Ethan Hawke on TIME's 100 Most Influential People (2026)

[JamesG]

Ethan Hawke
by Laura Linney (Emmy-winning and Oscar and Tony-Nominated Actress)





For Ethan Hawke, being an artist is a vocation first and a profession second. Very few have so courageously, on a daily basis, year after year, walked the walk of a true artist.

Whether he is acting in film or onstage, directing, sculpting a documentary, interpreting poetry, rousing his guitar, or playing with the architecture of a novel, Ethan leads with an infectious curiosity, modesty, and vast amounts of love. He embodies generosity of spirit. He is invigorated like a kid on Christmas morning to discover what the arts will teach him, and us, next.

When someone asks me to point to an artist whose skill is becoming more powerful and refined with each decade, and whose authenticity is a ballast so needed in today’s world, I point with joy to Ethan Hawke.

https://time.com/collection/100-most...6/ethan-hawke/