Dead Poets Society.Hawke appeared in the 1989 film as a schoolboy – in what was one of his first acting roles – alongside Williams who played an inspirational teacher.During a Q&A session at Karlovy Vary Film Festival (via Variety), Hawke said he felt intimidated by Williams as a young actor.He said: “I thought Robin hated me. He had a habit of making a ton of jokes on set. At 18, I found that incredibly irritating.