In a warm and candid conversation with actress Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke shared her deep appreciation for the two people who shaped her life: Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. Though her parents are no longer together, Maya — now forging her own path in acting and best known for her role in Stranger Things — looks back on her childhood with affection, humor, and a touch of wonder.

“My parents are magical,” she said. “My mom was this enchanting creature who would come home from work — gorgeous, glowing — and immediately change into a long velvet skirt and gardening gloves. She’d go outside and teach me how to pick stinging nettles so we could make soup together.”

Her father brought a different kind of magic into her life: artistic imagination.
“My dad would say, ‘We’re going to paint with watercolors. We’re going to make a masterpiece. I’ll take the blue, you take the red — let’s see what we create.’ I was really lucky to grow up with that kind of love.”

These memories, equal parts whimsical and grounding, defined her early years. The sense of creativity at home was balanced by the very real complexities of having divorced parents.

In an earlier interview, Maya admitted that as a child she often dreamed of reuniting them — just like the twins in the 1998 classic The Parent Trap.

“I remember so many complicated days,” she recalled. “Packing my bag… forgetting a medication and having to go back for it… and the Sunday goodbyes. The whole day would disappear because it was a transition day, and everyone was tense.”

Despite the challenges, Maya’s reflections paint a vivid picture of a childhood shaped by artistry, intensity, and profound affection — the kind that stays with you long after you’ve grown up.