February 2002 - Dolly Magazine

Dont mention the word heart-throb or hunk to Josh Hartnett. You certainly wont get a date with him that way. Katherine Tulich flew to Hollywood to find out why.

He may be one of the hottest stars in Hollywood, but away from the movie screen Josh dresses as un-star-like as possible on purpose. Standing at a striking six foot three inches, he tends to stoop when he walks into a room, almost as if he is embarrassed about his height. Today he dressed in a faded green T-shirt, shorts, worn brown sandals and a clue beach hat. But despite his attempt to fade into the wallpaper, his dreamy brown eyes soon have everyone drooling. Hes polite and laid-back, but even Josh cant help but admit hes completely overwhelmed by the ruckus thats suddenly surrounding him.

"I never quite expected this and all the press attention," he says. But the shy young man, who still lives in rural Minnesota near his family, is getting plenty of attention especially from his female co-stars. And his Virgin Suicides co-star, Kirsten Dunst, is no expectation.
"I cant believe Im being asked questions about him,she says. I hope that hes being asked questions about me. It drives me crazy young Hollywood so you know, your heads going to get a little expanded. Hes in his playboy stage right now thats what I call it. I dont talk to Josh a lot, but when I do run into him, he always has a different girl with him. You know, girls need to get over the bad-boy type and go for the dork."
"But I love Josh, hes adorable. And the thing I like about him is that he still lives in Minnesota, he hangs with his friends, and I can tell hes still a home kind of guy. So that makes me happy he just needs to stay grounded, thats the thing. Its hard not to explode when youre that cute and every girl wants you."

When asked about his list of beautiful leading ladies, Josh blushes. He admits the best thing about Pearl Harbor was working with English actress Kate Beckinsdale.
"I got to make out with Kate Beckinsdale," he giggles, though he admits "the love scenes were nerve-wracking, mainly because Kates partner and three-year-old daughter were there the whole time." As Kate says, "Josh is such a gentleman; he was terribly freaked that he was fooling around with somebodys mother."

His role in O, an updated version of Shakespeares Othello, had rumours flying about a romance with co-star, Julia Stiles. That is, especially when the two were spotted together at the Sundance Film Festival last January. But Josh scoffs at such rumours as nonsense spread by the Internet.
"There are so many wild rumours being said that simply are not true," he reasons. "They just make stuff up."

Also made up, according to Natalie Imbruglia, are reports that she and Josh were dating.
"Not true," Natalie says. "I've got photographed with him at a premiere. I just got introduced with him, and got photographed with him. So I knew this was going to be my boyfriend for the month. I even rang my mum just to warn her!"

While many women would love to date Josh, the secretive star insists hes not dating anyone at the moment. Or maybe hes just training for his new movie, 40 Days and 40 Nights, where he plays an average guy who is devastated when his girlfriend leaves him, so he decides to swear off sex for the 40 days of Lent.

As Josh removes his hat self-consciously rubs his hand over his buzz-cut hair (for his role as a US soldier in the movie, Black Hawk Down), he ponders his future as a pin-up boy.

"Im not sure Im ready for all this," he says wistfully. "Hopefully, I will still be able to walk out of my house and go to the coffee shop and hang with my friends, without having to wear a beard and funny glasses." Now that would definitely be a sight to see!