Although today he is not one of the loudest names on the artistic scene, Josh Hartnett was a celebrity and a symbol of Hollywood in the early 2000s. His appearance in films such as Pearl Harbor and his good appearance in front of the cameras made him catapulted them to the most resounding success. However, the life of an actor cannot always be happy, and the American starred in one of the most notorious disappearances in memory.
It was a great surprise to many to learn that Hartnett would be working with Christopher Nolan on his long-awaited and revered film about the World War II atomic bomb: Oppenheimer. And it was precisely a rejection of the director that would end up costing him his career with the big studios. Despite this, the native of Saint Paul, Minnesota had already been uncomfortable with the attention he generated for some time.
For a long time the American media, in conjunction with film studios, painted Hartnett as the successor to such successful actors as Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt. Unfortunately, the excess of media attention and the objectification of his person led him to refuse to participate in blockbusters, allowing himself to fall into deeper roles without as much attention.
The Hollywood studio and production company system was highly offended by these rejections, considering them a challenge against their powerful empire. A refusal and a box office failure were what sealed her career for the next decade. And in 2006 Bartnett refused to participate in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, leaving in the hands of Christian Bale the leading role that the American director offered him.
As if that were not enough, Bartnett was unable to film Brokeback Mountain with Joaquin Phoneix as he had a contract to participate in The Black Dahlia, by Brian de Palma, which would end up becoming a major box office failure. In this way, both Palma and Saint Paul ended up banned from the big Hollywood studios. The actor chose to temporarily distance himself from this great world and focus on his family.
In this way, he would end up finding tranquility and love in the company of actress Tamsin Egerton. Together they had three children and moved to a small town in England, away from the spotlight and pressure of everyone related to cinema. A story that becomes even more surprising after having seen him walk the Oppenheimer red carpets this summer, working for the director who marked her turning point.