The 14 best Josh Hartnett movie roles, ranked
We are on the verge of a "Hartnettaissance."
Josh Hartnett recently had impressive performances on TV ("Black Mirror") and in movies ("Oppenheimer").
Since he's known best for his work on the big screen, we're highlighting Hartnett's top movie roles.
14. John Tate in "Halloween H20: 20 Years Later" (1998)
In his big screen debut, Hartnett played John, the son of Jamie Lee Curtis' character, Laurie.
It's what you'd expect — he runs for his life from Michael Myers. It's not the most memorable performance, but landing the role did help catapult him into the "next big thing" conversation in Hollywood.
13. Hugo Goulding in "O" (2001)
In this modern-day retelling of Shakespeare's "Othello," Harnett plays the evil Hugo (essentially an adaptation of the Iago character in the classic play), who plots against his supposed friend Odin (Mekhi Phifer) to get the attention of Desi (Julia Stiles) and ruin Odin's life.
Released at a time when Hartnett's star was rising fast, the movie helped show that Hartnett was more than just a pretty face.
12. Dwight "Bucky" Bleichert in "The Black Dahlia" (2006)
Though this Brian DePalma-directed adaptation of James Ellroy's classic pulpy noir didn't get the acclaim you'd expect with such legends attached, Hartnett still shined as a detective investigating one of Los Angeles' most notorious murders.
In a cast that also featured stars like Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson, and Hilary Swank, Hartnett proves here that his dramatic acting chops are on par with those of genuine movie stars.
11. The Drifter in "Bunraku" (2010)
A rare impressive performance from the decade or so where Hartnett found himself in B-movies that often went straight-to-video or On Demand, Hartnett has a blast in "Bunraku" playing the movie's lead, The Drifter, who stumbles upon some interesting characters — and a lot of blood.
10. Matt Sullivan in "40 Days and 40 Nights" (2002)
Hartnett leans heavily on his heartthrob status in this rom-com, in which he plays a guy who gives up any sexual contact for Lent.
Playing up his character's wide eyes and penchant for hyperventilating as his hormones gradually get out of control, Hartnett delivers big on the laughs and the charm here.
9. K.C. Calden in "Hollywood Homicide" (2003)
A year after doing the rom-com thing, Hartnett teamed up with Harrison Ford for this studio action comedy.
Harnett holds his own across from Ford, delivering a playfulness he doesn't often give us in his filmography.
8. Ernest Lawrence in "Oppenheimer" (2023)
In Christopher Nolan's biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Hartnett stars as one of the real-life physicists who joined the Manhattan Project to create the atom bomb alongside Oppenheimer.
Hartnett plays Ernest Lawrence as a man who is not just friendly with Oppenheimer, but who tries to make the genius understand that his actions, especially his favoritism towards Communist thinking, can lead to problems.
7. Trip Fontaine in "The Virgin Suicides" (1999)
In Sofia Coppola's feature directorial debut about the tragic lives of five teenage sisters, Hartnett plays Trip, the movie's heartthrob who dates the most rebellious sister, Lux (Kirsten Dunst).
Hartnett plays his role perfectly, and Coppola frames him as a high school God on screen, complete with a flowing 1970s-style haircut and stylish outfits.
6. Dave "Boy Sweat" Hancock in "Wrath of Man" (2021)
The recent "Hartnettaissance" can be traced back to this Guy Ritchie action thriller.
This revenge movie set in the world of armored truck guards finds Hartnett playing one of the guards who befriends Jason Statham's character.
It won't be the last time Ritchie calls on Hartnett to bring one of his characters to life.
5. The Salesman in "Sin City" (2005)
As the slick assassin in the Robert Rodriguez adaptation of Frank Miller's iconic comic series, Hartnett's character plays a key role in bookending the movie.
His voiceover narrates his target at the start of the movie at a party. Then, dressed as a doctor at the end of the movie, he encounters a woman in an elevator. She knows from the sight of him that her fate is set.
Though Harnett doesn't get a lot of screen time, his presence in both scenes is thrilling and chilling.
4. Matt Eversmann in "Black Hawk Down" (2001)
Hartnett is front and center in Ridley Scott's acclaimed war movie, which follows the aftermath of a Black Hawk helicopter crashing in enemy territory in Mogadishu in 1993 during the Somali Civil War.
The role was a breakthrough in positioning Hartnett as not just a heartthrob, but a good actor in his own right.
3. Danny Francesco in "Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre" (2023)
Teaming again with Guy Ritchie, Hartnett delivers one of his best performances in recent memory. In this Ritchie action movie, Jason Statham plays a spy who must track down a device before an arms dealer (Hugh Grant) sells it to the highest bidder.
Hartnett plays the dealer's favorite actor, whom Statham's character uses to infiltrate the dealer's world.
Here, Hartnett gets to flex his comedic chops, as his egotistical actor character suddenly has to be as tough as the characters he plays on screen.
2. Danny Walker in "Pearl Harbor" (2001)
Michael Bay's blockbuster fictional epic about the attack on Pearl Harbor was slaughtered by critics and became a punching bag for audiences throughout the summer of 2001. But despite all of that, it features one of Hartnett's best performances.
Starring alongside Ben Affleck as two best friends who survive the attack, the role marks the biggest studio job Hartnett has had to date. Not only does Hartnett deliver an impressive dramatic performance, but he also carries the movie's main love story, alongside Kate Beckinsale.
1. Zeke Tyler in "The Faculty" (1998)
The same year Hartnett made his big-screen debut in "Halloween H20," he also starred in Robert Rodriguez's sci-fi horror "The Faculty."
As the rebellious, drug-dealing student at an Ohio high school who is repeating his senior year, Hartnett delivers all the qualities that would go on to make him famous: His boyish good looks, his brooding intensity, his signature deep voice, and that late-1990s look where you wear a long-sleeved shirt under a T-shirt.
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