Skip to main content

Stranger Things actor Maya Hawke was born into Hollywood. She could have chosen any career she wanted. But she followed in the footsteps of her parents, Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. Maya Hawke’s newest project, Do Revenge, sees her star alongside Camila Mendes in a dark comedy about two high school students who seek revenge against people who did them wrong. And writer-director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson was so keen on having the star play her role that she altered the production location and schedule around Stranger Things.

Maya Hawke is best known for ‘Stranger Things’

Hawke debuted on the PBS mini-series Little Women in 2017. After that, she appeared in the Oscar-winning Quentin Tarantino flick Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, Human Capital, and Mainstream. 

But most know her from her turn as Robin Buckley in Stranger Things. The actor joined the cast in season 3 and quickly became a fan favorite, returning for more adventures in season 4. As it turns out, Hawke’s time filming the latest season of the Netflix show caused Robinson quite a dilemma when choosing to cast her in Do Revenge.

Maya Hawke landed ‘Do Revenge’ despite her ‘Stranger Things’ schedule

In Do Revenge, Maya Hawke plays Eleanor, a transfer student who seeks revenge on a fellow student who made her an outcast after starting a rumor that she tried to forcibly kiss her. After a chance encounter between Eleanor and Drea (played by Mendes), the two team up and agree to help each other get back at those who jilted them.

For Hawke, Robinson knew immediately she was the perfect choice for Eleanor following a Zoom call. She was so impressed that the director altered the shooting schedule and location to ensure that both Hawke and Mendes could star in her movie.

“I was like, ‘That’s Eleanor, it’s got to be her. What do we do?’ It had to be Maya,” Robinson told Elle. “The movie was supposed to take place in Los Angeles. We moved it and shot it in Atlanta so we could shoot it at the same time as Stranger Things. And I rewrote it and reset it in Miami.”

The writer-director continued. “They were so perfect that we legit moved the production, because if we waited for Maya after Stranger Things, we would’ve lost Cami [Mendes]. And if we had Cami in L.A., we wouldn’t have Maya. I was like, ‘Nope, it has to be both of them.’ So we moved the whole movie six weeks before production.”

How will Maya Hawke follow up ‘Do Revenge’?

maya hawke do revenge
Maya Hawke attends as Netflix Hosts “Stranger Things” Los Angeles FYSEE Event at Netflix FYSee Space on May 27, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Related

Maya Hawke’s Ability to Talk Like ‘Phoebe Buffay on Adderall’ Inspired Her ‘Stranger Things’ Character

Hawke continues to sign on to projects with big names associated with them. Later in 2022, fans will see her in Asteroid City. The film is set in the 1950s and also stars Tom Hanks, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie, and Bryan Cranston, among many others. Wes Anderson directs.

Then there’s The Kill Room. The heist movie gives Hawke a chance to appear on screen with her real-life mother, Uma Thurman, and Samuel L. Jackson in a Pulp Fiction reunion of sorts. She then stars as one of Leonard Bernstein’s kids in the Bradley Cooper-directed biopic Maestro. Additionally, expect to see Hawke return for the final season of Stranger Things.

Best in Entertainment