Josh Hartnett Says 'Borderline Unhealthy' Stalking Incidents Made Him Leave Hollywood

Ahead of his role in the M. Night Shyamalan-directed thriller Trap, Josh Hartnett is opening up about why he left Hollywood two decades ago.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, the early 2000s heartthrob, who catapulted into the mainstream in 2001 following his roles in Black Hawk Down and Pearl Harbor, says unwanted attention is why he decided to leave Hollywood at the height of his popularity.

“People’s attention to me at the time was borderline unhealthy," he shared. "There were incidents. People showed up at my house. People that were stalking me. At one point, 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. I just didn’t want my life to be swallowed up by my work. 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.”

Over the next decade, Hartnett reveals he turned down the role of Superman twice, while also auditioning for Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins. Ultimately, the part of Bruce Wayne went to Christian Bale. However, things came full circle last summer with Nolan's Oppenheimer, in which Hartnett played Ernest Lawrence, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who worked with J. Edgar Oppenheimer at the University of California, Berkeley.

“I recognize the missed opportunity to work with a guy like Chris," Hartnett shared. "And I’ve figured out that as much as you’re worried about curating your career to things you’re interested in, I don’t believe that’s the most important thing any more. It’s about finding people who you really trust.”

Hartnett is set to continue his career resurgence this Friday with Trap, a psychological thriller written, directed and produced by M. Night Shyamalan.