Of course you’ve seen Josh Hartnett and swooned because of his smoldering eyes and quietly imposing presence. (After all, you did vote him Hollywood’s Second Sexiest Star in our recent poll.) But how much do you really know about one of Hollywood’s latest heartthrobs?
We figured as much.
To slake your thirst for the 411 on Josh Hartnett (and to get you ready for his steamy performance in 40 Days and 40 Nights) here are 13 facts about Hollywood´s hottest newcomer:
1. About Josh’s Sex Appeal
Josh Hartnett is only 23, and depending on his attitude on any given day he can be a boy or a man–a quality that drives girls mad. With pony fringes and a baggy pants he’s the cool street kid (see O); with a proper haircut and a sexy, filthy muscle shirt (Pearl Harbor) he’s the masculine hero who can be charming if required.
2. About Josh’s Dating Tactics
“I try not to play a part, and I hope that one day the girl will come who digs exactly that,” Josh explained to Hollywood.com. Amazingly, until now, no woman has measured up. Movie partner Natasha Richardson didn’t shower enough attention on him, and even though Rachael Leigh Cook tried to win Josh over by massaging his neck, it didn’t take.
3. About Josh’s Turn-Ons
It wasn’t so long ago that Josh collected pictures of Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Basinger to hang on his wall. Nowadays, though, it’s all about the accent: “English girls are difficult; you never know where you stand. Australian girls are merciless; they just throw themselves on you. French girls are a hit. No matter what they look like, as soon as I hear their accent I can’t resist.”
Josh also explained to Star magazine, “I look for something different in a girlfriend: something surprising that I haven’t see before. If a girl doesn’t have a sense of humor, then what would we talk about? Looks are important but a sense of humor is more important.”
4. About Josh’s Turn-Offs
Josh is the down-to-earth, uncomplicated sort who enjoys the same in women. “I hate when girls take forever to get ready. I find that really annoying and I don’t even understand how they can take so much time for all that preparation. I just wouldn’t be able to spare all that time,” Josh told Star magazine.
5. About Josh’s First Time in Love
Like all of us, Josh‘s first time in love left him with a lot to think about. “I think [it was] when I was 16. Yeah. It was pretty intense….[but] love always changes. It’s too ambiguous. For some people it’s not. They know exactly what it is. Uh. I think that’s what a lot of life is, what confidence is: just convincing yourself you have an answer that works. Finding those things for yourself, structuring life, your emotions,” Josh tried to explain to Face magazine.
6. About Josh’s Fears
Since Pearl Harbor nothing has been the same for Josh. In that film, he played his first leading role as bomber pilot Danny Walker, and he’s replaced Leonardo DiCaprio/George Clooney/Russell Crowe (take your pick) in the hearts of girls and women everywhere, which worries him. Can one be a Hollywood superstar and not turn into an egomaniacal idiot? “I don’t know if I really want to become famous,” Josh commented with regard to notorious, party-loving colleague DiCaprio.
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7. About Josh’s Reasons (Given His Doubts) to Star in Pearl Harbor
Josh told Movieline that his decision to become a leading man in a Hollywood blockbuster started with “…a conversation with my dad. I told him that the film would change my life and maybe my whole family’s too, and that I didn’t know if it was the right thing to do. He said, ‘It’s your decision. But fame is temporary. You can quit and it’ll go away anyway. But regret can be permanent.’ One of the last things that I said to my dad before I got on the plane to go off and shoot Pearl Harbor was, ‘I’m going to go for a ride until it lets me off.'”
8. About Josh’s Ability To Fit In Everywhere
In contrast to most Hollywood celebs he is socially compatible–a perfect companion. Josh can talk as easily on Günter Grass or Jack Kerouac with the cognoscenti as easily as he chats with his Aunt Emma about her experiences in the potter’s workshop. Plus, he keeps a diary, something most young women can relate to. To top it off, Josh is more modest than most: During the Cannes Film Festival Josh was shocked to see an actor arrive with 30 suitcases–Josh swears he never travels with more than one.
9. About Josh’s Reluctance To Shed Clothing on Screen
Despite his assertions–“That wouldn’t come into question for me. My body isn’t really in shape because I go to the gym at best one time a year”–the reason must be his innate modesty. (Though he does go shirtless in 40 Days.) Josh is in great shape, as he avidly plays soccer and hockey, and was on his high school swim team.
10. About Josh’s Favorite Article of Clothing
For some reason, Josh collects all kinds of hat–from baseball caps to bowlers, from coarse knitted caps to fringed angler’s hats. Odd, but somehow endearing.
11. About Josh’s Success
Josh knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. At the age of 15 he took a part in his school’s play and loved it so much that, at the tender age of 16, he moved to the East Coast from Minnesota to join an actors’ studio program in New York. At 18 Josh moved cross-country to Los Angeles, worked for minimum wage in a video store, had six fruitless auditions for Dawson’s Creek and still didn’t give up.
12. About Josh’s Concerns for His Friends
Josh is worried about his buddies and their chances with the ladies now that he’s super-famous. “They are the ones who have to suffer. Formerly, when we met girls, we all had the same chances. Today all girls rush at me because they want to know someone who is just a bit famous.”
13. About Josh’s Need to Live in Minnesota
After a mere two years in Hollywood, Josh gave up the bright lights and big city and moved back to his hometown of St. Paul, Minn. After all, his old buddies live there, and he hates walking through a city for days without meeting someone he knows, rather than the other way around.
Plus, it’s a matter of honest living for Josh. “I’ve still got a little of that ‘F— them, I don’t have to be in L.A. if I don’t want to.’ Hollywood is so full of people with so many opinions that I can’t keep my own opinions straight. Not living in Los Angeles is a means of survival more than anything else,” he told Movieline.
Hollywood.com staff writer Kit Bowen contributed to this article.
