Not many actors have lived as many lives on screen as Ethan Hawke. From Dead Poets Society to Reality Bites, Training Day to The Black Phone, his career is nothing short of a masterclass in evolution.

At New York Comic Con, Jacqueline Coley sat down with the award-winning actor to talk about his return in The Black Phone 2 and the creative choices that have helped shape his second act. Ethan opens up about reuniting with longtime collaborator Scott Derrickson, stepping once again behind the mask of “The Grabber,” and how genre films allow him to explore deeper truths.

Reflecting on his decades-long collaborations with Richard Linklater and Jason Blum, Ethan shares insights on aging with curiosity and the wisdom that comes from a life devoted to storytelling. As he put it: “One lifetime is not enough.”