Ethan Hawke Reacts to Daughter Maya Hawke’s Time on Stranger Things

Ethan Hawke was scooped up by Maya Hawke’s acting career.

The actor from Blue Moon, nominated for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy at the 2026 Golden Globes, was incredibly proud of his daughter Maya’s role as Robin in Stranger Things.

Ethan told Zuri Hall on Live From TopMob: Golden Globes 2026 at the Beverly Hilton on January 11th that he was incredibly proud of her as a person. He also praised her work on the show, saying she’s fantastic and that he personally enjoys the program. He was joined by his wife, Ryan Hawke, during the interview.

The 55-year-old, who has a 27-year-old daughter named Maya with his ex-wife Uma Thurman, said that the role of Robin was perfect for Maya, particularly as she’s establishing herself as an actress.

He added that it’s remarkable how young she is to be starting her career independently. He finds her music incredible and says all of her work is inspiring.

Ethan added, “I am very proud of her, is the short answer.”

As the star of Before Sunrise recently mentioned, he always suspected Maya would pursue a career in the arts.

He said he recognized her artistic talent very early on, around age four, and believed she would become a highly skilled artist. He shared this during a conversation with Sydney Sweeney for Variety’s Actors on Actors series in December.

He described those activities – watercolor painting, dancing, and singing – as her childhood refuge. He acknowledged her upbringing was difficult and complex, and expressed regret for the hardships she experienced.

Though the actor from Training Day didn’t detail the challenges Maya faced, Ethan – who shares 23-year-old son Levon with Uma and has daughters Clementine Jane (17) and Indiana (14) with his wife Ryan – expressed how wonderful it was to see Maya grow as an artist and find her own voice.

He remembered a teacher asking Maya, “Are you happy?” They were concerned about her, but she responded by questioning whether that was the right thing to ask. He said he immediately admired her for that – she was only around thirteen years old at the time.

He explained that Maya had once told him, ‘I don’t find that question very interesting. There are much more important things to ask than whether I’m happy. And honestly, no, I’m not happy, but I don’t even try to be.’ Because of this, he wasn’t concerned about her pursuing a career in the arts; he believed it would ultimately be what saved her.

Want to see who else joined Ethan on the red carpet at the 2026 Golden Globes? Keep scrolling to find out!