- Why He Turned His Back on Hollywood
On August 1st, Josh Hartnett (46) returns to the spotlight with his new film "Trap" from "The Sixth Sense" director M. Night Shyamalan (53), which hits theaters. The actor was previously seen in the critically acclaimed film "Oppenheimer" in 2023. In a recent interview with "The Guardian", Hartnett revealed why he took a step back from Hollywood for some time. "The attention I was getting at that time was bordering on unhealthy," he explained to the British newspaper.
When asked about that time, Hartnett referred to the turn of the millennium. With roles in "Pearl Harbor" and "40 Days and 40 Nights", he was one of Hollywood's most successful young stars. However, he then stepped away, declining offers to play Superman and Batman and instead focusing on his family life. Today, the American actor lives on a farm in England with his wife Tamsin Egerton (35) and their four children.
"There were incidents," Hartnett said about the commotion surrounding him around the year 2000. "People would show up at my house. People who were stalking me." Once, a man with a gun showed up at a premiere, claiming to be his father. He is now in prison.
"There were a lot of things. It was a strange time," Hartnett recalled. The stalking incidents were not the only reason, but a significant factor in his decision to take a step back.
In "Trap: No Way Out", Hartnett plays a serial killer who attends a pop concert with his daughter. At some point, he realizes that the event is a trap set to catch him.
Hartnett mentioned the attention he was receiving during the turn of the millennium as one of the reasons for his temporary withdrawal from Hollywood, as it was becoming increasingly unhealthy and invasive. The stalking incidents, including a man with a gun at a premiere, were significant contributors to his decision to prioritize his personal life and family over his acting career.
