As the daughter of accomplished actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, acting has always been in Maya Hawke’s blood. Like her parents, Hawke has forged a path of her own and amassed a profile of versatile roles from movies and television shows with wildly different textures and themes. While she is best known for playing Robin in Stranger Things, Hawke has lent her talents to everyone from Quentin Tarantino to Wes Anderson, from comedies to animated flicks.
Now that she’s ended her stint on Stranger Things, Hawke is about to enter another equally twisted universe: the Hunger Games franchise. In the new prequel Sunrise on the Reaping, Hawke will be playing a young Wiress, who acted as a mentor to a young Haymitch in the 50th Hunger Games. Before the film comes out in November, take a look at Maya Hawke’s best performances till now.
Little Women (2017)
Maya Hawke as Jo March in "Little Women"
Photo: Courtesy of BBC via IMDb
Hawke started her acting career with a beloved character: Jo March in Little Women. The classic novel by Louisa May Alcott about the four March sisters growing into their womanhood was adapted into a miniseries for BBC. Hawke starred as the strong-willed second sister, acting alongside seasoned actors like Emily Watson and Angela Lansbury, as well as newcomers like Jonah Hauer-King and Kathryn Newton.
Stranger Things (2019-2025)
Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley in "Stranger Things"
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix via IMDb
Hawke’s most recognisable role has got to be Robin Buckley in Netflix’s long-running global hit Stranger Things. She was introduced in season 3 as Steve Harrington’s (Joe Keery) awkward, snarky co-worker at an ice cream store at the new Starcourt Mall. But she was quickly dragged into the mysteries of the Upside Down when she helped the core group crack a Russian code that revealed a secret lab under the mall. Robin is also the first LGBTQ+ character in the series, and her coming-out scene has remained one of the most tender moments in Stranger Things.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Maya Hawke as "Flower Child" in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"
Photo: IMDb
This Quentin Tarantino comedy-drama was a box office hit, and little did we know that Hawke played a small but important role in the film. Set in 1969 Los Angeles, the movie follows a fading actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double (Brad Pitt) as they navigate a rapidly changing film industry. But the film also follows the infamous murder of Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) committed by the cult-like Manson family, but with a different outcome. Alongside emerging talents like Austin Butler, Sydney Sweeney, Margaret Qualley and Mikey Madison, Hawke played “Flower Child”, the only member of the Manson family to get out.
Do Revenge (2022)
Maya Hawke as Eleanor Levetan in "Do Revenge"
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix via IMDb
This Netflix dark comedy shows us what Hawke can do when she’s the leading lady. Hawke plays Eleanor, a shy tomboy that Drea (Camila Mendes) meets at tennis camp. The film follows Drea and Eleanor as they uncover the petty dramas between their frenemies in school. Hawke shines as the film takes dramatic twists and turns, with Eleanor going from a shy wallflower to a manipulative nemesis in the flip of a switch. She truly embodies what it means to do revenge.
Asteroid City (2023)
Maya Hawke as June Douglas / Lucretia Shaver in "Asteroid City"
Photo: IMDb
As we know from Stranger Things, Hawke has no problem being part of a large ensemble and still managing to play an instrumental part. Asteroid City is Wes Anderson’s most mind-boggling film yet: it follows a Junior Stargazing convention in the desert town of Asteroid City in 1955, where the people there encounter an alien. But it is revealed that the happenings of the film are the plot of a play, which was made into a television documentary. The film features some of Hollywood’s biggest A-listers: Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and so on. In the play, Hawke acts as June, a young schoolteacher. But in the documentary, she plays Lucretia, the actress playing June. The movie might seem just a little bit absurd (it wouldn’t be a Wes Anderson film if it wasn’t), but Hawke makes the most out of it nonetheless.
Wildcat (2023)
Maya Hawke as Flannery O'Connor in "Wildcat"
Photo: IMDb
Hawke is so talented that her father and seasoned actor Ethan Hawke decided to work with her. He co-wrote and directed Wildcat, a biopic about American novelist Flannery O’Connor, and cast her daughter as the titular role. Hawke had some heavy lifting to do in this film, as she not only plays O’Connor as she deals with lupus, but also the characters O’Connor imagines in her stories. By doing double duty, Hawke not only presents the struggles of O’Connor’s life, but gives us a small window into the mind of a brilliant author.
Maestro (2023)
Maya Hawke as Jamie Bernstein in "Maestro"
Photo: IMDb
2023 was a busy year for Hawke, as she participated in many artistically daring films. One of which is Maestro, a biopic about conductor Leonard Bernstein. Bradley Cooper leads the film as Bernstein (not to mention produced, co-wrote and directed the movie), as it follows his romance with his wife, Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). As the film stretches a 40-year timeline, Hawke appears as Jamie, Bernstein’s daughter, who hears about her father’s infidelity.
Inside Out 2 (2024)
Maya Hawke voices Anxiety in "Inside Out 2"
Photo: IMDb
Hawke lends her voice to one of the most important roles she’s had yet. The first Inside Out turned our emotions into characters of their own, and the second one adds more to the mix. As Riley steps into her teenage years, four new emotions appear, including Anxiety, which Hawke voices. Anxiety quickly comes into conflict with the other emotions over her approach to help Riley. The film brilliantly illustrates the transition into adolescence and our growing emotional intelligence, and Hawke grounds the film by showing Anxiety’s best intentions, but the danger that comes when it takes over.
Editor
Matt Chau
