Although Josh Hartnett’s comeback is well underway, the actor’s well-earned success won’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with his cult TV hit from the early 2010s,Penny Dreadful. Josh Hartnett’s career started incredibly strong. In the same year, he starred in the cult teen horror moviesHalloween H20: 20 Years LaterandThe Faculty, as well as Sofia Coppola’s seminal coming-of-age dramaThe Virgin Suicides. Some ofJosh Hartnett’s best moviesfollowed as the actor appeared inBlack Hawk Down, O, andSin Cityin the early 2000s.
However, Hartnett’s success wasn’t without its slip-ups. AlthoughPearl Harborwas a financial hit, it was a critical failure, and both 2001’sTown & Countryand 2003’sHollywood Homicidefailed to impress critics and audiences alike.40 Days and 40 Nightsalso left reviewers unenthused, and soon it seemed like the actor’s era of box office dominance was at an end. AlthoughLucky Number Slevinfared well financially andHartnett’s underrated vampire horror30 Days of Nightwas a critical and commercial success, the following years saw him fade from big-screen relevance.
Josh Hartnett Was One Of The Best Things About Showtime’s Penny Dreadful
Hartnett Proved He Made A Great Leading Man In This Hit Series
A place in thestarry cast of director Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimerbrought attention back to Hartnett in 2023, and the spotlight didn’t arrive a moment too soon. By 2024, the “Josh Hartnett renaissance” was well underway thanks to his superb central turn in M. Night Shyamalan’s wild Trap. A high-concept serial killer thriller that dropped Hartnett’s murderer into the unlikely milieu of a teen pop star’s crowded concert,Trapwas a financial hit upon release. Even the movie’s detractors admitted that Hartnett’s performance wasTrap’s secret weapon, as the actor clearly had a ball.
However, some readers will be unsurprised to hear that Hartnett won acclaim for subverting his screen heartthrob persona. After all,the Showtime seriesPenny Dreadfulalready proved that Hartnett could tackle tongue-in-cheek horror mystery hybridswith aplomb. InPenny Dreadful, Hartnett played the mysterious American gunslinger Ethan Chandler, a sharpshooter with a dark past. Even though most of the show’s other main characters were riffs on Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, Dracula, and other stars of famous Victorian horror literature, Chandler’s true identity was still a surprise when it was revealed.
Penny Dreadful Was A Reminder Of How Great Harnett Could Be In Leading Roles
AlthoughPenny Dreadfulseason 4 never happenedsince the series was instead replaced by the spinoffPenny Dreadful: City of Angels, the show still proved that Hartnett was a great leading man shortly beforeOppenheimerandTrap. Hartnett’s first small screen role since his career began was arguably his best project sinceSin Cityand a perfect reintroduction for the actor.
Penny Dreadfulsaw him fuse the charisma of his early screen persona with a darker edge, using his age to his advantage.
When viewers first met Hartnett, he was primarily playing cheeky teenage charmers. As he aged, the star struggled to balance gravitas and wit in his later roles. However,Penny Dreadfulsaw him fuse the charisma of his early screen persona with a darker edge, using his age to his advantage. Soon after, Shyamalan made use of this newfound edge inTrap. Thus, the overdue Josh Hartnett renaissance only truly got underway years afterPenny Dreadfulended.
