The real reason Josh Hartnett suddenly disappeared from Hollywood

Publish Date
Saturday, 6 May 2017, 6:20AM
Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Josh Hartnett was the heart throb of the early 2000's, and the actor seemed to have it all. 

After starring in Black Hawk Down and Pearl Harbor, he was named in People magazine's Most Beautiful People list, but fast-forward 15 years, and his name has pretty much become a nostalgia piece for the early 00s.

So why did he then fade into the background after being so sought after in the industry? He couldn't handle the fame. 

"I was on the cover of every magazine. I couldn't really go anywhere. I didn't feel comfortable in my own skin. I was alone," he told Details in 2014.

"I didn't trust anyone. So I went back to Minnesota and got back together with my old friends - ended up getting back together with my high-school girlfriend for a while - and I didn't do any filming for 18 months.

I'm still finding my way through all that."

While in the past decade or so, Hartnett has had an array of acting roles, but they're largely just been smaller-scale independent films.

His turning point that resulted in his loss of mainstream work came when he turned down the roles of Spiderman (2002) the Dark Knight in Batman Begins (2005) and the lead in Superman Returns (2006) and it's a decision that clearly still haunts him.

"I've definitely said no to some of the wrong people. That's frowned upon in this industry. People don't like being told no," Hartnett told Playboy magazine in recent years.

"I learned my lesson when [writer-director] Christopher Nolan and I talked about Batman. I decided it wasn't for me. Then he didn't want to put me in The Prestige. They hired their Batman for it [Christian Bale]."

"I was so focused on not being pigeonholed and so scared of being considered only one thing as an actor ... Watching Christian Bale go on to do so many other things has been just awesome. I mean, he's been able to overcome that. Why couldn't I see that at the time? ... I know now that I wouldn't turn something down just because it's a superhero role."

Following this, the movie offers began drying up.

"I still get offered films and TV roles, luckily, but years ago, if I saw a role I wanted, there was a good chance I could grab it," he added.

"When I see a role now, I've got to fight for it. It's not bad. It's actually more rewarding. Depressing when something doesn't go your way, but only for a minute."

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