Who is Ethan Hawke in Glass Onion? Knives Out 2 cameo explained

Ethan Hawke has a brief cameo in Glass Onion, the new Knives Out sequel on Netflix – but who is he in it, and why does he have a cameo?

Glass Onion sees the return of Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, the detective extraordinaire who solved the case of the Thrombey patriarch’s death in 2019’s excellent Knives Out.

This time, we’ve left the cozy, autumnal vibes for the dreamy paradise of a Greek island, with a whole new all-star cast including Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, and Janelle Monáe.

However, one actor has a cameo that may leave you scratching your head a bit: Ethan Hawke.

Ethan Hawke’s cameo in Glass Onion explained

When Benoit Blanc meets up with the guests invited to Miles Bron’s (Norton) island, they’re greeted by a mysterious gentleman in a white suit and sunglasses. This is the Efficient Man, played by Ethan Hawke.

Hawke’s character isn’t around for very long. He administers a vaccine with a gun into their throats, which seemingly eradicates the virus, and gives them a wristband. “You’re good,” is pretty much all he says to the guests, before they set sail for the home of the Glass Onion.

So, why is an actor as famous as Hawke in such a small role? Well, Hawke is a fan of Johnson’s work, and he happened to be in the area during the production of the Knives Out sequel.

“I think we can say that people know Ethan Hawke is in the movie,” Johnson earlier told Deadline.

“He was in Budapest doing Moon Knight with Oscar Isaac, and he very kindly came down with his family for a weekend to do that one little scene. It was at the beginning of our shoot, so he was like a saint, blessing us. He gave us his blessing and then kind of vanished off into the sunset.”

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is streaming on Netflix now. You can read our review here, our breakdown of the movie’s ending here, and the full cast here.