Halloween: H2O

Background:

“That’s the thing about real movie stars that I’ll never have. When real movie stars walk into a room, it’s all about them. They know it and everybody else knows it. I like to fly under the radar. I try anyway.” Josh Hartnett

Lofty, dark-haired and boyishly good-looking with a gentle presence, Josh Hartnett has created a reputation for himself as a bona fide Hollywood movie star with memorable performances like John Tate, the son of Jamie Lee Curtis, in the Stave Miner-directed, Kevin Williamson-scripted, horror/thriller Halloween: H2O (1998, earned a Blockbuster Entertainment and MTV Movie nomination), the soldier SSgt. Matt Eversmann in Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down (2001) and US Air Force pilot Danny Walker in Michael Bay-helmed epic Pearl Harbor (2001, received a MTV Movie nomination). The actor is also known for playing roles in such films as the sci-fi teen thriller The Faculty (1998), Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides (1999), the drama Here on Earth (2000), O (2001), the comedy 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002), Hollywood Homicide (2003) and Sin City (2005).
Recently starring in the star-studded Lucky Number Slevin (2006), the 2002 Sho West “Male Star of Tomorrow” is set to play roles in the upcoming Brian De Palma’s The Black Dahlia (2006), Bruce Beresford’s biopic The Prince of Cool (2007) and the drama Resurrecting the Champ (2007).

Off screen, Hartnett was named one of Teen People Magazine’s ”21 Hottest Stars Under 21” (1999), one of Teen People’s “25 Hottest Stars under 25” and one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People” (both in 2002). He was once also chosen as Bliss Magazine’s “3rd Sexiest Male.” A former vegan, he was listed as one of PETA’s “Sexiest Vegetarian in the World” in 2003. On a more personal note, 6’ 3” Hartnett, who has a tattoo of a maze on his back near his shoulder, had a long-term relationship with high school sweetheart Ellen Fenster and the two reportedly purchased a 2.5 million dollar mansion in Minneapolis. However, their romance ended in separation in early 2004. He has since started a high-profile relationship with actress Scarlett Johansson. Hartnett and girlfriend Scarlett are reportedly planning to set up home together in New York City. His romantic life has also been liked to a woman named Giselle, actress Izabella Miko, singer Kelly Lee Carlson (together in the late 1990s) and Monet Mazur.

“I’ve had my heart broken and it’s not fun. But I’d rather have my heart broken than break someone else’s heart.” Josh Hartnett


Football

Childhood and Family:

In San Francisco, California, Joshua Daniel Hartnett, who would later be famous as Josh Hartnett, was born on July 21, 1978. After the divorce of his parents, he was raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota, by his father, Daniel Hartnett, and his stepmother Molly. An oldest child, Hartnett has three younger siblings: brothers Joe and Jack, and sister Jessica.

Hartnett has been acting since he was young and performed with local theater companies as a child. He was educated in Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Grade School and Cretin-Derham Hall High School before transferring to South High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. While in high school, he excelled in football, but a knee injury at age 16 put a stop to playing the sport. He then entered the high school’s theatre program but was soon kicked out. Upon high school graduation in 1996, Hartnett attended the State University of New York. However, after only one year, he left his studies to pursue a career in acting in Los Angeles.

On a more private note, Hartnett enjoys oil painting, snowboarding, bowling and reading (especially author Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s books).


Black Hawk Down

Career:

Josh Hartnett began acting as a child in regional theaters, but didn’t consider becoming a performer until a knee injury prevented the 16-year-old from playing football. When he was a student of State University of New York, he decided to leave college and head for Los Angeles to start an acting career.

Shortly after moving, Hartnett was cast in his first TV role playing the bothered son of a so-called crime stopper in the ABC short-lived drama “Cracker” (1997). Though the series was axed after its ninth episode, Hartnett proved he had more to give. He followed it up with appearances in small theaters as well as in national TV commercials, including one for Tommy Hilfiger clothing, where he worked with director Kevin Williamson.

His first taste of fame arrived when Hartnett made his film debut with the Kevin Williamson-scripted horror/thriller Halloween: H2O (1998), directed by Stave Miner. Costarring as Jamie Lee Curtis’ son John Tate, Hartnett’s performance earned notice and won the hearts of young audiences. Additionally, he received such nominations as a Blockbuster Entertainment for Favorite Male Newcomer and a MTV Movie for Best Breakthrough Male Performance. The young actor gained further popularity when he rejoined scripter Williamson for the sci-fi teen thriller The Faculty, that same year. With Robert Rodriguez directing, Hartnett possessed a strong screen presence as the very bright Zeke Tyler, one of a cluster of students struggling to impede an alien attack starting at their high school. Costarring with more experienced co-stars like Elijah Wood, Hartnett held his own.

Hartnett’s rising status was further established in the next year when he joined James Woods, Kathleen Turner and Kirsten Dunst for Sofia Coppola’s feature directorial debut The Virgin Suicides, an excellent adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides’ well-liked cult novel. The drama/mystery was an underground hit and scored with critics. As for Hartnett, playing Trip Fontaine, a school heartthrob and Dunst’s romantic interest, he had an acclaimed performance and made a reputation for himself as a sex symbol.
The attractive actor went on to increase his screen persona by portraying Jasper Arnold, the bighearted small town boy who bizarrely loses his childhood girlfriend (Leelee Sobieski) to Chris Klein’s smug, prep school character in the less imposing romantic drama Here on Earth (2000), before having the supporting roles of Tom Stoddard in the Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton comedy Town & Country (2001) and Brian Allen in Paddy Breathnach’s Blow Dry (2001).

Still in 2001, Hartnett’s star shone even brighter when renowned director Michael Bay had him star with Ben Affleck and Kate Beckinsale in his much-anticipated epic Pearl Harbor. With the role of Danny Walker, a US Air Force pilot who ends up in love with his best friend’s girl, Hartnett was put on the top of the acting heap. He was nominated for Best Male Performance for a MTV Movie award. A hot commodity in Hollywood, Hartnett continued his success with the starring role of Hugo Goulding in the updated retelling O (2001, opposite Julia Stiles, Mekhi Phifer and Andrew Keegan) and his most-praised performance to date as the soldier Matt Eversmann in the war drama Black Hawk Down, for director Ridley Scott. The latter film opened to strong reviews from both critics and audiences alike.

Hartnett then starred as the brokenhearted Matt Sullivan in the Michael Lehmann-helmed romantic-comedy 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002), shared the screen with Harrison Ford in the summer comedy Hollywood Homicide (2003), costarred with Rose Byrne, Diane Kruger and Matthew Lillard in the erotic thriller Wicker Park (2004), had a small, but impressive, turn as the suave, romantic, chameleon-like assassin in director Robert Rodriguez and writer-artist Frank Miller’s visually attractive adaptation of Miller’s crime noir comic book series, Sin City (2005). He returned to film with the lead in the comedy-romance Mozart and the Whale (2005), alongside Radha Mitchell and Gary Cole.

The 28-year-old actor recently joined the star-studded Paul McGuigan-helmed Lucky Number Slevin (2006), opposite Bruce Willis, Lucy Liu, Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley. He will also team up with girlfriend Scarlett Johansson, Oscar-winner Hilary Swank, and Mia Kirshner in Brian De Palma’s upcoming The Black Dahlia (2006). In 2007, Hartnett can add the Bruce Beresford-directed biopic The Prince of Cool and Rod Lurie’s drama Resurrecting the Champ, with Samuel L. Jackson, to his impressive acting resume.


Awards:

• Sho West: Male Star of Tomorrow, 2002