Born in Austin, Texas, on June 11, 1970, Ethan Hawke acquired a taste for acting when he won a role in his junior high school's production of "Meet Me in St. Louis." He soon proved himself in his film debut in Explorers (1985), but it wasn't until he played the sensitive Todd in the coming-of-age story Dead Poets Society (1989) that he made his mark in Hollywood.

Hawke followed up with a string of notable movies, including Dad (1989), White Fang (1991), Before Sunrise (1995), Gattaca (1997), Great Expectations (1998), Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) and Hamlet (2000). He even penned a novel, The Hottest State, which was met with mixed reviews.

In 2001, Hawke went behind the camera to helm Chelsea Walls (2002), but it's as an actor that he's been most successful, even winning an Academy Award nomination for his gritty turn as a rookie cop in Training Day (2001). ... - from Netflix