Taylor Swift runs a tight ship. Following their surprise Circle of Dead Poets mini-reunions in the pop star and Post Malone’s “Fortnight” music video in April, Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles both opened up in separate interviews about keeping their cameos completely secret from everyone, including their children.
First, Hawke appeared on The late show Monday night (May 6), where host Stephen Colbert wasted no time asking the actor about his collaboration with Swift. “I think she wanted to hide a little Easter egg about Circle of Dead Poets,” THE Before sunrise explained the star. “Josh and I laughed all day. We felt like the biggest rock stars in the entire world.
“You can’t imagine what it’s like to walk through an airport with a friend you’ve known for 35 years, who you grew up with, and looking at all the young people at the airport in their Eras sweatshirts… and we have something. on them,” he continued, recalling his trip with Charles to Swift’s top-secret filming location. “We will meet the queen ourselves.”
Hawke also revealed that he signed an NDA before filming the project, meaning he couldn’t tell any of his young daughters – Clementine and Indiana, who he shares with his wife, the producer – about the venture. Ryan Shawughes Hawke.
“You tell my teenage daughters that I’m going to meet Taylor and everyone at school will know,” he told Colbert. “When they found out, their faces were deeply disappointed. [They were like,] “Don’t pay attention to my father, my father is an idiot, you should call me.” Taylor belongs to them. I can’t have that on them.
Stop by Tonight’s show the next day, Charles told Jimmy Fallon that he also hid the video from his children before it was released on April 19, the same day Swift’s album hit the Billboard 200. The Department of Tortured Poets hit streaming services. “They’re just talkers and they’re going to talk about it at school,” he said with a laugh.
“Finally, right before it aired, I told my son because he’s so full of hot air,” added Charles, who shares two children with his wife, author Sophie Flack. “He makes up so many things that I knew no one would believe him anyway. He said, “Dad, I actually told someone.” They didn’t believe me, you were right.’
THE Good wife an alum also revealed that Swift first contacted Hawke’s eldest daughter, Stranger Things star Maya Hawke – who he shares with ex-wife Uma Thurman as well as son Levon, 22 – in order to connect with both Circle of Dead Poets led. The actors starred in the 1989 Peter Weir-directed classic, nearly 30 years before reuniting to play mad scientists conducting experiments on Swift’s character in “Fortnight.” The Post Malone-assisted track has since spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Taylor knows Ethan’s daughter, Maya, and contacted her,” Charles recalled. “I think it’s a little tip of the hat for Circle of Dead Poets, other poets tortured. Once I’m done thinking [Ethan] Was punking me when he first called me – I said, “Dude, are you bullshit right now?” This seemed like such a fun idea.
“I will tell you this, [Swift’s] an incredible director,” added Charles. “My favorite kind of director because she knows what she wants. I was already a fan of her music, but if any of you ever meet her, your fandom for her will skyrocket. She is such a genuine, cool and approachable person.
Watch Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles talk about their “Fortnight” cameos below.
