'Stranger Things' star dad Ethan Hawke reveals painful truth about her upbringing

Ethan Hawke opened up about one of the most difficult truths of his life involving his daughter Maya Hawke.

He revealed the challenges his daughter Maya Hawke faced growing up, and the regrets he carries as a father.

In a candid Actors on Actors conversation with Sydney Sweeney, the 55-year-old admitted that Inside Out 2 voiceover artist's childhood was 'really heard and complicated'.

“There were a lot of things about her childhood that were really, really hard and complicated, and things I regret for her,” he shared during Variety & CNN's discussion on Thursday, December 11.

Hawke, who shares Maya (27) and son Levon (23) with ex-wife Uma Thurman, said he recognized his daughter's artistic spirit early.

However, he was worried about the weight of her experiences.

He recalled that when Maya was just four years old, he could already see she was destined to be an artist.

Watercoloring, dancing and singing became her safe spaces, but teachers often questioned whether she was truly happy.

Hawke remembered Maya's striking response: "Do you really think that's the question?"

Despite having troublesome childhood, Maya managed to shine in Hollywood.

Best known for her role as Robin Buckley in Netflix’s Stranger Things, she has also appeared in films such as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Do Revenge and Asteroid City.

Her upcoming projects include Wishful Thinking, One Night Only, and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.