Maya Ray Thurman Hawke (born July 8, 1998)[2] is an American actress and singer-songwriter. The daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, she began her career in modeling and subsequently made her screen debut as Jo March in the 2017 BBC adaptation of Little Women. She gained international recognition for starring as Robin Buckley in the Netflix science fiction horror series Stranger Things (2019–2025).
Hawke appeared in the films Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), Fear Street Part One: 1994 (2021), Do Revenge (2022), Asteroid City (2023), Maestro (2023), and Wildcat (2023), and she voiced Anxiety in Inside Out 2 (2024). As a musician, she has released the albums Blush (2020), Moss (2022), Chaos Angel (2024), and Maitreya Corso (2026).
Early life
Maya Ray Thurman Hawke was born on July 8, 1998,[2] in New York City, to actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.[3] Her parents met on the set of Gattaca (1997), married in May 1998,[4] and divorced in 2005.[5] Hawke has a younger brother, Levon.[6][7] She also has two half-sisters by her father's second wife, Ryan Shawhughes,[8][9] and another half-sister from her mother's ex-fiancé, financier Arpad Busson.[10]
On her father's side, Hawke is a distant cousin of playwright Tennessee Williams.[11] On her mother's side, she is a granddaughter of Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman and model Nena von Schlebrügge.[12][13] Schlebrügge's mother, Birgit Holmquist, was also a model, having posed for Axel Ebbe's statue Famntaget, currently in Smygehuk in Sweden.[14]
Hawke has dyslexia,[15] which resulted in her changing schools frequently during her primary education before she was finally enrolled at Saint Ann's School, a private school in Brooklyn, New York, that emphasizes artistic creativity and does not grade work. The artistic environment eventually led her to acting.[7] Hawke also took part in summer studies at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York.[16] She studied toward a BFA in acting at the Juilliard School for one year before dropping out after accepting her role in Little Women.[7]
Career
Modeling
Like both her mother and grandmother, Hawke modeled for Vogue at the beginning of her career.[3][17] She was also chosen as the face of the British fashion retailer AllSaints' 2016/2017 collection.[7] In 2017, she starred as one of several faces in a video campaign for Calvin Klein's underwear range, directed by Sofia Coppola.[18] In September 2022, Hawke modeled for Calvin Klein's FW22 Underwear campaign.[19]
Acting
Hawke was Sofia Coppola's choice to play the title role of The Little Mermaid in Universal Pictures's live-action adaptation. However, the producers preferred actress Chloë Grace Moretz. This and other conflicts ultimately led to Coppola leaving the project in 2015.[20] Moretz eventually dropped out as well.[21] The film ultimately went unproduced.
Hawke made her acting debut in 2017 as Jo March in the BBC miniseries adaptation of Little Women.[22][7] In September 2018, she starred in the thriller Ladyworld, directed by Amanda Kramer.[23] Hawke later broke out with her performance as Robin Buckley in the third season of Netflix's Stranger Things, which released in July 2019.[24][25] Also that year, Hawke played Linda Kasabian/'Flowerchild' in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,[26] and co-starred in Marc Meyers' thriller film Human Capital, which is based on Stephen Amidon's 2004 novel of the same name.
In 2020, Hawke starred in Gia Coppola's sophomore film, Mainstream, alongside Andrew Garfield.[27][28] In the same year, she guest starred in the fifth episode of the miniseries The Good Lord Bird, which stars her father, Ethan Hawke. She stars as Annie Brown, the daughter of her father's character.[29] In June, she appeared in Italian Studies, written and directed by Adam Leon and co-starring Vanessa Kirby. It premiered in the Tribeca Film Festival and later released on January 14, 2022.[30] Later that month, she appeared as Heather in the Netflix horror film Fear Street Part One: 1994.[31] In 2021, she also starred in a spin-off podcast series based on her Stranger Things character, Rebel Robin: Surviving Hawkins.[32] She starred in another scripted podcast series, The Playboy Interview, in which she plays Helen Gurley Brown.[33]
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In 2022, Hawke starred in Netflix's dark comedy film Do Revenge alongside Camila Mendes.[34] In April 2022, she was cast in Bradley Cooper's biographical film about Leonard Bernstein, Maestro, co-starring Cooper and Carey Mulligan.[35] In May, it was reported that she had been cast in the upcoming film The Kill Room alongside her mother Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson.[36] In July, it was announced that she would guest star in Disney's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, which premiered in 2023.[37] She appeared in the Wes Anderson romantic dramedy Asteroid City (2023) which premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival to positive reviews.[38] She voiced the character Anxiety in the 2024 Pixar animated film Inside Out 2, the sequel to the 2015 film Inside Out.[39] In February 2024, it was reported that Hawke would be set to star in a Billy Wilder biopic titled Wilder & Me.[40] In May 2025, Hawke was announced to lead a biopic about Irish dancer Lucia Joyce,[41] and was also announced as a part of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping cast, playing a younger version of Wiress.[42]
Music
In August 2019, Hawke released her first two singles, "To Love a Boy" and "Stay Open".[43] The songs were written and recorded by Hawke and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jesse Harris.[44] Hawke performed a series of headlining gigs around New York City in early 2020, her first ever solo live performances as a musician.[45][46] In each of these shows, Hawke was supported by Benjamin Lazar Davis, Tōth, Will Graefe and Nick Cianci respectively.[47][46] On March 18, 2020, Hawke released the first single "By Myself" and announced her debut album titled Blush[48] amid the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. Hawke wrote, "I feel like this is not a time for self-promotion. It is a time for activation, education and self-examination."[49] The album's second single, "Coverage", was released on April 22, 2020,[50] before its music video directed by Maya's father Ethan Hawke was released on the 28th.[51] Initially set for release on June 19, 2020, Blush was delayed to August 21, 2020.[52][46] To support the release of Blush, Hawke appeared as a musical guest for the first time in her career on The Today Show in late August 2020.[53]
On June 29, 2022, alongside the release of the single "Thérèse", Hawke announced her second album Moss, which was released on September 23, 2022.[54]
In April 2023, Hawke recorded her third studio album. The first single "Missing Out" was released on February 14, 2024, the second single "Dark" releasing on March 20. The full album, Chaos Angel, was released on May 31, 2024.[55] She performed songs from the album on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Daily Show to promote the album. In October 2024, four additional songs from the album were released on the Clipped Wings EP.[56]
In March 2026, Hawke released the single "Devil You Know" as the lead single to her May 2026 album Maitreya Corso.[57][58]
Hawke has said that folk music has influenced her music career including artists like Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith, and Joni Mitchell.[59][38] She takes inspiration from "great lyricists" like Cohen and Bob Dylan as, according to her, "music is the best way to communicate poetry".[60]
Personal life
Hawke has said that she has no denominational beliefs but is "highly optimistic that there is something."[61]
Hawke began a relationship with longtime friend and fellow musician Christian Lee Hutson in 2023.[62] They married on February 14, 2026 in New York City.[63] The wedding was attended by many of her Stranger Things costars, as well as Sam Nivola and Kathryn Newton among others.[64][65]
Acting credits
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Ladyworld | Romy | [66][67] | |
| 2019 | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | "Flower Child" | [26] | |
| Human Capital | Shannon Hagel | [68] | ||
| 2020 | Mainstream | Frankie | [69] | |
| 2021 | Italian Studies | Erin | [70][71] | |
| Fear Street Part One: 1994 | Heather Watkins | [31] | ||
| 2022 | Do Revenge | Eleanor Levetan / Nora Cotler | [72] | |
| 2023 | Asteroid City | June Douglas / Lucretia Shaver | [73] | |
| Wildcat | Flannery O'Connor | Also executive producer | [74] | |
| Maestro | Jamie Bernstein | [35] | ||
| The Kill Room | Grace | [36] | ||
| 2024 | Inside Out 2 | Anxiety | Voice role | [39] |
| 2025 | Videoheaven | Narrator | Documentary film | [75] |
| 2026 | Wishful Thinking | Julia | [76] | |
| The Non-Actor | Bella | Short film | [77][78] | |
| One Night Only | Malika | [79] | ||
| The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping † | Wiress | Post-production | [42] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Little Women | Jo March | Main role | [66] |
| 2018 | Orchard House: Home of Little Women | Herself | Documentary special | |
| 2019–2025 | Stranger Things | Robin Buckley | Main role (season 3–5) | [24] |
| 2020 | The Good Lord Bird | Annie Brown | Miniseries | [80] |
| 2022 | The Last Movie Stars | Herself | TV documentary | |
| 2023–2025 | Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur | Abyss | Voice role; 3 episodes | [37][81] |
| 2025 | Nightmares of Nature | Self - Narrator | ||
| The American Revolution | Betsy Ambler (voice) | TV documentary | ||
| The God of the Woods † | Judy Luptack | Main role; series in production as of June 2026 | [82][83][84] |
Video game
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Disney Speedstorm | Anxiety | Grouped under "Featuring the Voice Talents Of" | [85] |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Artist | Album | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | "Goodnight, and Happy Birthday!" | Nick Cianci | [86] | ||
| "To Love a Boy" | Maya Hawke | Non-album single | [87] | ||
| "Juliette" | Tōth | Non-album single | |||
| 2020 | "By Myself" | Maya Hawke | Blush | ||
| "Is There Something in the Movies?" | Samia | The Baby | [88] | ||
| "Generous Heart" | Maya Hawke | Blush | Also co-director | ||
| 2021 | "Blue Hippo" | Non-album single | |||
| 2022 | "Thérèse" | Moss | [89] | ||
| "Sweet Tooth" | [90] | ||||
| 2024 | "Missing Out" | Chaos Angel | [91] | ||
| "Dark" | [92] | ||||
| 2026 | "Lioness" | Maitreya Corso |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Venue(s) | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Dry Land | Amy | Newman Mills Theater, New York | Main role; one-off benefit reading | [93][94] |
| Eurydice | Eurydice | Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre, New York | Lead role | [95][96] |
Audio
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Rebel Robin: Surviving Hawkins | Robin Buckley | Main role | [97] |
| The Playboy Interview | Helen Gurley Brown | [98] | ||
| 2023 | Supreme: The Battle for Roe | Sarah Weddington | [99][100] | |
| 2026 | The Summer Oath | Livia Gaines | [101] | |
| The Chronicles of Astrimos | Calico Jones | [102] |
Discography
Studio albums
- Blush (2020)
- Moss (2022)
- Chaos Angel (2024)
- Maitreya Corso (2026)
Extended plays
- Clipped Wings EP (2024)
Singles
| Year | Title | Album | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | "To Love a Boy" / "Stay Open" | Non-album single | [103][104] |
| 2020 | "By Myself" | Blush | [105] |
| "Coverage" | [50] | ||
| "So Long" | |||
| "Generous Heart" | [106] | ||
| 2021 | "Blue Hippo" | Non-album single | [107] |
| 2022 | "Thérèse" | Moss | [108] |
| "Sweet Tooth" | [109] | ||
| "Luna Moth" | [110] | ||
| 2023 | "Coming Around Again" | Non-album single | [111] |
| 2024 | "Missing Out" | Chaos Angel | [112] |
| "Dark" | [113] | ||
| "Hang in There" | [114] | ||
| "Kamikaze Comic" | Clipped Wings EP | [56] | |
| 2026 | "Devil You Know" | Maitreya Corso | [58] |
| "Bring Home My Man" | |||
| "Lioness" |
Tours
- Tactless Tour (2023)
- Chaos Angel World Tour (2025)
- An Evening With Maya Hawke: The Maitreya Corso Tour (2026)
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | 2025 | Best Animated/Voiced Performance | Inside Out 2 | Nominated | |
| Annie Awards | 2025 | Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in a Feature Production | Nominated | [115] | |
| Astra Film Awards | 2024 | Best Voice Over Performance | Nominated | [116] | |
| Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | 2022 | Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series, Drama | Stranger Things | Nominated | [117] |
| Hunter Mountain Film Festival | 2019 | Best Actress | As They Slept | Won | |
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | 2023 | Best On-Screen Duo[a] | Do Revenge | Nominated | [117] |
| Saturn Awards | 2019 | Best Supporting Actress in Streaming Presentation | Stranger Things | Won | [118] |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2020 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series[b] | Nominated | [119] | |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | 2024 | Best Vocal Performance | Inside Out 2 | Runner-up | [120] |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | 2024 | Best Voice Performance | Nominated | [121] | |
| Women's Image Network Awards | 2019 | Best Actress in a MFT Movie / Mini-Series | Little Women | Won | [122] |
