Ethan Hawke is one of those rare actors who’s managed to chart his own career. He’s appeared in more than 60 films, been nominated for 4 Academy Awards and written 3 novels. And that’s probably all before breakfast. Hawke was 19 when he landed his breakout role in the Dead Poets Society starring Robin Williams. Then came the Sunset trilogy that began a life-long collaboration with the director Richard Linklater. Now Hawke is starring in The Good Lord Bird, a passion project that he’s worked on for years. Hawke plays John Brown, the bible-toting rebel who devoted his life to abolishing slavery. Ethan Hawke talks to me about fanaticism, creativity and why he never stops until he gets it right.