The Lowdown star Ethan Hawke says that the late Robert Redford was "one of the heroes" of his life

Ethan Hawke said the late Robert Redford was “one of the heroes” of his life while speaking to reporters at the New York premiere of The Lowdown in mid-September 2025. Ethan Hawke framed the remark around a concrete memory from early in his career.

He and director Richard Linklater watched Before Sunrise get a public boost when Robert Redford put the film on a Sundance program and introduced it. At that moment, Ethan Hawke said, he felt like a vote of confidence from someone already well known in the film world.

Hawke tied that memory to why support from established artists matters. He posted a longer tribute on Facebook, calling Redford

“our ultimate champion of independent film, relentless advocate for authentic storytelling and fiercely passionate environmentalist,”

Hawke’s comments came as coverage of Redford’s death on September 16, 2025, prompted many actors and filmmakers to recall specific moments when Robert Redford helped a smaller picture or a young filmmaker find an audience.

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Ethan Hawke recalled a Sundance introduction that stayed with him

At the Brooklyn Academy of Music premiere, Hawke described Before Sunrise’s early festival night as a turning point. As reported by Yahoo, he said Redford

“Took us under his wing”

The introduction helped the film reach people who might otherwise have missed it.

This account aligns with Ethan Hawke’s public posts and interviews, in which he recalls the same festival memory and describes the evening as “a great night” for the filmmakers. His remarks reference a specific event, a film, and an action by Redford that Hawke says was meaningful to both him and Linklater.

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Robert Redford’s role in independent film and Hawke’s choice of projects

Ethan Hawke also pointed to institutional changes Robert Redford helped create. In public statements and social posts, Hawke described Redford as someone who used his influence to open doors for low-budget work, the kind of films and voices Hawke has often chosen to work with during his career.

Those notes of appreciation were measured rather than grand; Hawke focused on examples and a few direct lines about how a specific introduction and the wider Sundance platform helped a small movie find an audience.

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Quotes that appeared in public coverage

As per Yahoo reports, two of Ethan Hawke’s widely reported lines are

“It was a big moment in Richard Linklater and I’s life just to have Robert Redford take us under his wing and say, ‘I believe in you guys,’”

The Instagram caption calling Redford

“Our ultimate champion of independent film.”

Those lines were published by outlets covering the premiere and by Hawke’s own social post, and they serve as the factual basis for his comment that Redford was “one of the heroes” in his life.

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Ethan Hawke’s remarks are brief but precise, highlighting a single festival night and a public example of Redford supporting emerging filmmakers. For Hawke, the memory clarifies why he called Redford a “hero,” connecting a personal experience to the broader influence Redford has had on independent cinema.