Actor Josh Hartnett, 48, has pushed back against claims that he spent two decades on a hiatus from the film industry, clarifying that he simply stepped away from major Hollywood blockbusters. In a recent interview with Out Of Order, Hartnett dismissed the suggestion that he disappeared, stating, "I was on hiatus from people's minds, I guess."

Reflecting on his early 2000s career, which included starring roles in 2001 hits *Pearl Harbor* and *Black Hawk Down*, Hartnett admitted he felt omnipresent before he truly understood his own identity. "It was a little bit like I was everywhere and I didn't even know who I was yet," he said.

Hartnett emphasized that he never turned his back on filmmaking, but rather rejected the notion that big-budget movies should define his entire career. After finishing *Black Hawk Down* at age 22, he took a year off to write a screenplay and pursue smaller projects like *The Virgin Suicides*.

While acknowledging that industry figures grew frustrated when he stepped away from churning out consecutive blockbusters, Hartnett stood by his independence. He previously revealed in a 2020 interview with Metro that he deliberately turned down major roles like Superman and Batman to avoid becoming "someone else's puppet."