Josh Hartnett rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s after landing roles in films including "The Faculty," "Halloween H20," and "40 Days and 40 Nights," but at the height of his career, the actor turned down two superhero movie roles, and then walked away from Hollywood.
Now he has revealed why he chose to exit mainstream showbiz.
"People's attention to me at the time was borderline unhealthy. There were incidents. People showed up at my house. People that were stalking me," he told The Guardian At one point, Hartnett said, "a guy showed up at one of my premieres with a gun, claiming to be my father. He ended up in prison."
"There were lots of things. It was a weird time. And I wasn't going to be grist for the mill," he said.
Hartnett further revealed that he was previously having chats with director Christopher Nolan about "Batman," a role that eventually went to Christian Bale.
"I just didn't want my life to be swallowed up by my work. And there was a notion at that time you just kind of give it all up. And you saw what happened to some people back then. They got obliterated by it. I didn't want that for myself."
Hartnett admitted regret about not collaborating with Nolan earlier in his career but redeemed himself by taking on the role of a nuclear scientist in Nolan's Oscar-winning film "Oppenheimer."
"I recognize the missed opportunity to work with a guy like Chris. And I've figured out that as much as you're worried about curating your career to things you're interested in, I don't believe that's the most important thing anymore. It's about finding people who you really trust," he said.
Hartnett currently stars in M. Night Shyamalan's forthcoming psychological thriller, "Trap."
In the film, Hartnett plays a devoted father who takes his daughter to a pop concert. However, the trailer reveals a surprising twist: he is also a serial killer known as "The Butcher." The concert is actually a trap set to catch him. The film is described as a high-energy cat-and-mouse thriller, likened to "Silence of the Lambs at a Taylor Swift concert."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.