Ethan Hawke Daughter Maya Hawke Lights Up New Netflix Thriller—Exclusive First Look

Hollywood actor Ethan Hawke says his teenage daughters keep him grounded by reminding him that their older sister, Maya Hawke of “Stranger Things” fame, now eclipses his own celebrity. During a recent visit to “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” Hawke recalled how 17-year-old Clementine and 14-year-old Indiana were asked whether it was tough having a famous father at their new school in Tulsa—only for the girls to quip, “It’s hard having a famous sister. Nobody cares about Dad”. The Oscar-nominated actor was filming his forthcoming comedy-drama “The Lowdown” in Oklahoma when the teasing occurred, but he admits the girls aren’t wrong. Maya Hawke, 27, has become a breakout star thanks to her role as quick-witted Robin Buckley on Netflix’s smash hit “Stranger Things,” whose series finale drew record global viewership earlier this month. Hawke told Colbert he stayed up with his younger children to watch the finale live, calling it “a thrill” to see Maya hold her own opposite franchise regulars and noting that her photo is “plastered on lockers everywhere” at their school. Maya, whose mother is Uma Thurman, was already generating buzz for her roles in “Do Revenge,” Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City,” and a forthcoming folk-rock album. Industry insiders now predict her star power will surge even higher in 2026 with the release of Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic “Maestro,” in which she plays Jamie Bernstein, and the thriller “The Kill Room” opposite Samuel L. Jackson. Ethan Hawke shares that he recognized his daughter’s artistic streak early on: “Anything that had to do with human communication was something she vibrated to,” he recently told Variety’s “Actors on Actors.” He also admitted to “regrets” over the turbulence of her childhood—Hawke and Thurman divorced in 2005—but says Maya’s passion for watercoloring, singing and acting never wavered. While Maya’s meteoric rise may bruise Dad’s ego, Hawke insists he’s nothing but proud: “I have a front-row seat to one of the greatest shows on Earth—my kid finding her voice.” As social media floods with memes comparing father and daughter, Ethan Hawke is leaning into the joke, telling Colbert that sibling rivalry “keeps the whole family laughing.” With “Stranger Things” ending and a slate of high-profile films on the horizon, Maya Hawke’s trajectory shows no signs of slowing down—and even Ethan Hawke agrees it’s her moment to shine.