Hollywood actor Josh Hartnett is determined to keep an open mind about his future career, saying he is increasingly drawn to projects that introduce him to new experiences, unfamiliar characters and creative collaborators.
The 48-year-old actor, who recently starred alongside Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson in the psychological thriller Verity, said he no longer tries to map out exactly how he wants his career to unfold. Instead, he prefers to consider the opportunities available to him and embrace work that sparks his curiosity.
“What’s always going to get me interested are the people involved,” Hartnett said in an interview with Variety. He added that he particularly enjoys projects that allow him to explore something he has not attempted before.
The actor explained that he has stopped imposing his own expectations on his career and has become more practical about the roles being offered to him. For Hartnett, the most exciting projects are often those he would not necessarily have imagined pursuing beforehand.
From serial killer to pioneering physicist
Hartnett’s recent filmography demonstrates his willingness to take on contrasting roles.
In M. Night Shyamalan’s 2024 thriller Trap, he portrayed Cooper, a father who secretly leads a double life as a serial killer. The role required him to explore the unsettling contrast between an apparently devoted parent and a dangerous criminal.
Hartnett said he was intrigued when Shyamalan approached him with the unusual character concept. Rather than dismissing the idea, he welcomed the challenge of understanding the character’s motivations and working out how to portray him convincingly.
He also played Ernest Lawrence, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist, in Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film Oppenheimer. Hartnett said he initially knew relatively little about Lawrence, making the opportunity to research the scientist and understand his place in the wider story particularly appealing.
Working with Nolan was another major attraction, reinforcing Hartnett’s belief that both the people involved and the opportunity to learn something new can make a project worthwhile.
The actor said he remains uncertain about what his next career move will be, but he sees that uncertainty as exciting rather than troubling.
Balancing Hollywood with family life
Despite his continued interest in challenging roles, Hartnett has made family time a central priority.
The actor and his wife, actress Tamsin Egerton, have four children. Hartnett has previously spoken about deliberately stepping back from work to spend more time at home, particularly after the arrival of their youngest child.
He said he filmed only one movie over an 18-month period and spent 13 months at home after the baby was born. The decision allowed him to be more present with his family before returning to filming Verity.
Hartnett acknowledged that balancing professional ambitions with family responsibilities requires constant adjustment. Although he remains interested in new opportunities, he wants to preserve as much time at home as possible.
His approach reflects a career that has evolved considerably since he emerged as one of Hollywood’s prominent young actors in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Rather than chasing fame or following a predetermined path, Hartnett now appears more interested in choosing projects that offer meaningful creative experiences while allowing him to maintain a fulfilling personal life.
With no fixed plan for his next role, the actor is leaving the door open to unexpected opportunities — a strategy that continues to shape his career as he explores different characters, genres and collaborations.
