Josh Hartnett reveals why moving away from Hollywood saved his life
Josh Hartnett was one of those actors destined for a decorated Hollywood career in the mid-2000s, but however, he has been one of those stars who has been in and out of the industry. Tipped off as the next 'Tom Cruise' in Tinseltown, Hartnett was the man the world was talking about, but the actor shied away from all the fame and adulation. In a candid chat with Channel Seven's 'Sunrise', the 43-year-old shed light on the move away from big blockbusters.
"It was the best thing for my mental health and my career to keep Hollywood at bay," Hartnett said. "Luckily I think I hit onto it early on in my life: it’s about creating a good home life and being able to do things that are wild and wonderful like making films, which is such a privilege."
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Hartnett was offered a chance to be part of the cult-hit 'Brokeback Mountain' in 2005, a part that eventually went to the late Heath Ledger. "Unfortunately, I was going to do Brokeback Mountain," Hartnett said. "And I had a contract with the [2006 film] Black Dahlia that I had to film, so I had to drop out of it," he explained. He remarked that he was originally meant to star in the film, and the parts moved to Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. Such was the immense success that it earned six more nominations at the Oscars.
This hasn't been the first time that Hartnett has been vocal about missing out on major roles in his career. He had shared that he found his 20s so overwhelming that we went back to his hometown for a while to escape the heat of Hollywood. Although he made fewer appearances over the years, 2020 saw him return in a bigger role Kip Riley in 'Inherit the Viper'. The news that saw Hartnett make the headlines was when he turned down playing Superman in a three-picture deal and Batman in Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Knight' trilogy — a role that was bagged by Christian Bale.
He was most recently seen in 'Ida Red', a crime action drama where he played the lead role of Wyatt Walker. The synopsis reads, "Crime boss Ida "Red" Walker(Melissa Leo) turns to her son, Wyatt(Josh Hartnett), to pull off one last heist to get out of prison. However, with the FBI closing in, Wyatt must soon choose between family and freedom," and was released on November 5.