When he was just 14 years old, Ethan Hawke's acting career seemed like it might have been doomed to fail. He scored a role in the 1985 movie, Explorers, alongside River Phoenix, and everyone predicted he would become a star. Unfortunately, the film was a box office flop and definitely didn't deliver the international attention he was hoping for. After the failure of Explorers, Hawke disappeared off the scene for a while.
Nobody expected what happened next: Hawke was suddenly back in business, starring in Dead Poets Society. And the rest is history. Since then, he has enjoyed a long and successful career as one of the most respected actors in Hollywood. We particularly loved him in Wes Anderson's Before Sunrise trilogy. He has also been nominated for two Academy Awards - one for Training Day and one for Before Sunset.