Ethan Hawke recently spoke in a Vanity Fair career retrospective video about his experience working alongside Robin Williams on the 1989 film Dead Poets Society. At 18 years old, Hawke was amazed by Williams’ ability to deviate from the script, an approach that was uncommon on the set. He recalled how director Peter Weir managed the challenge of guiding such a spontaneous performer.
Williams’ Improvisational Approach to Acting
Hawke described Williams as “a comic genius” who was still relatively new to dramatic roles at that time. He shared,
“And watching that relationship like, in the room — I was four feet away while they’re talking about performance — and that was something you don’t un-see. Robin Williams didn’t do the script, and I didn’t know you could do that. If he had an idea, he just did it. He didn’t ask permission. And that was a new door that was opened to my brain, that you could play like that.”
This insight into Williams’ creative process left a lasting impression on Hawke’s view of acting.
Collaboration Between Williams and Director Peter Weir
Despite Williams’ tendency to break away from the written material, Hawke noted that director Peter Weir appreciated the actor’s freedom as long as the core intent of the scenes remained intact.
“Peter liked it, as long as we still achieved the same goals that the script had,”
Hawke said, explaining that the director and Williams had distinctly different working styles. However, they maintained mutual respect, as Hawke observed,
“had a very different way of working, but they didn’t judge one another or resist one another.”
How Creative Differences Fueled the Film’s Success
Hawke emphasized the power of collaboration that came from these differences.
“They worked with each other. That’s exciting — that’s when you get at the stuff of what great collaboration can do,”
he said.
“You don’t have to be the same — you don’t have to hate somebody for being different than you are. And then the collective imagination can become very, very powerful, because the movie becomes bigger than one person’s point of view. It’s containing multiple perspectives.”
The Impact and Legacy of Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society casts Williams as an inspiring English teacher at a prestigious boarding school in 1959 who encourages his students to think independently through poetry. The film was both a critical and commercial success, grossing $235 million worldwide to become one of 1989’s top earners. It also earned multiple Oscar nominations, including best picture, best actor for Williams, and best director for Weir, cementing its status as an awards darling.
Hawke’s reflections offer a rare glimpse into the dynamic on set and the creative tensions that shaped the film’s enduring legacy. His admiration for Williams and Weir’s collaboration underscores the unpredictable nature of filmmaking and the ways in which breaking established rules can open new creative possibilities.
