josh hartnett

A starring role in the WWII melodrama “Pearl Harbor” put Josh Hartnett at the forefront of the emerging twenty-something actors of the time, though it was not the most indicative work of an actor who preferred the murky waters of dark indie drama. His breakout role in the horror hit “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later” (1998) jettisoned him to teen heartthrob status, but Hartnett was able to break from the post-adolescent pigeonholing that might have resulted from “The Virgin Suicides” (1999) and the multiple appearances on People magazine’s “Hottest” lists. He went on to build a solid reputation with his strong, understated Midwestern presence in films like “Lucky Number Slevin” (2006) and “The Black Dahlia” (2006).From the very start, Hartnett seemed less concerned with fame and the Hollywood lifestyle than with following his interest in a challenging variety of material. And the offers came quickly. Months after leaving school he was cast as the troubled son of a crime stopper in a remake of the British series "Cracker" (ABC, 1997-99). But he first turned a lot of heads with his big screen debut in "Halloween H20: 20 Years Later” (1998), playing the son of Jamie Lee Curtis' tormented Laurie Strode. The newcomer was on a roll, next being asked to join the ensemble cast of Robert Rodriguez and Kevin Williamson’s sci-fi teen thriller "The Faculty" (1998). Hartnett played the roguish cool kid and resident smart aleck of a group of high school students warding off an alien. The popular film and its promotional tie-in campaign with Tommy Hilfiger – including print ads featuring Hartnett – launched the actor reluctantly into teen heartthrob status. An engaging turn as teenage lothario Trip Fontaine in Sofia Coppola's "The Virgin Suicides" (1999) introduced Hartnett’s surprisingly sturdy handle on art house fare, which he exercised in several independent shorts before snagging the lead in the 2001 blockbuster “Pearl Harbor.” Everything was about to change.
Hartnett still was not sure if he was mentally prepared for the new level of fame his co-lead role was likely to bring when he signed on to play a US Air Force pilot caught in a love triangle in Michael Bays’ sweeping period piece. At press time, "Pearl Harbor" was likened to Jim Cameron’s "Titanic" (1997) in sheer size, scope and historical context, but even if it did not mirror its predecessor's monumental success, it did put Hartnett at the top of the hunk heap. In fact, he gave his co-star, well-established heartthrob Ben Affleck a run for his money onscreen.In contrast to the gauzy, romantic edges of Bay’s film, Hartnett next appeared in “Black Hawk Down” (2001), Ridley Scott’s harrowing look at the botched United States humanitarian mission to Somalia. The film was well-received by critics and Hartnett proved he could hold his own alongside a seasoned ensemble cast including Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore and Sam Shepard. The respected film might have left Hartnett wishing that “40 Days and 40 Nights” (2002) – the romantic comedy about a guy who gives up sex for lent that was shot in 1999 – but not released as a follow up. Fortunately, the unfortunate timing did little to take away from Hartnett’s growing dramatic reputation – with his loyal ‘tween fans probably preferring this film – allowing him to continue his focus on more consistently darker onscreen themes.Hartnett spent a year or so out of the spotlight before pairing with Harrison Ford in the buddy cop flop "Hollywood Homicide” (2003). After struggling to carry the erotic thriller "Wicker Park" (2004), Rodriguez and Miller recruited Hartnett again for a brief but memorable turn as a suave, chameleon-like assassin in "Sin City" (2005). All those years spent watching old movies with his dad came in handy for Hartnett’s ensuing run of film noirs. The mistaken identity thriller “Lucky Number Slevin” (2006) was praised by critics and earned a Best Film honor at the Milan Film Festival. It also primed Hartnett for a lead in Brian De Palma’s “The Black Dahlia” (2006), a richly-textured noir about two hard-edged cops investigating the brutal murder of would-be actress. The highly anticipated remake made a strong debut at the 2006 Venice International Film Festival but ultimately did not win over critics or audiences stateside.

Hartnett spent a year or so out of the spotlight before pairing with Harrison Ford in the buddy cop flop "Hollywood Homicide” (2003). After struggling to carry the erotic thriller "Wicker Park" (2004), Rodriguez and Miller recruited Hartnett again for a brief but memorable turn as a suave, chameleon-like assassin in "Sin City" (2005). All those years spent watching old movies with his dad came in handy for Hartnett’s ensuing run of film noirs. The mistaken identity thriller “Lucky Number Slevin” (2006) was praised by critics and earned a Best Film honor at the Milan Film Festival. It also primed Hartnett for a lead in Brian De Palma’s “The Black Dahlia” (2006), a richly-textured noir about two hard-edged cops investigating the brutal murder of would-be actress. The highly anticipated remake made a strong debut at the 2006 Venice International Film Festival but ultimately did not win over critics or audiences stateside.Hartnett’s starring role as a journalist who unwittingly discovers a presumed dead former boxing champ in “Resurrecting the Champ” (2007) barely made a blip on the radar in the summer of big-budget blockbusters, but there was plenty of hype for his fall release – “30 Days of Night” (2007) — a stylized thriller about a flock of vampires descending upon an Alaskan town during the one dark month of winter.

Significant Others
Companion: Kirsten Dunst. Fuelled speculation they re romantically involved after the couple was spotted kissing at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2008
Companion: Scarlett Johansson. Met while filming The Black Dahlia (2006) in Bulgaria in 2005; split in November 2006
Companion: Ellen Fenster. high school sweethearts; reportedly have had an on-again, off-again relationship
Companion: Giselle. reportedly dated
Companion: Izabella Miko. reportedly dating as of early 2001; no longer together
Companion: Kelly Lee Carlson. dated in the late 1990s
Companion: Monet Mazur. reportedly dated
Education
South High School, St Paul, MN, 1996
State University of New York, Purchase, Purchase, NY
Cretin-Derham Hall, St Paul, MN
Milestones
1997 Played the troubled teenaged son of the title character in the series Cracker (ABC)
1998 Appeared in a TV commercial for Tommy Hilfiger clothing, directed by Kevin Williamson
1998 Co-starred as Zeke in the sci-fi film The Faculty ; also scripted by Williamson
1998 Feature acting debut as Jamie Lee Curtis son in Halloween: H2O ; scripted by Kevin Williamson
1999 Had featured role in Sofia Coppola s directorial debut The Virgin Suicides (released theatrically in 2000)
2001 Co-starred in an updated retelling of Othello titled O (filmed in 1999); directed by Tim Blake Nelson; played the Iago character named Hugo
2001 Hired by producer Bruckheimer to play a soldier in the fact-based drama Black Hawk Down
2001 Played a pilot who falls in love with his best friend s girl in the WWII drama Pearl Harbor
2001 Played the barber son of Yorkshire hairdressers Alan Rickman and Natasha Richardson in Blow Dry
2002 Portrayed a young man who gives up sex for Lent and then meets his dream girl in the romantic comedy 40 Days and 40 Nights
2003 Along with Harrison Ford, co-starred in the summer comedy Hollywood Homicide
2004 Starred opposite Diane Kruger and Rose Byrne in Wicker Park
2005 Cast as an unnamed character in the adaptation of Frank Miller s stories Sin City ; co-directed by Miller and Robert Rodriguez
2006 Played detective, Bucky Bleichert in The Black Dahlia, Brian De Palma s adaptation of James Ellroy s classic noir novel
2006 Played the lead in Lucky Number Slevin, a thriller that co-starring Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley and Bruce Willis
2007 Co-starred in 30 Days of Night, a horror film based on the comic book miniseries of the same name
2007 Co-starred in the boxing film Resurrecting the Champ
2008 Co-starred in the drama feature, August
2008 Made London s West End debut in a stage adaptation of the popular film Rain Man
Appeared in national TV commercials
Began acting as a child with local theater companies
Raised in St. Paul, Minnesota area
Will co-star in August as one of two brothers working on Wall Street a month before 9/11 (lensed 2007)