BY: DM
Published 14 minutes ago
“Stranger Things” fans are undoubtedly familiar with actor Maya Hawke. She plays Robin Buckley — the anxious, razor-sharp band kid who slings ice cream and one-liners at Scoops Ahoy. But some viewers still want to know more about her, and they’re really asking about the woman behind the character. Here is a look at the actress’ life, career, and her connection to the LGBTQIA+ community.
Maya Hawke Comes From a Famous Lineage
Hawke’s parents are Hollywood royalty — actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, who met while filming “Gattaca” in the ’90s, according to People magazine. Hawke switched schools frequently before landing at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn, a no-grades, arts-focused private school. She later studied at Juilliard but left once acting roles began to take off. According to Vogue, Hawke also modeled early in her career, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother. She booked campaigns with Vogue, AllSaints, and Calvin Klein, where Sofia Coppola directed her ad.
Hawke made her screen debut in 2017 as Jo March in the BBC miniseries adaptation of “Little Women.” Two years later, she broke into mainstream fandom as Robin Buckley in season 3 of “Stranger Things.” Robin enters the show as Steve Harrington’s sarcastic coworker at the Starcourt Mall ice cream shop. Over the season, she becomes his best friend, his code-breaking partner, and the show’s first openly gay character. The writers originally planned a straight love story between Robin and Steve, but Hawke has said that once filming began, she and the team pushed for a different direction.
“Throughout filming, we started to feel like she and Steve shouldn’t get together, and that she’s gay,” Hawke told the Wall Street Journal. “Even when I go back and watch earlier episodes, it just seems like the most obvious decision ever. The Duffer Brothers and I, and [director] Shawn Levy, had a lot of conversations throughout shooting and it wasn’t really until we were shooting episode four and five, I think, that we made the final decision.”
Is Maya Hawke a Member of the LGBTQIA+ Community?
In an interview with Buzzfeed, Hawke said she felt proud to play an LGBTQIA+ character. “It was amazing. I was proud to play an [LGBTQIA+] character on such a mainstream show that people all over the world, all over our country, and in red and blue states watch,” Hawke said. “I love her. It felt true to her, and I’m really glad that we did it.”
The move has left fans wondering if Hawke herself is a member of the community. yes, she has publicly described herself as queer — but she keeps the details soft around the edges. A 2023 profile from Biography states that Hawke “identifies as queer” while mostly staying quiet about specific labels and partners.
At the same time, Hawke doesn’t put her personal life on loudspeaker. Publicly, her known relationships have been with men — including Rolling Stone executive Gus Wenner, actor Tom Sturridge, and musician Spencer Barnett, according to Who’s Dated Who. Since around 2021, she’s been in a low-key relationship with singer-songwriter Christian Lee Hutson. The two met through music, and he’s worked on her albums.
What’s your favorite Maya Hawke moment in “Stranger Things?” Comment below!
