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Ethan Hawke Says He Sensed Robin Williams’ Private Struggles on Dead Poets Society Set

Hawke says Williams’ later dementia finding offers context without redefining his work.

Overview

  • In a CBS Sunday Morning interview that aired Dec. 7, Hawke said that even at 18 he recognized the complexity of Williams’ emotional life.
  • He recalled seeing Williams improvise to laughter on set before later finding him alone in the dark, a contrast Hawke described as taxing.
  • Hawke characterized Williams as a deeply sensitive person whose charisma and power came at a cost.
  • He said Williams’ 2014 death does not fundamentally change how he watches Dead Poets Society and that the end of a life does not define it.
  • Reporters noted Williams’ posthumous Lewy body dementia finding for context, as Hawke reflected on the film that helped launch his early career.