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On July 21st, 1978, Joshua Daniel Hartnett was born in San Francisco. Shortly after his family moved to St. Paul, Minnesota where he grew up along with his three younger
siblings, sister, Jessica, and brothers, Jake and Joe. Josh attended Nativity of Our Lord School then went on to Creitin Derham Hall. He played football in high school, but a torn ligament in his foot
directed him to choose the stage over the field.
During his time in the high school Josh worked in a video store and fell in love with movies. When his dad realized Josh wanted to become an
actor, he suggested he begin to watch old movies. The late Jimmy Stewart was one of his favourites and he's also a fan of Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow. Josh's aunt was instrumental in geting him to
audition for an acting company.
Throughout his high school career he performed on many local stages, including Children's Theater Company, Youth Performance Company and Stepping Stone Theater. He
also took part in televison commercials with one of his first being that for Northwest Airlines. In 1996 Josh graduated from South High School. Then he went to New York to study acting at SUNY. Josh was
kicked out of theatre school for protesting its policies. He later moved to California to start his acting career.
In no time at all, he landed his first job, a part in the television series
Cracker (1997). Although the show was short-lived, the exposure resulted in his first feature role. Playing Jamie Lee Curtis' son in the popular horror film Halloween H20 (1998), Hartnett registered with
the teen demographic. Soon after, he appeared in The Faculty (1998), yet another blood-and-guts thriller that played on his tall, dark-haired presence and boyishly handsome features with a charming
demeanor.
But in a sudden departure from teen fare, Hartnett appeared in Sophia Coppola's dramatic exploration of teenage sexuality in The Virgin Suicides (1999). His subtle yet layered portrayal
of Troy, a sexually precocious 1970s seducer drew critical praise. It was also noticed by director Michael Bay, who then cast Hartnett opposite Ben Affleck and Kate Beckinsale in his $135 million WWII
epic Pearl Harbor (2001). With "Pearl Harbor", Hartnett was poised to enter the ranks of young Hollywood's elite stars. In the 2001 film he played opposite Ben Affleck as US Air Force pilot
Danny Walker, the lifelong friend of presumed dead Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck). Rafe's intended Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale) and Danny cross paths and fall in love, much to the chagrin of the returned Rafe.
Although this flashy, special-effects film received only a lukewarm critical reception, Hartnett soon found himself in more military fare, this time in Black Hawk Down (2001), Ridley Scott's
controversial portrayal of U.S. involvement in Somalia.
In addition to acting in future movies, Josh enjoys visual arts, basketball, football and hockey. He also enjoys spending time with his
family and friends in St. Paul. His favorite music is Jazz and Blues and he like to think of himself as a poet.
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