tone, which is closer to that of Netflix-era shows like Daredevil than other Disney+ series. Since it centered on a fairly unknown character, fans got to experience something new every week rather than just a rehashing of familiar themes, which brought a breath of fresh air to a franchise that has been increasingly criticized for falling into formulaic patterns. The show follows Marc Spector, a mercenary with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), who finds himself embroiled in a dangerous mystery tied to the gods of Ancient Egypt.

Hawke appears in a scene-stealing turn as the series' villain, Arthur Harrow. He was essentially the inverse of Marc Spector (something that Hawke and Isaac worked together to establish about their two characters). When Marc did something, Harrow would always find the extreme opposite and choose to do that instead. Harrow became the avatar of Ammit, the goddess of judgment, and seeks to exact justice on all those who seek to do evil in the world. Hawke brings a level of calculated terror to his performance that makes him particularly compelling to watch, especially in his confrontations with Marc Spector.