Ethan Hawke is not so different from many parents this time of year: He's got a full time job, and then still has to attend to his children's holiday needs.
The actor, who is currently on Broadway playing the title role in "Macbeth," admitted while visiting the TODAY plaza Friday that he's getting worn out by the double duties.
"Doing 'Macbeth' at night, then trying to do some Christmas shopping? I'm tired," he said.
But that doesn't mean he's cutting back his schedule. In addition to having a movie in awards season contention ("Before Midnight" is nominated for a Golden Globe) and being a dad, there's that "Macbeth" performance, which mixes tricky Shakespearean dialogue with battles.
"Shakespeare writes all these really long plays that end with — after you have to recite all these lines, you have to have a sword fight," he explained. And (spoiler alert!) he has to play dead for a time on stage, right after the battle.
"You're huffing and puffing," he said about pretending to be lifeless right after the big battle. "I don't do it very well," he joked of trying to hide the exhaustion and catch his breath post-death on stage.
Despite all the work that goes into his Broadway role, Hawke still makes time for his family, though he doesn't bring much of the theater home. When asked if he ever speaks in Shakespearean dialogue to his children, he noted, "I have four kids and they'll make fun of me!"
Ethan Hawke's "Macbeth" runs most nights on Broadway, and "Before Midnight" is now on DVD.