Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles Reunite 35 Years After ‘Dead Poets Society’ in Taylor Swift’s ‘Fortnight’ Music Video

To every Swifties’ delight, Taylor Swift is back with her new music album, The Tortured Poets Department. Needless to say, Swift’s songs are coveted, yet her fans find a way to decode and relate to them. Her lyrics undeniably make everyone vibe on her songs, solidifying her fanbase. Apart from being an incredible songwriter, Taylor Swift is also a great storyteller as her latest black-and-white music video, “Fortnight,” is also directed by her. What adds a layer of excitement to her latest musical video is that it marks a special reunion for actors Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles, who last appeared together 35 years ago in Dead Poets Society.

Taylor Swift’s directorial musical video is indeed a package deal for fans

From great lyrics, incredible music, and amazing storytelling and depiction, Taylor Swift’s new musical video, Fortnight, is an entire entertainment package and a treat for fans. She debuted her latest album on Friday and a music video on Friday evening. In her latest video, Fortnight, Swift collaborated with Post Malone, and the video included a surprise Dead Poets Society reunion, as actors Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles make a short cameo. The video has the two actors playing scientists who conduct experiments on her following a failed love affair.

After releasing the music video, Swift updated her fans with the vision behind this video. She even praised Post Malone and explained casting Hawke and Charles. She wrote on Instagram,

“When I was writing the Fortnight music video, I wanted to show you the worlds I saw in my head that served as the backdrop for making this music. Pretty much everything in it is a metaphor or a reference to one corner of the album or another. “I’m still laughing from getting to work with the coolest guys on earth, @ethanhawke, and @mrjoshcharles (tortured poets, meet your colleagues from down the hall, the dead poets).”

 

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Matching the same energy and excitement for the new video, both Charles and Hawke expressed their gratitude for being a part of Swift’s creation. On his Instagram, Hawke wrote,

““Todd” & “Knox” from DEAD POETS SOCIETY are now PhDs in THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. It’s quite an honor. Thank you @taylorswift for the opportunity to be in the music video for your song FORTNIGHT feat. @postmalone. carpe diem!”

Charles shared the same sentiment on his Instagram, praising Swift’s directorial skills. He wrote,

“I’ve admired Taylor for a long time, but meeting her in person took my fandom to a whole new level. Genuine, kind, approachable, and just an all around stellar human being – Not to mention a kick ass director to boot!”

The Tortured Poets Department is the eleventh studio album by Swift. Swift announced the album at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024, after winning Best Pop Vocal Album for her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022).

Commercially, the album broke a string of records. It surpassed Midnights to achieve the highest single-day streams for an album on the streaming platform Spotify.