Josh Hartnett left Hollywood after struggling with 'borderline unhealthy' attention from fans

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Josh Hartnett put his peace of mind over his career years ago when he discreetly left Hollywood in the pursuit of a quieter lifestyle.

The "Trap" star turned down two major superhero movie roles during the peak of his stardom. Shortly after earning a minor role in the 1999 cult classic Sofia Coppola hit, "The Virgin Suicides," Hartnett broke into the film world in a major way, starring in nine movies alone in 2001, including "Pearl Harbor" and "Black Hawk Down."

When it came to pinpointing a specific reason why Hartnett stepped back from the spotlight, he told The Guardian there wasn't a linear distinction between "happy Josh and unhappy Josh."

"People’s attention to me at the time was borderline unhealthy," Hartnett said.

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Josh Hartnett left Hollywood amid fears of overzealous fans. (Getty Images)

When asked to clarify whose attention, he added, "Well, look, I don’t want to give this a lot of weight. There were incidents. People showed up at my house. People that were stalking me."

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

— Josh Hartnett

Hartnett was 27 years old when, "a guy showed up at one of my premieres with a gun, claiming to be my father. He ended up in prison."

He added, "There were lots of things. It was a weird time. And I wasn’t going to be grist for the mill."

Josh Hartnett found fame at a young age and starred in "Black Hawk Down" in 2001, the same year he was featured in eight other movies. (Getty Images)

The "Oppenheimer" star now spends his time between the United Kingdom and the states, although he's living in the UK on a marriage visa which only allows him to leave the country for a maximum of 180 days per year. 

"There were lots of things. It was a weird time. And I wasn’t going to be grist for the mill."

— Josh Hartnett

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Hartnett began dating British actress Tamsin Egerton in 2012 after meeting on set, and the couple secretly married in 2021. 

"This is all brand new to me," he said of his mostly anonymous life in Hampshire. "I never would have expected it. And time passes quickly. With four children, you have so much to do. In a way, less is happening. But more of the important stuff is happening."

Hartnett and wife Tamsin Egerton have four children. (Getty Images)

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He added, "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."

Hartnett never gave up his love for acting, but stepped back from the spotlight which blinded so many. He left Los Angeles, moved back to his home state of Minnesota, and pursued more challenging, yet smaller projects. 

Hartnett has three films in the works, including "The Long Home," directed by James Franco. (Getty Images)

"I just didn’t want my life to be swallowed up by my work," he said. "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."

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Hartnett has a number of projects in the works, including "The Long Home" directed by James Franco, the action thriller "Fight or Flight," and "The Last Draw of Jack Hearts."