"I Felt Terrible": Why 2001 Michael Bay War Movie's Love Scene Was Embarrassing For One Leading Star
Summary
- Josh Hartnett’s most embarrassing moment was filming a love scene in
Pearl Harbor
with Kate Beckinsale while her young child was on set. - Hartnett’s career has evolved with roles in
Trap
and
Oppenheimer
that showcase his impressive range and acting abilities. - Despite
Pearl Harbor
‘s impact, Hartnett’s career now includes more nuanced roles that highlight his versatility as an actor.
Josh Hartnett reveals the most embarrassing moment in his career occurred while filming Pearl Harbor. The 2001 historical fiction film directed by Michael Bay saw Hartnett in the role of combat pilot Danny Walker, the lifelong best friend of fellow pilot Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck). In addition to adapting the real-life events of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II, the film’s plot revolved around its fictional characters engaged in a love triangle, as both Danny and Rafe were in love with a nurse named Evelyn Johnson (Kate Beckinsale).
When Elle asked Hartnett about his most embarrassing on-set moment, he chose a love scene between Danny and Evelyn, as Beckinsale brought her young child and her partner at the time to set that day. Check out the video below:
Hartnett discussed the strange nature of the intimate scene between Danny and Evelyn and how it was made more uncomfortable by the unexpected presence of Beckinsale’s loved ones, including her one-year-old daughter. He also shared how it impacted him for the rest of that day while on set. Read Hartnett’s full quote below:
One of my most embarrassing [moments] is the parachute scene from Pearl Harbor with Kate Beckinsale where we are making love in the parachutes for some reason. She decided to bring her young one-year-old daughter and her boyfriend to set for the first time that day. I felt terrible the whole day. That was super embarrassing.
Josh Hartnett’s Career Has Greatly Evolved Since Pearl Harbor
Trap, Oppenheimer, & Other Recent Projects Better Demonstrate His Impressive Range
Hartnett has proven he is just as adept at playing leading roles in Pearl Harbor and Trap as he is within Oppenheimer’s ensemble cast, or as a one-episode character in The Bear.
While Pearl Harbor remains one of Hartnett’s most recognizable roles, his career and the types of characters he plays have changed significantly since the 2001 film. Earlier in his career, Hartnett was cast in Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk Down, and other films that often prioritized gripping action sequences and tense cinematography over characterization. Hartnett did well in these roles, but was unable to showcase the full extent of his acting abilities given the artistic vision driving these stories.
In more recent years, Hartnett has had more of an opportunity to demonstrate his range by portraying more nuanced characters. This includes his most recent starring role as serial killer Cooper Adams in M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap, American physicist Ernest Lawrence in Christopher Nolan’s Academy Award-winning Oppenheimer, and important roles in an episode of Hulu’s The Bear and Netflix’s Black Mirror. Hartnett has shown he is just as effective at playing a cunning or calculated individual as he is at playing a deeply compassionate or heroic person.
Oppenheimer
won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
As important as Pearl Harbor was at the beginning of Hartnett’s career, it is exciting to now see him in a variety of roles distinct from Danny. Beyond the range he has demonstrated, Hartnett has proven he is just as adept at playing leading roles in Pearl Harbor and Trap as he is within Oppenheimer‘s ensemble cast, or as a one-episode character in The Bear. His career opportunities will hopefully only expand further as his career continues.
Source: Elle
