Actor-director Ethan Hawke is back for his second take at making a film on the life of an artist and he is bringing his daughter, Maya Hawke, along for the ride. The film titled, Wildcat, will focus on the life of the iconic writer, Flannery O’Connor who passed away at the age of thirty-nine.
However, the biopic which is supposed to be highlighting the struggles of the Southern writer is itself getting highlighted for nepotism. While nepotism has been there since we can remember, it has been taken to a whole other level recently. Vulture’s guide to the “Nepo-Verse” of Hollywood might have had a hand in fueling the fire a bit. Now, Ethan Hawke seems to have become the next target of the people against nepotism.
Maya Hawke: A Good Choice or Nepotism?
Also Read: Moon Knight: How Maya Hawke Convinced Father Ethan To Accept Villain Role
While Maya Hawke started her career in acting at a young age, her role in Netflix’s Stranger Things is her most prominent work. She and her character, Robin Buckley, became fan favorites in the show. So while she has proven that she knows what she is doing, her addition to the ensemble of Wildcat has the audience raising eyebrows.
As reported by Variety, Ethan Hawke will be directing the Flannery O’Connor biopic and will have creative control over it. He will also be serving as the writer and producer for the film. Hawke has chosen his daughter to lead the ensemble, portraying the Southern writer. This did not sit right with the audience as they took to Twitter to brand this as nepotism. While they agree that Hawke is a good actress, her father choosing to cast her in the lead is the good old definition of nepotism.
As a child of nepotism myself, this is the most nepotistic thing I have ever heard of
— Brady (@BangsFromBrady) January 23, 2023
"Has been cast" by her own dad?? 😭😭😂
— The Angry Smurf (@SmurfSmurph) January 23, 2023
“Ethan Hawke put his daughter in his upcoming film” Fixed.
— ➳𝖒███ (@MattsANiceGuy) January 23, 2023
She’s a great actress but this just screams nepotism
— Cara (@CLGreality9) January 23, 2023
Nepotism festival
— Harriet Lecter (@tsotlhannibal) January 23, 2023
The biopic will focus on the part of the life of the author where she struggled to publish her very first novel. Her notable work includes, A Good Man Is Hard to Find, Everything That Rises Must Converge, and Wise Blood. Wise Blood was also the inspiration for the 1979 namesake film. Even after passing away in 1964, her work is still read with the same admiration as before.
This is the second time the Hawke duo will be working together. They first worked as actors on the limited series The Good Lord Bird, although this will be the first time Hawke is directing his daughter. The biopic also includes Laura Linney, Philip Ettinger, Steve Zahn, Vincent D’Onofrio, etc.
Maya Hawke is Aware of her Privilege
Hawke is the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman – a power-packed duo. Talking to Rolling Stone, the Stranger Things actress talked about her ethos when it comes to nepotism. She believes that while she has her advantages over others if she ends up doing a bad job, her chances in the industry will simply stop.
“I feel like the only way to handle the nepotism thing, which definitely gives you massive advantages in this life, is, you will get chances for free, but the chances will not be infinite. Therefore, you have to keep working and do a good job. If you do a bad job, the chances will stop. That’s my ethos.”
It looks like Hawke is ready to prove herself with her work and Wildcat seems to be the perfect place to do so. According to her father, “Maya has been working hard for years to put this project together.”
Since the filming for the biopic is underway, a release date is yet to be announced.
Source: Variety
