Ethan Hawke does not need any introductions. With four Academy Award nods, three Golden Globes, and more, his career speaks for itself. He won hearts as the smart, awkward Jesse Wallace in Before Sunset and proved he could handle the heat as rookie cop Jake Hoyt in Training Day. 

However, there are a few roles and movies that are special to him. One such is Dead Poets Society. This revolutionary coming-of-age movie, directed by Peter Weir, was a box office hit, raking in $235.9 million worldwide.

Even nearly 36 years later, Hawke looks back at the film with a warm smile for one special reason.

In a recent segment on Variety, actress and producer Sydney Sweeney spoke with Hawke about how tough it can be to let go of a character after pouring their heart into it. When asked if there is a role in his own career that stayed with him, Hawke admitted that there is "a handful." He did not hesitate to mention Dead Poets Society as among them.

"It really makes you feel phenomenal," he said. "That all is not lost. I did this movie when I was 17... and people still come up to me at a deli or something saying, “O Captain! My Captain!"

“O Captain! My Captain!” is one of the most iconic lines Hawke’s character says in the movie. The fact that it has stayed with people even after so many years, as Hawke expressed, speaks volumes about the movie’s impact. The story of the students at a strict all-boys prep school and their unconventional English teacher, John Keating (Robin Williams), touched people’s hearts. That is perhaps why the film holds such a special place in Hawke’s heart.

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Not just the film, Hawke, who is making waves with his new movie, Blue Moon, also speaks fondly of his Dead Poets Society co-star, Williams.

Looking back on Dead Poets Society, Ethan Hawke recalled his time with Robin Williams and the late actor's charm, revealing that it came with an emotional weight. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, he remembered noticing Williams often slipping away between takes, after making everyone laugh.

He once found Williams alone "hiding in the corner, in the dark, by himself." 

“Even at 18, I was aware of the complexity of his emotional life," he said. “I’ve had a lot of depression in my family, and it was obvious to me that all that power and that charisma came at a certain cost". 

Williams passed away at the age of 63 after struggling with an undiagnosed case of Lewy Body Dementia. For Hawke, Williams’ death does not change how he sees the film, because he remembers the person he knew on set, not the tragedy that followed. Those memories are special to the actor, and the same can be said about the movie.

Hawke’s opinion on Dead Poets Society and his co-star surely stirs something deep in the heart. Watching the movie again might bring out the little things we missed before.

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Would you watch the film differently now? Let us know in the comments section below.