Josh Hartnett received an “unhealthy” amount of fan attention during his younger years.
Josh Hartnett has recalled his struggles with fame
The 46-year-old actor achieved heartthrob status as a teenager, but Josh now admits that he found it to be an overwhelming experience.
He told the Observer newspaper: “People’s attention to me at the time was borderline unhealthy.”
Asked to clarify what he meant, Josh replied: “Well, look, I don’t want to give this a lot of weight … There were incidents. People showed up at my house. People that were stalking me.”
Josh recalled one incident when “a guy showed up at one of my premieres with a gun, claiming to be my father. He ended up in prison.”
Josh ultimately decided to step away from Hollywood, and focus his attention on independent projects instead.
He explained: “There were lots of things. It was a weird time. And I wasn’t going to be grist for the mill.”
Meanwhile, Josh previously admitted that he hasn’t had a “cohesive career”.
The actor was one of the most sought-after stars in Hollywood during his younger years, but Josh has subsequently opted to shun some big-budget film projects.
Speaking to The Independent, Josh – who previously starred in ‘Pearl Harbor’ and ‘Black Hawk Down’ – explained: “I have an artistic mind, and I want to follow things that are somehow just outside of my understanding.
“Does that necessarily make for a cohesive career in a movie star sense? No. But before the last few years I just had less of a chance to do it.”
Josh loves making movies and TV shows – but he doesn’t enjoy the pressures of fame.
He explained: “Coming up to the city and doing an interview is a rarity. Typically, I work on the films that I work on, and then I go home.”
