"It’s a strange thing": Sterling Harjo explains the difference of working with Ethan Hawke in The Lowdown and this hit 2021 drama 

The Lowdown has all of the mystery that will surely keep you up at night, and the reason for it is Ethan Hawke as Lee Raybon, a truth-chasing journalist who calls himself a “truthstorian.”

But behind the show’s moody brilliance is something extremely personal for creator Sterlin Harjo. In a recent interview with Variety, Harjo said;

“It’s a strange thing. I’ve always thought I was going to work with Ethan Hawke...”

And when he finally did, it turned out to be a whole different experience than their first collaboration on Reservation Dogs.

How The Lowdown became something bigger and deeper for Sterlin Harjo and Ethan Hawke

For Harjo, The Lowdown was like writing a letter to the place he grew up, Tulsa, Oklahoma. This time, though, he got to tell that story with Ethan Hawke at the center of it. The two had already worked together in Reservation Dogs, where Hawke played Elora’s estranged dad in a quietly heartbreaking episode.

But in The Lowdown, Harjo said things just clicked. He told Variety,

“Maybe it’s because I grew up watching him...Once we met, everything kind of just fell into place. It was like we were old friends.”

He even admitted that while watching Hawke’s earlier movies, he had been unknowingly writing for him in his head. Harjo said he wanted to create moments for Hawke that showed sides audiences hadn’t seen before. Parts that weren’t just about charisma but about the small human cracks underneath it all.

Harjo went on to say,

“He walks the line between being… well, people have said ‘insufferable,’ but he’s also so charismatic you can’t look away,”

It's like this idea of a man who makes mistakes but still feels real and believable is exactly what Harjo focused on when creating Lee’s character in the new Hulu show.

From “Reservation Dogs” to “The Lowdown”: A creative friendship in a full circle

Their first collaboration in Reservation Dogs showed Hawke as a broken father trying to connect with his daughter. He wasn’t a hero, not even close. But that’s what made him human. Harjo loved that honesty and carried that feeling into The Lowdown.

He said,

“As a parent, you’re always trying to get back to being a good parent while wrestling with the kid you used to be...”

He explained how Hawke perfectly nails that emotion. That’s why his character in The Lowdown, as a man caught between guilt and integrity, felt so authentic.

Even casting director Angelique Midthunder told TV Insider that getting Hawke for Reservation Dogs was easier than anyone expected. She said,

“Ethan and Sterlin have been eager to work together...It was a perfect fit.”

And it seems their on-set chemistry carried straight into The Lowdown, where Harjo’s writing allowed Hawke to blend vulnerability with strength. The show’s ending, which Harjo described as “not perfect, not tied in a bow,” captures exactly that kind of flawed beauty he sees in Hawke’s performances and maybe in himself, too.

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What started as a one-off guest role turned into something bigger, a collaboration built on trust and timing. Harjo wanted The Lowdown to feel grounded, messy, and honest, much like the people it’s about. Working with Hawke again gave him that chance.

Their connection feels now less like director and actor and more like two storytellers who just get each other. And honestly, it shows. The result isn’t just good TV but also a reminder that when two creative minds meet at the right time, the magic kind of writes itself.

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