Not only a true-blue Texan but one born in Austin, Ethan Hawke is the finest of the last major wave of young actors to achieve potential. Just 14 when he starred with River Phoenix in EXPLORERS (1985), he drew critical acclaim as Todd Anderson in DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989), a role that revealed him as a formidable and memorable presence onscreen. In the 90s, Hawke branched out, directing videos (Lisa Loeb's Stay, 1994) and films (STRAIGHT TO ONE, 1994), and wrote two novels, THE HOTTEST STATE and ASH WEDNESDAY. He ... quietly bolstered his list of impressive acting credits: WHITE FANG (1991), A MIDNIGHT CLEAR (1992), ALIVE (1993), REALITY BITES (1994), GATTACA (1997), and TRAINING DAY (2002). Hawke's most successful actor-director collaborations have been with Richard Linklater in BEFORE SUNRISE (1995), THE NEWTON BOYS (1998), and WAKING LIFE (2001). Hawke and Linklater reunited with BEFORE SUNRISE star Julie Delpy for the scheduled for release in June 2004 BEFORE SUNSET.