Ethan Hawke Birthday Special: From Jesse Wallace to The Grabber, 5 Best Performances of the 'Before Sunrise’ Star!

Ethan Hawke is a true character actor and his work remains unparalleled. Being extremely devoted to the craft of acting, Hawke’s career is filled with some of the best acted characters that have ever graced the big and the small screens. Completely blending into the roles he is playing where you can’t distinguish where the character begins and Hawke ends, he has brought forward complicated personalities that have left a huge impact on us. Strange Way of Life: Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal To Star in Spanish Filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar’s Western Film.

With putting on a class and threatening performance this year in The Black Phone to his romantic takes in the Before trilogy, Hawke has consistently put on masterclasses. So, to celebrate him turning 52, we are taking a look at five of his best roles that define his career.

The Grabber (The Black Phone)

Just this year Ethan Hawke put on a spectacular villainous take on the big screens when he portrayed The Grabber in Scott Derrickson’s The Black Phone. A character that was just pure evil and went around kidnapping young children, Hawke was terrifying in the role. The Black Phone Movie Review: Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames' Horror Film Is A Heart-Pounding Experience With A Supernatural Twist! (LatestLY Exclusive).

Todd Anderson (Dead Poets Society)

One of his breakout roles, Hawke played the innocent Todd Anderson in the highly acclaimed Dead Poets Society. With a certain naivety that serviced the themes of coming-of-age, Hawke showcased brilliant talent in this role that led to one of the most memorable film finales.

Mason Evans Sr (Boyhood)

A film like Boyhood with its extremely ambitious concept, would be extremely tricky to pull off, yet everyone involved brought their best here. Telling a story about a boy growing up with divorced parents, Hawke pulled off the role of the father in a really heartfelt way that elevated the film.

Pastor Ernst Toller (First Reformed)

Playing the role of a pastor who is the leader of a historic church in New York, Hawke’s portrayal of Ernst Toller is one of his bests. A truly overlooked performance that doesn’t get its fair share of praise, Hawke perfectly captures that feeling of going through a personal crisis and brings forward a magnificent story to life.

Jesse (Before Trilogy)

The Before trilogy is one of Hawke’s most recognisable works and his portrayal of Jesse practically made him a heartthrob of the 90s. With a story lasting three films and some of the best character development that you will see in films, Jesse remains as Hawke’s best work till date. Ethan Hawke Birthday Special: From Before Sunrise to Dead Poets Society, 5 of the Actor’s Best Films Ranked According to IMDb.

Ethan Hawke truly is one of the best actors of our generation and we can’t wait to see what he does next. With this, we finish off the list and wish him a very happy birthday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 06, 2022 12:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).