Ethan Hawke expresses what he wishes for Maya Hawke and ‘Stranger Things'

Ethan Hawke has shared what he hopes comes next for his daughter Maya Hawke now that her journey on Stranger Things has come to an end, offering both pride and straightforward advice as she looks ahead.

Speaking at Variety’s Sundance Studio presented by Audible, Hawke made it clear he would love to share the screen with Maya one day. 

“Heck yeah, are you kidding me?” he said. “I want to be with the star of Stranger Things…”

While the two have already worked together, with Ethan directing Maya in the 2023 indie film Wildcat, that project kept him behind the camera.

Acting alongside her, he suggested, would be a different and exciting step.

Maya Hawke became widely known for playing Robin Buckley in Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things, which has now wrapped its fifth and final season. 

With that chapter closed, Ethan offered his daughter some clear guidance about what comes next. “Time to move on. You got to do it, and move on,” he said. “Don’t look back.”

The comments reflect Hawke’s own approach to his career. 

At 55, the actor continues to stay busy, appearing in multiple films and television projects in 2025, including Blue Moon, Black Phone 2, The Lowdown and The American Revolution. 

His work in Blue Moon recently earned him his fifth Oscar nomination and his first in the lead actor category.

Hawke admitted he sometimes questions why he works at such a relentless pace, but he ultimately comes back to the same answer: his love for filmmaking. 

He explained that he fell in love with the process at a young age and is still driven by the shared experience of creating something meaningful and seeing it connect with audiences.

As Maya Hawke steps into her post-Stranger Things era, Ethan’s message is simple and consistent with his own path, keep moving forward, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to chase the next creative challenge.