pplpod Episode 18 follows Ethan Hawke’s restless, curious career—from Dead Poets Society’s breakout to a body of work that keeps risking comfort for truth. We dig into the 1990s indie wave (Reality Bites, Before Sunrise), the shift to muscular drama (Training Day), and the long-haul experiment of the Before trilogy and Boyhood. You’ll hear how Hawke’s craft blends vulnerability with precision—actor, writer, director, novelist—and how collaborations with Richard Linklater, Antoine Fuqua, and Paul Schrader stretched his range (First Reformed, The Black Phone). Offscreen, we trace stage work, documentary projects, and a reflective approach to art, family, and longevity. A portrait of a working artist who keeps choosing the next brave thing.