Josh Hartnett reveals shocking incident that made him leave Hollywood

It’s a great time to be a Hartnetthead, but ahead of M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap, Josh Hartnett has revealed a grim incident that almost made him leave Hollywood altogether.

After notable performances in Oppenheimer and Netflix‘s Black Mirror, it’s safe to say that Josh Hartnett is well and truly back.

This summer he’s heading back to the big screen in horror movie Trap, a new film from the mind of Signs and The Sixth Sense genius M. Night Shyamalan.

According to an interview with The Guardian, there was a time Hartnett didn’t think he’d come back Hollywood, thanks to a series of shocking stalking incidents.

“People’s attention to me at the time was borderline unhealthy,” Hartnett explained about his withdrawal 20 years ago.

“There were incidents. People showed up at my house. People that were stalking me. 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.”

At the time, Harnett was only 27 years old, fresh from filming movies including Sin City and The Black Dahlia. He took a 15-month break from acting to reassess.

“I just didn’t want my life to be swallowed up by my work,” he added.

“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 is now living in Hampshire, UK, with his wife Tamsin Egerton (you might remember her from 2007’s St. Trinians) and their four children.

But why does Trap feel like the right role now? “Maybe it’s also because of my age,” Hartnett reasons. “I could name a million examples of actors who have become more interesting as they get older. You can’t be an ingenue forever, right?”

Check out more new movies and new movies streaming this month. You can also find out more about the best horror movies available on Prime Video.