Years ago, Josh Hartnett prioritized his mental well-being over his acting career, choosing to exit Hollywood for a more tranquil existence.
The star of “Trap” opted out of two significant superhero film roles during the height of his fame. After landing a small part in the 1999 cult classic “The Virgin Suicides,” Hartnett made a significant breakthrough in the film industry, featuring in nine films in 2001 alone, including major hits like “Pearl Harbor” and “Black Hawk Down.”
When asked to elaborate on his decision to step back from public life, Hartnett explained to The Guardian that the line between “happy Josh and unhappy Josh” was not clearly defined.
“The attention I received was nearly unhealthy,” Hartnett reflected.
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Josh Hartnett left Hollywood amid fears of overzealous fans. (Getty Images)
When further probed about the nature of the attention, he said, “I don’t want to dwell on this too much. There were incidents. People showed up at my home. There were stalkers.”
“There were incidents. People showed up at my house. People that were stalking me.”
At 27, Hartnett experienced a frightening incident when “a man arrived at one of my premieres with a firearm, claiming to be my father. He was eventually incarcerated.”
He commented, “It was a strange period. I wasn’t going to become fodder for the tabloids.”
Josh Hartnett found fame at a young age and starred in “Black Hawk Down” in 2001, the same year he was featured in eight other movies. (Getty Images)
The “Oppenheimer” actor now divides his time between the UK and the US, currently residing in the UK on a marriage visa that restricts him to a maximum of 180 days of travel each year.
“There were lots of things. It was a weird time. And I wasn’t going to be grist for the mill.”
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Hartnett began a relationship with British actress Tamsin Egerton in 2012 after their meeting on a film set, and the couple tied the knot in secret in 2021.
“This is all new territory for me,” he remarked of his largely private life in Hampshire. “I never saw this coming. Time flies. With four kids, there’s always something to do. While less may be occurring, the significant moments are even more pronounced.”
Hartnett and wife Tamsin Egerton have four children. (Getty Images)
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He shared, “My oldest daughter is now eight and a half – it feels like it all happened in just the last two years. So I’m making an effort to cherish every moment.”
Though he took a step back from the limelight that once overwhelmed him, Hartnett never abandoned his passion for acting. He returned to Minnesota, his home state, to pursue more fulfilling, smaller-scale projects.
Hartnett has three films in the pipeline, including “The Long Home,” directed by James Franco. (Getty Images)
“I simply didn’t want my existence to be consumed by my profession,” he stated. “There was a feeling back then that you had to give everything up. You could see how some individuals were utterly destroyed by it. That was not the path I wanted for myself.”
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Hartnett is currently working on several projects, including “The Long Home,” directed by James Franco, the action-thriller “Fight or Flight,” and “The Last Draw of Jack Hearts.”
