Photo Time-Lapse: See How Ethan Hawke Has Changed Over 25 Years
First came Dead Poets Society. Then Reality Bites. Then Before Sunrise came out in 1995. Ethan Hawke helped define the guy persona of the mid-nineties: artsy, casual, with dirty hair and a reluctant grin. (Bonus points for a guitar.) He even wrote poetry and made Hamlet. With the return of Jesse and Celine in Before Midnight, it seemed the perfect time to revisit the many looks of Ethan Hawke. Warning: Contains a lot of “funky” shirts.


With fellow Dead Poets Allelon Ruggiero (left) and Robert Sean Leonard. They're just chillin' here — this is from the premiere of the Paul Newman movi...
With fellow Dead Poets Allelon Ruggiero (left) and Robert Sean Leonard. They're just chillin' here — this is from the premiere of the Paul Newman movie Blaze.
Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd.
Aw, baby-faced for a 21-year-old.
Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd.
With Sinead Cusack and Jeremy Irons at a premiere for Waterland, back when people openly smoked on the red carpet.
Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd.
In 1993, everyone in America was legally required to invest in wide-wale corduroy.
Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd.
Debut of the goatee! Mark it on your calendar and celebrate this day every year.
Photo: Steve Eichner
Just a few months after Reality Bites opened. Ah, scruff. The nineties answer to everything.
Photo: Ron Galella
With Julie Delpy at the premiere of Before Sunrise. Even marginal un-scruffiness seemed very formal back then.
Photo: Jim Smeal
You could even smoke at the Obie Awards! Inside!
Photo: Rose HartmanT-rex arms and a bandana. It happens.
Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd.With Frank Whaley and some seriously wide lapels.
Photo: Derek StormWhat are you chuckling about, Richard Linklater?
Photo: Evan AgostiniAw, sugar, c'mere. You have schmutz on your jacket.
Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd.That was a fun era.
Photo: Robin PlatzerWith Natasha Richardson.
Photo: New York Daily News Archive/1999/Daily News, L.P. (New York)Later that night, now with a pashmina.
Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd.Hats!
Photo: New York Daily News Archive/1999/Daily News, L.P. (New York)Oops, not "hats." HATS!
Photo: New York Daily News Archive/1999/Daily News, L.P. (New York)With Kyle MacLachlan at Sundance.
Photo: J. Vespa/Call (212) 686-8900 or e-mail sales@wireimage.com to license WireImage images.That's an awfully wan mustache.
Photo: Brenda ChaseStubble: Fine. Actual mustache: Fine. But stubble-mustache is best reserved for ninth-graders.
Photo: Evan AgostiniSee? Fuller mustache. Upgrade.
Photo: Leandro Justen/? Patrick McMullanIs it fun being a movie star? Oh, sometimes.
Photo: George De SotaBut other times, your terrifying outfit decisions get photographed and will live on for all eternity. Is it possible that Quentin Tarantino is the bes...
But other times, your terrifying outfit decisions get photographed and will live on for all eternity. Is it possible that Quentin Tarantino is the best-dressed person in this photo?
Photo: Dave HoganThis was earlier that day. They went home and changed!
Photo: GERARD JULIENWas piece-y hair still a thing in 2001? Someone scrounge up a Delia's catalogue.
Photo: DOUG KANTERSo rumpled! Ahem, so perfectly rumpled.
Photo: GABRIEL BOUYSAt the Lord of the Rings premiere.
Photo: Lawrence LucierWith Jennifer Connelly, Reese Witherspoon, and "funky" lapels.
Photo: K Mazur/2002 Wireimage.comSigh.
Photo: LUCY NICHOLSONLet's have a jam sesh with Robert Sean Leonard and Kris Kristofferson. Too bad no one really remembers Chelsea Walls.
Photo: J. Vespa(It was that indie movie Hawke directed, set in the Chelsea Hotel.)
Photo: Lawrence LucierHey, Macaulay Culkin, can I bum a cigarette? Oh, sure, Ethan Hawke. No problem.
Photo: New York Daily News Archive/2002/Daily News, L.P. (New York)Oh, these hideous pants with the monstrous pockets? These are my reading pants, of course!
Photo: Lawrence Lucier/2002 Getty ImagesI spy a wallet chain.
Photo: Douglas McFadd/2002 Getty ImagesCheer up, Ethan! You own a solid collection of brown jackets.
Photo: John Li/2002 Getty ImagesWith Jessica Lange, Steve Buscemi, and former U.S. congressman Tom Andrews. Maybe Ethan Hawke should guest star on American Horror Story.
Photo: Matt...With Jessica Lange, Steve Buscemi, and former U.S. congressman Tom Andrews. Maybe Ethan Hawke should guest star on American Horror Story.
Photo: Matthew Peyton/2003 Getty ImagesReturn of the hats!
Photo: Getty Images/2003 Getty ImagesWith Sheryl Crow. (And a weird air of surprise.)
Photo: KMazurCompare the patchy mustache on the poster to the clean-shaven Ethan Hawke.
Photo: Evan Agostini/2003 Getty ImagesHey, a brown jacket.
Photo: Evan Agostini/2003 Getty ImagesWish this were a brown jacket!
Photo: Katy Winn/2004 Getty ImagesJeez Louise, these two do not age.
Photo: TOM MAELSA/2004 AFPAt all.
Photo: TOM MAELSA/2004 AFPEthan Hawke likes an unconventional shirt.
Photo: Carlo Allegri/2004 Getty ImagesAnd close talking with Angelina Jolie. But then, who doesn't like that?
Photo: Carlo Allegri/2004 Getty ImagesLeonardo DiCaprio wishes he had been in Dead Poets Society.
Photo: Ray Amati/2004 Getty ImagesArgh, grow in the beard a little more.
Photo: Frazer Harrison/2004 Getty ImagesThe best part is that girl two seats down from Hawke making a barf face.
Photo: Ezra Shaw/2004 Getty ImagesSwoon.
Photo: Evan Agostini/2004 Getty ImagesWith Scarlett Johansson.
Photo: Carlo Allegri/2005 Getty ImagesWith Wallace Shawn. And noteably less rumpled.
Photo: Brad Barket/2005 Getty ImagesWe've seen that embroidered jacket before.
Photo: Thos Robinson/2005 Getty ImagesEveryone looks schlubby next to Angela Bassett.
Photo: Frank Micelotta/2005 Getty ImagesHat. (Everybody drink.)
Photo: Sarah Lehberger/2005 Getty ImagesWith Wyclef.
Photo: Donald Weber/2005 Getty ImagesA-plus face from Jimmy Fallon.
Photo: Djamilla Rosa CochranSame funky bandana shirt.
Photo: Evan Agostini/2006 Getty ImagesAnother hat. And that embroidered jacket again.
Photo: Scott Gries/2006 Getty ImagesWith Lauren Bacall.
Photo: Peter Kramer/2007 Getty ImagesDouble hats! (With Donnie Wahlberg.)
Photo: Elsa/2007 Getty ImagesIs this when people were into mesh hats?
Photo: Bryan Bedder/2008 Getty ImagesDapper!
Photo: Rob Loud/2008 Getty ImagesAlso dapper! Though that might be a sliver of brown jacket peeking out.
Photo: Jason Kempin/2011 Getty ImagesSoccer-y.
Photo: Joe Corrigan/2011 Getty ImagesLooking sharp at the Obies.
Photo: Mike Coppola/2011 Getty ImagesStylish and helpful.
Photo: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/2011 Getty ImagesAnd majestic.
Photo: Christine Pettinger/2011 Getty ImagesAnd we're back to the hat business.
Photo: Slaven Vlasic/2012 Getty ImagesWith his wife Ryan.
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/2012 Getty ImagesThe bleached hair is for a role, thank god.
Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/2013 Getty ImagesThough it is dangerously Mark McGrath–y.
Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/2013 Getty ImagesAnother hat! Full-ish 'stache, though.
Photo: Jemal Countess/2013 Getty ImagesAnd the goatee is back, too.
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/2013 Getty Images