Josh Hartnett

Joshua Daniel Hartnett (born July 21, 1978) is an American actor.

After Hartnett graduated from high school in 1996, he moved to New York state to attend the Conservatory of Theatre Arts & Film at the State University of New York at Purchase.

He was expelled after writing a letter to the dean saying that the college's evaluation system stifled students' creativity.

At the age of 19, Harnett moved to Los Angeles at the recommendation of his manager, Nancy Kremer, who had previously helped him book television commercials.

Shortly after arriving to Los Angeles, he caught an improbable break, landing a part in the short-lived drama series Cracker on ABC.

His first feature film was Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, in which he played the son of character Laurie Strode.

He began his career playing Michael Fitzgerald on ABC's Cracker (1997–1998), after which he became known as a teen idol through starring parts in films such as Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, The Faculty (both 1998), The Virgin Suicides (1999), Pearl Harbor, O, Black Hawk Down (all 2001), and 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002).

Released on August 5, 1998, it performed well at the box office.

Hartnett then developed a successful film career, appearing in the major films The Faculty, Black Hawk Down, Lucky Number Slevin and Pearl Harbor.

During this period, he was marketed as a teen idol and a potential megastar; his unease with this public image eventually led to his disillusionment from pursuing roles in high-profile films.

He was originally scheduled to play the role of Tino in Deuces Wild but dropped out to star in Pearl Harbor.

Hartnett was chosen as one of Teen People magazine's "21 Hottest Stars Under 21" in 1999, Teen People's "25 Hottest Stars under 25", and one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People", both in 2002.

Hartnett continued to work steadily throughout the 2000s, with a mix of leading and supporting roles in Hollywood Homicide (2003), Wicker Park (2004), Mozart and the Whale, Sin City (both 2005), The Black Dahlia, Lucky Number Slevin (both 2006), Resurrecting the Champ, 30 Days of Night (both 2007), August (2008), and I Come with the Rain (2009).

In the early 2000s, Hartnett was approached several times to play the role of Clark Kent / Superman for a project originally helmed by Brett Ratner but always turned it down, not wanting to commit to a predicted ten-year role.

Hartnett said of his decision, "It just wasn't the kind of movie I wanted to do. I turned down other superhero roles as well."

He also turned down the role of Batman in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, which ultimately went to Christian Bale''.

''

In 2002, he starred in O, an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello set in an American high school, as Hugo, the film's version of Iago.

He was also voted Bliss magazine's "3rd Sexiest Male", and in 2003 PETA named him the Sexiest Vegetarian Alive, as chosen by voters.

One of Hartnett's next films was the 2006 drama-mystery The Black Dahlia, in which he played a detective investigating the notorious real-life murder of waitress Elizabeth Short.

Hartnett had been cast in the role five years before the film was produced, remaining committed to appearing in the movie because he liked the subject matter.

Among his 2007 roles were Resurrecting the Champ and the graphic novel-based 30 Days of Night, in which he played a small-town sheriff.

Hartnett described the second film as "supernatural, but kind of a western".

He was going to play trumpet player Chet Baker in the film The Prince of Cool but did not agree with the producer's ideas and left the project.

In 2008, Hartnett played Charlie Babbit in the theater adaptation of Barry Morrow's Academy Award-winning Rain Man at the Apollo Theatre in London's West End.

He starred in the new campaign of the Emporio Armani fragrance, "Diamonds for Men", being featured in both print and TV ads for the fragrance, thus becoming the first male celebrity to represent Giorgio Armani Beauty.

He has been featured on many magazine covers, such as Cosmogirl, Details, Entertainment Weekly, Girlfriend, Seventeen, Vanity Fair, GQ and Vman, in addition to being in other magazines like Vogue, Elle, People, Glamour, In Touch and InStyle.

In 2009, Hartnett directed the music video for the rapper Kid Cudi's song "Pursuit of Happiness".

Subsequent credits include Bunraku (2010), Oh Lucy! (2017), Target Number One (2020), Wrath of Man (2021), Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, and Oppenheimer (both 2023).

For his portrayal of nuclear physicist Ernest Lawrence in the latter, Hartnett was awarded—alongside his co-stars—the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast.

During this time Hartnett acted in several direct-to-DVD films and international films which received negative reviews, such as the martial arts action film Bunraku (2010), the comedy film Girl Walks into a Bar (2011), the romantic comedy Stuck Between Stations (2011), the time travel adventure film The Lovers (2013), the romantic drama Parts per Billion (2014), and Wild Horses (2015).

On television, Hartnett portrayed Ethan Chandler on the Showtime series Penny Dreadful (2014–2016), receiving nominations for three Fangoria Chainsaw Awards.

He is married to actress Tamsin Egerton, with whom he has four children.

Hartnett was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, though some sources, he has said, erroneously cite San Francisco.

The son of Daniel Thomas Hartnett and Wendy Anne (née Kronstedt), he was raised by his father, a building manager and former guitarist for Al Green, and his stepmother, Molly, an artist.

He has three younger siblings named Jake, Joe, and Jessica.

Hartnett was raised Roman Catholic, attending Nativity of Our Lord Catholic School.

At Minneapolis South High School, he played football, but a knee injury forced him off the team when he was 16.

He went on to try youth theater, where he acted in productions of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Guys and Dolls and attracted attention from a talent scout.

Originally interested in becoming a painter, he decided to become a film actor while working in a video rental shop, where he became acquainted with films such as Trainspotting, 12 Monkeys, and The Usual Suspects.