Who Is Ethan Hawke’s Wife? All About Ryan Shawhughes
Ethan Hawke has one of the longest-standing careers in Hollywood.
The Dead Poet’s Society actor has also had the support of Ryan Shawhughes, his wife of over 10 years. Hawke and Shawhughes first met when she was the nanny to his children from his previous marriage to Uma Thurman, although they were not romantically involved at the time. The pair reconnected a year after his divorce from Thurman and began dating.
Hawke and Shawhughes eventually tied the knot in June 2008 and had two children together, daughters Clementine Hawke and Indiana Hawke.
In a 2009 interview with The Guardian, Hawke opened up about his and Shawhughes’ relationship. “I was very cautious during that period of my life and desperately wanted to stay single,” he said. “But sometimes life happens to you. Now, I love Ryan tremendously. The bottom line is we’re incredibly compatible. We grew up in the same town, you know, all that old school s— your grandma told you.”
He added of Shawhughes, “She has always been an extremely sensible, no-bullshit woman, and frankly I thought that might be good for a half-madman like me.”
So, who is Ethan Hawke’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Ryan Shawhughes and her long-term relationship with the actor.
She is an actress and producer
Like her husband, Shawhughes also works in the entertainment industry as an actress and producer. She played a small role in the 2006 movie adaptation of Hawke’s novel, The Hottest State, which was directed by Hawke himself. In July 2022, she starred as herself in the sixth episode of the Hawke-directed TV documentary, The Last Movie Stars (she produced the fifth episode as well).
She is also the producer of several movies, documentaries and TV series, including First Reformed and Blaze, which was written and directed by Hawke. She’s the executive producer of the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning limited series, The Good Lord Bird.
In addition to acting and producing, Shawhughes is the vice president of Hawke’s production company, Under the Influence Productions, where she works with her husband to “develop and produce content for projects in the art and entertainment sector, including film, theater, and literature.” The company has produced various films including Blaze, Camino Real and The Last Movie Stars.
She first met Hawke as a nanny to his kids
Hawke and Shawhughes first met when she was the nanny to his two kids with Thurman — Maya and Levon. Hawke revealed in an interview with The Guardian that they hadn’t gotten romantically involved until long after she’d been a nanny.
“I met Ryan through my literary agent, and she was indeed one of Maya and Levon’s nannies during a film shoot,” he said. “After a short period of working for me, Ryan went back to Columbia to get her degree. There were never any scandalous thoughts or actions back then. In the years that followed, my marriage disintegrated due to many pressures, none of which were remotely connected to Ryan.”
After his split with Thurman, he ran into Ryan in a park and they connected instantly. “I know people imagine some kind of Sound of Music type love affair, but the truth is by the time Ryan and I were falling in love, it had been a long while since I had employed her,” he said.
They have been married for over a decade
In June 2008, PEOPLE confirmed that Hawke and Shawhughes had tied the knot in a small ceremony in New York City. In a 2013 interview with Elle, Hawke opened up about how he intended to make his second marriage better than his first.
“Through the failure of my first marriage I learned a lot about myself,” he said. “Until you know yourself, you don’t know how to share your life with another person.”
They have two children together
On July 18, 2008, Hawke and Shawhughes welcomed their first daughter together, Clementine Jane Hawke. “I expect that they should be very good parents,” a close family member told PEOPLE ahead of the birth. “They both love children, and they love each other … I know they are thrilled.”
In his interview with The Guardian, Hawke revealed how amazing Shawhughes is as a mother. “She has been a wonderful, happy new mother, a great stepmother, a real instrument of healing in our family, and a much-needed partner for me,” he said.
In April 2011, PEOPLE confirmed that the couple were expecting their second child together. They welcomed their daughter Indiana Hawke in July 2011.
She attends many red carpet events with Hawke
On Sept. 8, 2009, Hawke and Shawhughes made their red carpet debut at the premiere of Hawke’s movie, Brooklyn’s Finest, during the 66th Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy.
Since then, she has accompanied him to numerous events, including the premiere of Moon Knight, which marked Hawke’s Marvel debut.
She’s passionate about charity work
Shawhughes is a board member of EngenderHealth, an organization “committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality.” She also serves on the board of directors for The Alex Fund and Soccer Without Borders.
Hawke is equally as passionate about charity work as his wife and they often work together to give back to the causes they care about. In 2015, Hawke and Shawhughes ran the New York City Marathon together to support The Doe Fund, a non-profit organization that works to break the cycles of homelessness, addiction and criminal recidivism.