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Joshua Daniel Hartnett (born July 21, 1978) is an American actor. He began his career on ABC's drama series Cracker (1997–1998), after which he became known as a teen idol through starring parts in films such as , The Faculty (both 1998), The Virgin Suicides (1999), Pearl Harbor, O, Black Hawk Down (all 2001), and 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002).
Hartnett continued to work steadily throughout the 2000s, with a mix of leading and supporting roles in Hollywood Homicide (2003), Wicker Park (2004), Sin City (2005), The Black Dahlia, Lucky Number Slevin (both 2006), 30 Days of Night (2007), August (2008), and I Come with the Rain (2009). He experienced a career resurgence with his roles as Ernest Lawrence in Oppenheimer (2023) and a serial killer in Trap (2024).
On television, Hartnett portrayed Ethan Chandler on the Showtime fantasy series Penny Dreadful (2014–2016). He also appeared in an episode of Black Mirror in 2023 and guest-starred on The Bear from 2024 to 2025.
After Hartnett graduated from high school in 1996, he moved to Purchase, New York, to attend the Conservatory of Theatre Arts & Film at the State University of New York at Purchase. He was expelled after writing a letter to the dean contending that the college's evaluation system stifled students' creativity. At the age of 19, Hartnett moved to Los Angeles at the recommendation of his manager, Nancy Kremer, who had previously helped him book television commercials.
Hartnett then developed a successful film career, appearing in the major films The Faculty (1998), The Virgin Suicides (1999), and Black Hawk Down (2001). In 2001, he starred in the war drama Pearl Harbor. He was originally scheduled to play the role of Tino in Deuces Wild, but dropped out to star in Pearl Harbor. Also in 2001, he starred in O, an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello set in an American high school, as Hugo, the film's version of Iago. In 2002, he starred in the romantic comedy 40 Days and 40 Nights.
In the early 2000s, Hartnett was approached several times to play the role of Clark Kent / Superman for a project originally helmed by Brett Ratner but always turned it down, not wanting to commit to a predicted ten-year role. Hartnett said of his decision, "It just wasn't the kind of movie I wanted to do. I turned down other superhero roles as well." He was also considered for, but not offered, the role of Batman in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, which ultimately went to Christian Bale .
Hartnett was chosen as one of Teen Peoples "21 Hottest Stars Under 21" in 1999, Teen Peoples "25 Hottest Stars under 25", and one of Peoples "50 Most Beautiful People", both in 2002. He was also voted Bliss magazine's "3rd Sexiest Male". During this period, he was marketed as a teen idol and a potential Megastardom; his unease with this public image eventually led to his disillusionment with pursuing roles in high-profile films.
Hartnett's next films included Hollywood Homicide (2003), Wicker Park (2004), Mozart and the Whale (2005), Sin City (2005), and Lucky Number Slevin (2006). He followed up these roles with the 2006 drama-mystery The Black Dahlia, in which he played a detective investigating the notorious real-life murder of waitress Elizabeth Short. Hartnett had been cast in the role five years before the film was produced, remaining committed to appearing in the movie because he liked the subject matter.
Among his 2007 roles were Resurrecting the Champ and the graphic novel-based 30 Days of Night, in which he played a small-town sheriff. Hartnett described the second film as "supernatural, but kind of a western". He was going to play trumpet player Chet Baker in the film The Prince of Cool but did not agree with the producer's ideas and left the project.
In 2008, Hartnett played Charlie Babbit in the theater adaptation of Barry Morrow's Academy Award-winning Rain Man at the Apollo Theatre in London's West End. He starred in the new campaign of the Emporio Armani fragrance, "Diamonds for Men", being featured in both print and TV ads for the fragrance, thus becoming the first male celebrity to represent Giorgio Armani. He has been featured on many magazine covers, such as Cosmogirl, Details, Entertainment Weekly, Girlfriend, Seventeen, Vanity Fair, GQ and Vman, in addition to being in other magazines like Vogue, Elle, People, Glamour, In Touch and InStyle.
In 2009, Hartnett produced the music video for the rapper Kid Cudi's song "Pursuit of Happiness". During this time, Hartnett acted in several direct-to-DVD films and international films which received negative reviews, such as the drama August (2008), the thriller I Come with the Rain (2009), the martial arts action film Bunraku (2010), the comedy film Girl Walks into a Bar (2011), the romantic comedy Stuck Between Stations (2011), the time travel adventure film The Lovers (2013), the romantic drama Parts per Billion (2014), and Wild Horses (2015). In 2013, Hartnett was a guest of honor on Off Plus Camera.
In 2014, he was cast in the part of Ethan Chandler in the Gothic horror series Penny Dreadful, which was shot in locations around Dublin and Ireland. Later, Hartnett's character was revealed to be Larry Talbot, who had changed his name to distance himself from his family. In 2017, he performed in Atsuko Hirayanagi's critically acclaimed independent film Oh Lucy! (2017), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. That same year, he starred in and produced the survival film , which received negative reviews. He then continued acting in smaller films which were received negatively, such as the Turkish war film The Ottoman Lieutenant (2017), the drama She's Missing (2019), the crime film Inherit the Viper (2019), the Polish film Valley of the Gods (2019), and the crime film Ida Red (2021).
In 2020, he portrayed Canadian journalist Victor Malarek in the crime drama Target Number One. Hartnett then starred in Guy Ritchie's 2021 revenge drama film Wrath of Man in a supporting role before Ritchie cast him in his 2023 film . In January 2022, Hartnett was cast as Ernest Lawrence in Christopher Nolan's film Oppenheimer. In July 2022, he joined the sixth season of Black Mirror.
In 2024, he starred in M. Night Shyamalan's thriller film Trap where he played Cooper Abbott, a serial killer, known as "the Butcher". Also in 2024, he appeared in the third season of The Bear, where he portrayed Frank. In December 2024, he was cast as Jeremy in Verity, the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel.
In 2025, Hartnett starred in the action film Fight or Flight, playing a mercenary tracking a target on a plane.
In 2011, Hartnett became one of a handful of celebrities attached to USAID and Ad Council's FWD campaign, an awareness initiative tied to that year's East Africa drought. He joined Uma Thurman, Chanel Iman and Geena Davis in TV and Internet ads to "forward the facts" about the crisis. "Dr. Jill Biden Joins USAID and Ad Council to Debut FWD Campaign for the Crisis in the Horn of Africa" . PR Newswire. October 26, 2011.
In 2012, Hartnett also joined Barack Obama in his campaign in Minnesota, appearing at such events as the Minnesota Greater Together Youth Summit before formally endorsing the President on the official campaign YouTube channel. He along with Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak also appeared at the University of Minnesota's McNamara Alumni Center for an Obama Q&A in April.
Regarding fame, Hartnett has said: "I know what it's like to be in that whole world. I was up there for a couple of years, and it was uncomfortable. I think trying to stay at the top is a shortcut to unhappiness." Hartnett took a 15-month break from acting, saying: "I spent a bit of time really thinking about whether this was the right thing for me." "He'll stay out of limelight" . Evening Chronicle. September 10, 2004. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
In September 2025, Hartnett was hospitalized after a car crash in Canada. The vehicle he was in collided with a police patrol car in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.
| Main role | |
| Episode: "Josh Hartnett/Pink" | |
| Web series | |
| Main role | |
| Episode: "Miami", Episode: "Love" | |
| 4 episodes | |
| Main role | |
| Miniseries; main role | |
| Alexander Hoffmann | Miniseries; main role |
| Episode: "Beyond the Sea" | |
| 2 episodes: "Violet", "Bears" |
| Apollo Theatre |
| Annual fundraiser at The Old Vic theater involving actors, writers and directors creating and presenting a series of six plays in a day |
| The Virgin Suicides soundtrack |
| Pearl Harbor soundtrack |
| Producer |
| 1999 | Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Male Newcomer | |||
| MTV Movie Awards | Best Breakthrough Male Performance | Halloween H20: 20 Years Later | |||
| Saturn Awards | Best Performance by a Younger Actor | The Faculty | |||
| 2000 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Breakout Star | Here on Earth | ||
| 2001 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actor | Pearl Harbor | ||
| 2002 | MTV Movie Awards | Best Male Performance | Pearl Harbor | ||
| Razzie Award | Worst Screen Couple (with Ben Affleck) | Pearl Harbor | |||
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Award | Best Acting Ensemble (shared with the cast) | Black Hawk Down | |||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Action Movie Actor | Black Hawk Down | |||
| Choice Chemistry (shared with Shannyn Sossamon) | 40 Days and 40 Nights | ||||
| ShoWest Award | Male Star of Tomorrow | — | |||
| 2006 | Milan International Film Festival Award | Best Actor (tied with Peter Falk) | Lucky Number Slevin | ||
| 2007 | GQ Magazine Germany | GQ Männer des Jahres (GQ Men of the Year) | — | ||
| 2008 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Horror Movie Actor | 30 Days of Night | ||
| WhatsOnStage Awards | The Dewynters London Newcomer of the Year | Rain Man | |||
| 2009 | 21st Century Leaders Awards | Outstanding Environmentalist | — | ||
| 2010 | Ischia Global Film & Music Festival | Ischia International Arts Academy Acting Award | — | ||
| 2017 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best TV Actor | Penny Dreadful | ||
| 2023 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Oppenheimer | ||
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | Best Acting Ensemble | Oppenheimer | |||
| Satellite Awards | Best Cast – Motion Picture | Oppenheimer |
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