hawke membuat debut filmnya pada tahun 1985 dengan fitur fiksi ilmiah explorers, sebelum membuat penampilan terobosan dalam 1989 drama dead poets society.
dia kemudian muncul di film-film seperti white fang (1991), a midnight clear (1992), dan alive (1993) sebelum mengambil peran dalam 1994 generasi x drama reality bites, di mana dia menerima pujian kritis.
pada tahun 1995 ia membintangi drama romantis before sunrise, dan kemudian di sekuel-sekuelnya before sunrise (2004) dan before midnight (2013).
hawke lahir di austin, texas, leslie (ne hijau), seorang pekerja amal, dan james hawke, asuransi aktuaris.
kakek dari pihak ibu, howard lemuel hijau, melayani lima istilah dalam texas legislatif dan merupakan komisaris bisbol liga minor.
orang tua hawke adalah mahasiswa di "university of texas" pada saat kelahirannya, dan orang tuanya pisah pada tahun 1974.
setelah pemisahan, hawke dibesarkan oleh ibunya.
kedua pindah beberapa kali, sebelum menetap di new york, di mana hawke menghadiri packer collegiate institute di brooklyn heights.
ibu hawke menikah lagi saat ia berusia 10 tahun dan keluarganya pindah ke west windsor township, new jersey, dimana hawke menghadiri "sma windsor-plainsboro selatan".
he later transferred to the hun school of princeton, a secondary boarding school, dari mana dia lulus pada tahun 1988.
tahun film sebagai catatan lain
1985 explorers ben crandall
1988 lion's den unnamed
1989 dead poets society todd anderson
1989 dad billy tremont
1991 white fang jack conroy
1991 mystery date tom mchugh
1992 waterland mathew price
1992 a midnight clear will knott
1993 rich in love wayne frobiness
1993 alive nando parrado
1994 reality bites troy dyer nominated  mtv movie award for best kiss1994 floundering jimmy
1995 before sunrise jesse wallace
1995 search and destroy roger
1997 gattaca vincent anton freeman / jerome morrow
1998 great expectations finnegan 'finn' bell
1998 the newton boys jess newton
1999 the velocity of gary nat
1999 joe the king len coles
1999 snow falling on cedars ishmael chambers
2000 hamlet hamlet
2001 waking life jesse wallace
2001 tape vince
2001 training day jake hoyt nominated  academy award for best supporting actor2002 the jimmy show ray
2003 alias cia agent james l. lennox episode: "double agent"
2004 taking lives james costa / martin asher
2004 before sunset jesse wallace nominated  academy award for best writing (adapted screenplay)2005 assault on precinct 13 sergeant jake roenick
2005 lord of war agent jack valentine
2006 the hottest state vince
2006 fast food nation pete
2007 before the devil knows you're dead hank hanson gotham award for best ensemble cast
2008 what doesn't kill you paulie mcdougan
2008 chelsea on the rocks himself documentary
2009 new york, i love you writer
2009 staten island sully halverson
2009 corso: the last beat narrator / himself documentary
2009 daybreakers edward dalton
2010 brooklyn's finest detective salvatore "sal" procida
2011 moby dick starbuck tv miniseries
2011 the woman in the fifth tom ricks
2012 sinister ellison oswalt
2012 mea maxima culpa: silence in the house of god pat (voice) documentary
2013 before midnight jesse wallace (shared with richard linklater and julie delpyboston online film critics association award for best screenplayhollywood film award for screenwriter of the yearindiana film critics association award for best screenplaylos angeles film critics association award for best screenplaysan diego film critics society award for best adapted screenplayutah film critics association award for best adapted screenplaypendingbroadcast film critics association award for best screenplaypendingindependent spirit award for best screenplaypendingsatellite award for best adapted screenplaynominatedboston online film critics association award for best screenplaynominatedchicago film critics association award for best adapted screenplaynominateddetroit film critics society award for best screenplaynominatedonline film critics society award for best adapted screenplaynominatedst. louis gateway film critics association award for best screenplaynominatedsan francisco film critics circle award for best adapted screenplaynominatedwashington d.c. area film critics association award for best adapted screenplay
2013 the purge james sandin
2013 getaway brent magna
2014 predestinationtemporal agent