Josh Hartnett’s most embarrassing moment on a film set came during a parachute scene with Kate Beckinsale in Pearl Harbor (2001). He told ELLE in a 2024 video interview that he felt terrible for the whole day the scene was shot, and he joked about it by thanking Beckinsale. He said this one still stands out.
The story came out in August 2024, when Hartnett was promoting M. Night Shyamalan’s thriller Trap. Here is what he said, what the film was, and where his career stands in 2026.
What Josh Hartnett said about his most embarrassing moment
In the ELLE video interview, Hartnett was asked about the most mortifying experiences of his career. He said he had “had so many”, but one memory from Pearl Harbor came to him quickly. It was a scene in which he and Beckinsale were filmed with a parachute.
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According to the original report, Beckinsale had brought her one-year-old daughter and her partner to the set for the first time that day. Hartnett did not name the partner. He said he felt terrible all day and ended the story with a light “Thanks, Kate!”
He did not describe anything beyond the awkwardness of the scene itself, and there is no suggestion of any falling out between the two actors. The story was told as a light, self-deprecating memory.
Quick facts: Pearl Harbor (2001)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Release | 25 May 2001 (US), after a premiere at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on 21 May 2001 |
| Director | Michael Bay |
| Producers | Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay |
| Main cast | Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jon Voight, Alec Baldwin |
| Budget | About $140 million |
| Worldwide gross | About $449.2 million |
| Oscars | Four nominations, one win (Best Sound Editing) |
Why Pearl Harbor matters in Hartnett’s career
Pearl Harbor is a war drama built around the Second World War attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, with a love triangle between the characters played by Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale at its centre. It was a big summer release backed by producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
Critics were largely negative. Reviews faulted the script, the acting, the long running time and the historical errors, while praising the visual effects, action scenes and music. Rotten Tomatoes lists a 24% approval rating and Metacritic gives it 44 out of 100. Hartnett and Affleck even received a Razzie nomination for Worst Screen Couple.
Audiences still turned up. The film earned about $449.2 million worldwide on a budget of about $140 million, and its soundtrack included the Faith Hill song “There You’ll Be”. Along with Black Hawk Down, released the same year, it turned Hartnett into one of the most recognised young actors in Hollywood.
Stepping away from the spotlight
Fame at that scale did not sit well with him. In past interviews, Hartnett has said that being on magazine covers everywhere made him uncomfortable and distrustful. He chose to take fewer big studio roles and spent time away from Los Angeles, including in his home state of Minnesota. He was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on 21 July 1978.
He also took a 15-month break from acting at one point. In interviews in 2024, he said family time and working with people he trusts mattered more to him than planning a career around fame. He is married to English actress Tamsin Egerton, and the couple have four children. The family lives in Hampshire, England.
Josh Hartnett’s comeback: key roles since 2023
Over the last few years Hartnett has returned to bigger projects. These are the main ones.
- Oppenheimer (2023): He played physicist Ernest Lawrence in Christopher Nolan’s film, one of the biggest releases of 2023.
- The Bear (2024): He appeared as Frank in three episodes of the show’s third season.
- Trap (2024): He played Cooper Abbott, a Philadelphia firefighter who is secretly a serial killer known as the Butcher. Warner Bros. released it in the US on 2 August 2024. It earned about $83 million worldwide on a $30 million budget.
- Fight or Flight (2025): An action film in which he plays a mercenary tracking a target on a flight.
- Verity and Below (2026): He is listed in a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel Verity and in the lead role of the miniseries Below.
Note: some early reports described his Trap character as a protective father caught up in a serial killer case. In the film, he is the killer himself, who takes his teenage daughter to a pop concert that police have turned into a trap.
Why the story got so much attention
Hollywood interviews often include an “embarrassing moment” question, and most answers are forgotten quickly. This one travelled because Pearl Harbor is still one of the most talked-about blockbusters of the early 2000s, and because Hartnett rarely discusses that period of his life in detail.
The timing also helped. In 2024 he was back in the news for Trap and his recent run of roles, so fans were curious about his early career. For more celebrity news and explainers, see our Buzz section, and for film and series coverage, visit Entertainment.
Further reading: Hartnett shared with ELLE in a lengthy video interview published Friday, grossed $449 million worldwide, he told Details in 2014 about leaving Hollywood, per UPI.
Frequently asked questions
What was Josh Hartnett’s most embarrassing moment?
He named a parachute scene with Kate Beckinsale while filming Pearl Harbor (2001). He told ELLE in 2024 that he felt terrible for the whole day of the shoot.
Who directed Pearl Harbor?
Michael Bay directed the film, and he produced it with Jerry Bruckheimer. It starred Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale.
How much did Pearl Harbor earn?
It earned about $449.2 million worldwide on a budget of about $140 million, despite mostly negative reviews. It won one Oscar, for Best Sound Editing.
What is Josh Hartnett doing now?
After Oppenheimer, The Bear and Trap, he starred in Fight or Flight (2025) and is listed in Verity and the miniseries Below in 2026.
Sources: Josh Hartnett, Wikipedia; Pearl Harbor (film), Wikipedia; Trap (2024 film), Wikipedia.
