Oh captain, my strike captain!
Instead of climbing atop desks, Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles are uniting to show solidarity on the streets of New York. The two actors, who first met and had breakout roles via the 1989 coming-of-age drama Dead Poets Society, hit the SAG-AFTRA picket lines Tuesday, striking along with their fellow performers.
“The longer this goes on, the reason for solidarity and our cause is even more important,” Hawke wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday, showcasing him picketing alongside Charles and Rosario Dawson. “Picketed yesterday alongside my fellow actors, and for the betterment of our industry as a whole. There are so many individuals who contribute to making film and TV — and I look forward to making art together again.” He added the hashtag “#SAGAftraStrong.”
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Hawke and Charles played two students at an elite New England boarding school in Dead Poets Society, which also starred Robin Williams as the spirited English teacher who inspires them and their peers to live life to the fullest. The film was nominated for multiple Oscars, and won Best Original Screenplay for Tom Schulman.
Since then, Charles and Hawke haven’t been shy about their camaraderie. Back in 2018, when Hawke was appearing in True West on Broadway and promoting his movie Blaze, Charles wrote on social media, “Ethan Hawke is one of my oldest pals. More than that, he’s a true artist and deserves all the accolades and recognition he receives. He’s also an awesome Dad. The end.”
Everett Collection
Hawke and Dawson also go back a ways, having collaborated on the 2001 film Chelsea Walls. Dawson starred in the drama, while Hawke made his directing debut.
The actors’ union has been on strike since July 14, after negotiations with Hollywood studios collapsed, and the work stoppage is nearing the 100-day mark. Alongside the Writers Guild of America, which recently agreed to a new deal with the studios, SAG-AFTRA has spent much of 2023 fighting for better working conditions for its nearly 160,000 members.
Once the actors’ strike is resolved, maybe Charles, Hawke, and Dawson can all team up for a project off the picket lines too.
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