Hawley's acting career began in 2007, when he began to appear in a number of television series, films and stage productions. He made his television debut in the pilot of the American series
Life Is Wild as Tim. In 2013, he appeared as Andy Thatcher in ''
Devil's Pass'', a Russian-British horror film. In 2014, Hawley was cast in his most prominent role as
Robert Sugden on the
ITV soap opera
Emmerdale, becoming the fourth actor to portray the character. He has received critical acclaim for his portrayal and has been nominated for several awards, including "Best Villain" and "Best Actor" at
The British Soap Awards. In June 2019, it was announced that Hawley would be leaving
Emmerdale after five years. His exit aired on 1 November of that year. In May 2025, Despite initially being reported as a guest stint, it was confirmed soon after that he was being reintroduced permanently. == Personal life==