Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
To prepare for her role inLittle Women, Maya Hawke learned about the Jo Marches that have preceded her.
Curiosity seems to course through Hawke.
So I get it.
And mostly adult men.
You had to pick one book and write a book report about it.
It was a time in my life where I was struggling tremendously academically.
But it ended up being the first book I ever read cover to cover.
I mostly got through school listening to audiobooks.
I think the reason that I readLittle Womenis because Jo inspired me so much.
She was so driven and determined.
She was far more capable than I was at basically everything.
It really inspired me and I changed the academic course of my life pretty dramatically.
The Alcotts were surrounded by the transcendentalist movement.
I didnt know why it was a far less punishing look.
Youre juggling the past performances of her by Katharine Hepburn, June Allyson, and Winona Ryder.
Youre juggling your imagination of the book and just the acting challenges of different behavioral patterns from the period.
She was way out of her time.
One of my favorite things reading the book when I was a little girl is how clumsy Jo is.
Shes always dropping things and breaking things and tripping.
Thats something I really relate to.
You are always bumping into things and dropping things and youre not that graceful.
It always made me feel really insecure about how awkward and silly I was.
Some fans are enraged she doesnt end up with Laurie and some are enraged she doesnt end up alone.
I was so upset.
I was enraged that she ended up with Professor Bhaer and not on her own, galavanting about Paris.
The thing about playing a character is you really have to accept them for their journey.
But I was telling Jos story, and Jo marries Professor Bhaer.
The challenge of playing the role is figuring out a good reason why.
By the end of having played it, I really felt that I understood the ending.
The thing is, Jo was not allowed to go to college.
Theres a wonderful moment in the book and the show where Professor Bhaer insults Jos writing.
He doesnt know that its her and he insults how commercial the stories are.
But he also pushes her to find her more academic side and to work harder.
You mentioned Winona Ryder was the last person to famously play Jo.
We just talked about what a wonderful honor it is to get to embody a person like that.
You dropped out of Juilliard to take this role.
I loved that school.
I couldnt recommend it more highly.
I learned more in one year at that school than almost the rest of my life put together.
I had a week to make a decision and I made one.
Sofia Coppola really wanted you do be in herLittle Mermaidadaptation, and that didnt end up working out.
But I owe my decision to be an actor professionally in part to Sofia Coppola.
She really believed in me.
It was my sophomore year.
So I am forever indebted.
Little Womencomes with a set of expectations because those characters have been so beloved for generations.
ButStranger Thingscomes with a different set of expectations because its so overwhelmingly popular right now.
Im still trying to catch up on, like, Harry Potter.
But I loved the show.
I wasnt aware of how insanely popular it was.
It got announced and I got, like, 40,000 Instagram followers in like 30 seconds.
I didnt expect that to happen.
Your character is described as analternativegirl.
What does that mean to you?Everyone is confused about how the description got out there.
And I was like, No, you described it in a press release.
And they were like, Oh, uh…
So no one really knows how that description got out there.
And in a lot of ways I think it means nothing.
I would say to read as little into that as possible.
Youre entering the business with famous parents.
What are the pressures of that?Im very lucky for two reasons.
One, the inherent advantages that come from having a parent work in the industry you know more people.
It is about who you know and its very helpful.
Ill take the good with the bad.
What was it like seeing your mom share her #MeToo regarding Harvey Weinstein?
I will say, I worked with two female directors.
Now Im working with the Duffers.
