Ethan Hawke

Co-starred with Mark Ruffalo in the crime drama "What Doesn't Kill You"

Co-starred with Philip Seymour Hoffman in Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead"

Wrote and directed "The Hottest State," based on his novel The Hottest State: A Novel ; also co-starred (debuted at the 2006 Venice Film Festival)

Cast as part of an ensemble in Linklater's "Fast Food Nation"

Cast in "The Coast of Utopia," playing Mikhail Bakunin; received a Tony Award nomination

Portrayed an Interpol agent, chasing an arms dealer (Nicolas Cage) in Andrew Niccol's "Lord of War"

Reunited with director Richard Linklater and Julie Delpy for "Before Sunset" once again portraying Jesse (Hawke) and Celine (Delpy) who are reunited nine years after they first met; also co-wrote screenplay; received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Screenplay; received an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay

Guest-starred on the ABC series "Alias" as a captured CIA agent whose allegiances may have shifted

Feature directorial debut, "Chelsea Walls" (shot in 1999), based the film on Dylan Thomas' "Under Milkwood"; co-starred wife Uma Thurman and friends Leonard, Whaley and Zahn

Re-teamed with Whaley in "The Jimmy Show"; written and directed by Whaley

Again collaborated with Linklater on the digitally-shot "Tape" co-starring Robert Sean Leonard and Uma Thurman

Cast as a rookie cop teamed with an amoral partner (Denzel Washington) in "Training Day"; earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor

Returned to the NYC stage as one of the stars of the Manhattan premiere of Sam Shepard's play "The Late Henry Moss"

Starred as Michael Almereyda's slacker "Hamlet"; Zahn played Rosencrantz

Acted in Williamstown Theatre Festival staging of Tennessee Williams' "Camino Real"

Had small role as a concerned guidance counselor in Frank Whaley's feature directorial debut "Joe the King"

Played Ishmail, the one-armed journalist in love with a Japanese woman, in "Snow Falling on Cedars"; adapted from David Guterson's 1994 novel about a doomed interracial romance

Appeared as Jess Newton, the charming drunken brother, in Linklater's "The Newton Boys"

Portrayed the Pip-like Finn in the contemporary remake of Dickens' "Great Expectations"

Starred in the sci-fi thriller, "Gattaca" written and directed by Andrew Niccol; co-starred with future wife Uma Thurman

Published first novel, "The Hottest State"

Acted in the Steppenwolf Theater Company production of Sam Shepard's "Buried Child" in Chicago; project reunited him with Sinise who directed

Acted opposite Julie Delpy in Richard Linklater's romantic cult classic, "Before Sunrise"

Co-starred in Ben Stiller's feature directorial debut, "Reality Bites"; also helmed the music video, "Stay" that featured the single from the soundtrack; Zahn also acted in film

Theatrical directorial debut, "Wild Dogs!"; officially opened the first full season of Malaparte

Acted in Jonathan Marc Sherman's "Sophistry" at NYC's Playwrights Horizon

Co-founded Malaparte, a nonprofit theater group; served as artistic director; "Dead Poets Society" co-star Robin Williams was among the notables providing funding; company included Robert Sean Leonard, Frank Whaley, Steve Zahn and Hamilton; eventually disbanded

Wrote, directed and edited the short film, "Straight to One"

Broadway debut, National Actors Theater production of Chekhov's "The Seagull"

Played a reluctant platoon leader in "A Midnight Clear"; also featured Steppenwolf's co-founder Gary Sinise and friend Frank Whaley; second film based on a Wharton novel

Off-Broadway debut, New York Shakespeare Festival production of "Casanova"

Visited the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago during a cross-country drive with playwright-actor Jonathan Marc Sherman and actor Josh Hamilton; inspired to start a theater group

Played Ted Danson's son and Jack Lemmon's grandson in "Dad" a film based on a William Wharton novel

Returned to features with a well-received supporting role as the baby-faced Todd in Peter Weir's "Dead Poets Society"

Feature acting debut, Joe Dante's "Explorers"

Acted in a junior high school production of "Meet Me in St. Louis"

Professional stage debut, "St. Joan" at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey

Started a reading series in NYC with Sherman and Hamilton