Josh Charles Thought Ethan Hawke Was 'Punking' Him About Being Asked to Star in Taylor Swift's 'Fortnight' Video

"It's a little tip of the cap to 'Dead Poets Society,' other tortured poets," Charles said of starring in Swift's music video.

Josh Charles couldn't believe he was being asked to star in a Taylor Swift music video.

During an appearance on The Tonight Show on Tuesday, May 7, the Good Wife actor, 52, opened up about his experience starring in the pop megastar's music video for "Fortnight" from her recent album The Tortured Poets Department.

Charles told the story behind how he got asked to appear in the video — and it started with his Dead Poets Society costar Ethan Hawke.

Related: Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles Praise Taylor Swift After 'Fortnight' Cameos: 'Genuine, Kind, Approachable'

"Taylor knows Ethan's daughter Maya and reached out to her," he recalled. "Obviously the title of the album is Tortured Poets Department, so I think it's obviously a little tip of the cap to Dead Poets Society — other tortured poets — and she probably had this idea it would be interesting for us to be in the video."

Charles continued: "So she then reached out to Ethan, and Ethan reached out to me. Once I got over thinking he was punking me, you know, when he first called me, I said, 'Dude, are you bulls---ting with me? Because if you're f---ing with me right now...."

However, the Sports Night actor knew the Before Sunrise star, 53, wasn't "that guy" who would joke about something like that.

"He was like, 'This is dead serious," Charles recalled. "And we talked about it, and I talked to her people and it seemed like such a fun idea."

Charles then praised Swift's directorial skills.

"She's an incredible director, my favorite kind of director, because she knows what she wants," he said, adding how much she admired her: "I will say this — I was already a fan of her music but if any of you ever get to meet her, your fandom for her will just go up through the roof. She's just such a genuine, cool, approachable person, and that's nice to see because that's not always the case."

Charles then revealed he was "sworn to secrecy" about starring in the video.

"I told my wife [Sophie Flack], my dad, maybe two other people I know," he said about starring in the video, adding he didn't tell his kids about it because "they're just blabbermouths."

However, Charles ended up telling his 9-year-old son Rocco about his guest appearance in the "Fortnight" video a few days before its release.

"I did tell my son because he's so full of hot air. He makes up so much stuff I knew no one would believe him anyway," he admitted with a laugh.

Related: Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles 'Felt Like the Biggest Rockstars' While Filming Taylor Swift's 'Fortnight' Video

On Monday, May 6, Hawke appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he opened up about starring in the "Maroon" singer's music video.

“I think she wanted to hide a little Easter egg about Dead Poets Society,” he said of his appearance in the visual with Charles

Hawke also opened up in regards to having to stay tight-lipped about appearing in the music video.

“I can’t imagine what it’s like to walk through an airport with a friend you’ve known for 35 years and watch all the young people with their Eras sweatshirts on and their Taylor Swift things, and we got something on them,” he said. “We’re going to meet the queen ourselves.”

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