He seems to have the mark of a pro Hollywood movie kid, but really, Josh comes from an extremely humble background.  He was born Joshua Daniel Hartnett on July 21st, 1978 in St. Paul, Minnesota, the oldest of three siblings (Jake, Joe, and Jessica).  He began his schooling days at Nativity of our Lord grade school and then went on to Middle School at Creitin Durham Hall.  In 1992 Josh made the big jump to St. Paul's South High school where he shared the classroom with fellow star on the rise Rachel Leigh Cook.  While in High school, Josh was your everyday kid.  He was on the football team and he took odd jobs, particularly the movie store he started at, to pay for everything a high schooler would need.  However, at the age of 16 Josh's football playing came to a dead stop after a blow to his knee stopped all rough activity for the year.  Taking his friends up on a bet, Josh soon auditioned for his South High School's fall play, where he eventually found his calling.  Finding his love of the stage Josh soon honed his skills at the Children's Theater Company, Youth Performance Company, and Stepping Stone Theater.  Eventually he landed his first ever television appearance in a Norwest Airlines Commercial.

He graduated in the spring of 1996 and jetted off for acting school at New York's SUNY (State University of New York).  He admitted in an interview for Cracker that he was kicked out for writing an “eloquent letter” to the program directors about their needs to fund the program better, and he sly fully added, “and something about a professor's daughter…” Refusing to give up his dreams to become an actor Josh high tailed it to L.A. and would eventually audition for Dawson's Creek six times and try a shot at a role in “Postmen” with Kevin Costner.  After hard work and determination Josh got his big brake when Stephen Cragg offered him a part in the short-lived television series “Cracker.”  This opened not only fellow actor's eyes, but people in Hollywood all together.

The very next year Josh was offered his first on screen role to act as Jamie Lee Curtis's prep school son in the epic thriller “Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later.”  Josh seemed to have a knack for the horror flick scene and the next year he popped up again, this time as troubled child and mad scientist Zeke in Robert Rodriguez's “The Faculty.”  Fulfilling his reported “knack for dating co-stars” Josh was rumored to snatch up fellow “Faculty” cast member Jordana Brewster for a short period of time.  The two, along with the rest of the “Faculty” cast were soon signed a contract with the Tommy Hilfiger company.  Yearning more to step outside the “teen idol” cover he had been given, Josh ventured off onto Sofia Coppola's odd flick “The Virgin Suicides.”  Playing Trip Fontaine, Josh says it was the character he felt “most at home with.”  Moving on Josh paved way to his super stardom with the story-book romance “Here on Earth” where he met and befriended fellow co-star Chris Klein. It was during this time that Josh was rumored to get involved briefly with Canadian Model Estella Warren.  Heading into 2000 Josh began work on Tim Nelson's much anticipated release of “O,” a Shakespearean knock off of “Othello.”  Also in 2000, Josh filmed “Blow Dry” with fellow Minnesotan and High school buddy Rachel Leigh Cook.  He had a smaller, yet significant role in Peter Chelsom's “Town and Country” that same year.

According to Entertainment Weekly magazine, Josh's next role would be the hardest for him, not only to accept, but to deal with every day afterward.  That movie, which would launch Josh into film super stardom was Michael Bay's epic “Pearl Harbor.”  Josh admitted to Entertainment Weekly that he was “scared to take the role because I was a bit concerned that it might make me a bit more famous than I already am.”  Reportedly, after a much needed trip across the river (from Minneapolis to St. Paul) and a brief discussion with his dad over a car wash, Josh decided to take on the role of Danny Walker next to Ben Affleck and Kate Beckinsale.  The movie itself fell short of Titanic, not only in budget, but also in opening week box office sales, however, for Josh, he did not fall short of Leonardo DiCaprio style success off the film.

Recently Josh has been setting records for website visits all over the internet and his upcoming films, “40 days and 40 nights,” “Black Hawk Dawn,” and “Member,” are sure to bring the young girls swarming to the theaters and searching out shirtless pictures of the hunky actor.  But don't move too fast girls, this boy is hot to trot, the June edition of German “Cosmopolitan” stated that Josh was seeing a Russian actress of who's name was not revealed.  As well, British tabloid The Sun reports he may have his heart set on singer Natalie Imbruglia.  But, keep your eyes pealed, we haven't seen the last of Josh Hartnett.