Ethan Hawke on regrets he had related to daughter Maya Hawke: ‘Really, really hard’

Ethan Hawke has dropped a candid and emotional reflection about his daughter, Maya Hawke.

As fans will be aware, the actor shares Maya and son Levon with Uma Thurman, his former wife.

During a resurfaced Actors on Actors conversation with the Anyone But You hitmaker Sydney Sweeney from December 2025, the 55-year-old star admitted that parts of Maya’s childhood were difficult.

“There were a lot of things about her childhood that were really, really hard and complicated, and things I regret for her,” he said during the discussion hosted by Variety and CNN.

Hawke also reflected on recognizing his daughter’s creative instincts from a very young age, while acknowledging the emotional weight she carried growing up.

According to the actor, when Maya was just four years old he could already see signs of the artist she would become. 

He also shared that activities like watercolor painting, dancing and singing became outlets for her expression, even as teachers questioned whether she was truly happy.

Hawke recalled Maya once giving a striking response to that concern, “Do you really think that’s the question?”

Nevertheless, Maya went on to build a successful career in Hollywood, becoming one of the standout stars of her generation. She later rose to global fame for her role as Robin Buckley in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, which recently wrapped its fifth and final season.