Ethan Hawke acts.
Ethan Green Hawke ( born November 6 , 1970 ) is an American actor , writer , and director . In 1995 , Hawke first appeared in Richard Linklater 's romance trilogy , co-starring opposite Julie Delpy in Before Sunrise , and later in its sequels Before Sunset ( 2004 ) and Before Midnight ( 2013 ) , all of which met with critical acclaim . Hawke has been twice nominated for both the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor ; his writing contributions to Before Sunset and Before Midnight were recognized , as were his performances in Training Day ( 2001 ) and Boyhood ( 2014 ) . His other films include the science fiction drama Gattaca ( 1997 ) , the contemporary adaptation of Hamlet ( 2000 ) , the action thriller Assault on Precinct 13 ( 2005 ) , the crime drama Before the Devil Knows You 're Dead ( 2007 ) , and the horror film Sinister ( 2012 ) . The Screen Actors Guild Award ( also known as the SAG Award ) is an accolade given by the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists ( SAG-AFTRA ) to recognize outstanding performances in film and primetime television .