Ethan Hawke Brands Jimmy Kimmel a Free-Speech Hero on Second Night Back on Air

Jimmy Kimmel’s back and everyone’s cheering — even a bunch of A-listers signed a letter of support for him after ABC tried to bench him … and yep, Ethan Hawke’s in the mix too!

Ethan hit the stage during Jimmy’s return this week, calling him a hero and flashing the ACLU-backed letter signed by 400 celebs defending his right to speak.

The actor was all smiles on stage on Kimmel’s second night back on the air Wednesday, telling Jimmy man-to-man that signing the letter was one of the greatest privileges of his life.

Check out the clip … Jimmy joked he couldn’t spot Ethan’s signature … so Ethan whipped out a giant autograph right on stage, proving he’s Team Jimmy — and clearly not the only one, ’cause the return episode crushed ratings.