Josh Hartnett Reflects on Moving Out of Hollywood to Live in English Countryside

Josh Hartnett attends the 30th Annual American Cinematheque Awards Gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Oct. 14, 2016. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Josh Hartnett, an actor known for his roles in “Pearl Harbor” and “Black Hawk Down,” recently reflected on his reasons for moving out of Hollywood nearly two decades ago.

“I just didn’t want my life to be swallowed up by my work,” Mr. Hartnett candidly shared in a wide-ranging interview with The Guardian, published July 28.

“And there was a notion at that time you just kind of give it all up,” he added. “And you saw what happened to some people back then. They got obliterated by it. I didn’t want that for myself.”

Mr. Hartnett, 46, rose to fame in the late ‘90s, garnering a reputation for playing heartthrob roles in films such as “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later” and “The Faculty.”

However, despite being at the peak of his career, the actor went on to turn down parts in several major superhero films, including “Superman Returns.” Instead, the Minnesota native embarked on an 18-month-long acting hiatus in the early aughts, leaving Tinseltown behind in favor of moving back to his home state.

Mr. Hartnett said dealing with harassment and stalking from fans also played a factor in his decision to move away from Los Angeles.

“People’s attention to me at the time was borderline unhealthy,” he told the publication. “There were incidents. People showed up at my house. People that were stalking me.”

Mr. Hartnett recalled one harrowing ordeal in which a man armed with a gun showed up at one of the then-27-year-old’s movie premieres, claiming to be the actor’s father. “He ended up in prison,” Mr. Hartnett said, calling that point in his life “a weird time.”

Move to England

Mr. Hartnett eventually made returned to acting, appearing in “The Black Dahlia” (2006), “30 Days of Night” (2007), and “Bunraku” (2010), among other films.

In 2013, he starred in the romantic epic “The Lovers,” where he met his now-wife, British actress Tamsin Egerton, 35. The couple had their first child, a daughter, in 2015, welcoming their second child two years later, per People.

The couple, who wed in November 2021, decided to move to Ms. Egerton’s home county of Hampshire, perched on the southeast coast of England, just outside of London, before the birth of their third child in late 2019.

In 2023, Mr. Hartnett starred in the critically acclaimed summer blockbuster film “Oppenheimer,” directed by Christopher Nolan. The star-studded biopic thriller swept awards season, garnering seven Oscars, including “Best Picture,” seven BAFTAs, and five Golden Globes, among others.

The movie’s ensemble cast, including Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, and Casey Affleck, also took home the “Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture” at the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, held at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles on Feb. 24, 2024.

While being interviewed on the red carpet at the SAG Awards, Mr. Hartnett told the outlet Gold Derby that his family had grown, confirming that he and his wife had welcomed a fourth child.

Speaking with The Guardian, Mr. Hartnett reflected on his role as a father and his family’s life in the English countryside. “I never would have expected it. And time passes quickly,” he said.

“With four children, you have so much to do. In a way, less is happening. But more of the important stuff is happening,” the actor explained. “My oldest daughter is eight and a half now—that feels like it happened in the last two years to me. So I’m trying to soak up as much as possible.”

‘Old-School Superstar’

This year, Mr. Hartnett made an appearance in the third season of the Hulu comedy-drama television series “The Bear.” His latest movie, “Trap,” a psychological thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is set to premiere on Aug. 2.

During a recent interview with Men’s Health, published on July 29, Mr. Shyamalan reflected on his decision to cast Mr. Hartnett in the film.

“I was like, gosh, this is the perfect guy, at the perfect time in his life, because he really is an old-school superstar,” the director explained, comparing Mr. Hartnett to the likes of Mel Gibson and Bruce Willis.

“I think we’re talking about it—the Robert Downey Jr.’s, the Bryan Cranstons, the Anthony Hopkins—the group that reinvented themselves,” he said. “They found themselves as human beings in a journey separate from the movies and then brought that strength back to their character. And we can feel it as they’re exploding onscreen and letting us see their empathy and confidence in the portrayal of these characters.”

“Life brought them to a complex and beautiful point of view, and we feel it as the audience member,” Mr. Shyamalan continued. “They’re coming from this really special place, and Josh is coming from that place.”