Ethan Hawke tells Drew Barrymore he always hoped she'd be at the party — she wanted to know why he never called

For decades, Ethan Hawke went to parties in the '90s quietly hoping Drew Barrymore might walk in. She never did. On Friday, they finally met — on her talk show couch — and spent several minutes laughing about it.

Hawke, 55, appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show and told the 51-year-old host that he had been aware of her his entire life, a feeling she said was mutual. Then he went a step further.

What I can't believe is that we never dated, you know? I mean...— Ethan Hawke, actor

The audience erupted. Barrymore, leaning into her signature playful energy, fired back immediately.

Where were you?! Where were you, Ethan? What me and every other girl on the planet wouldn't have given to date you. Where the hell were you?— Drew Barrymore, host

Hawke confessed that he had spent nights in the '90s heading to parties with one specific hope in mind.

There was many a night, when I would — it must have been circa the '90s — I'd be going to a party, and I'd think, 'Maybe Drew will be there.'— Ethan Hawke, actor

Barrymore threw herself back on the couch and pressed him: why didn't he just call? Phones existed, she pointed out. His answer did not help his case.

I like to play it cool. I wanted it to happen organically. I thought, you know, something magical would happen.— Ethan Hawke, actor

And look what happened. Nothing!— Drew Barrymore, host

We're meeting on a talk show.— Ethan Hawke, actor

Both stars grew up in public view. Barrymore became famous as a child in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; Hawke made his film debut as a teenager in Explorers. By the '90s, both were fixtures of Hollywood — close enough in orbit, apparently, that Hawke was factoring her into his party plans, yet they never crossed paths romantically.

Both have since built families with other partners. Hawke has been married to Ryan Shawhughes since 2008; the couple has two daughters, Clementine and Indiana. He also has daughter Maya Hawke and son Levon Roan Thurman-Hawke with his first wife, actress Uma Thurman, whom he married in 1998 and divorced in 2005. Barrymore has been married three times — to bar owner Jeremy Thomas in 1994, comedian Tom Green in 2001, and art consultant Will Kopelman in 2012. She and Kopelman divorced in 2016 and share daughters Olive and Frankie.

Why it matters — A lighthearted celebrity exchange that landed widely online, capturing the nostalgic appeal of two '90s icons finally meeting and laughing at a decades-old near-miss.

Reported by instyle.com, thewrap.com, themirror.com, people.com