Josh Hartnett Had to Escape Fame  2/15/06

Hollywood star Josh Hartnett became so overwhelmed by fame after starring in blockbuster movies Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down, he returned to his home in Minnesota to hide.

The 28-year-old, who turned down numerous roles during an 18-month hiatus from acting, was fearful stardom was causing him to lose his identity.

He says, When I first started to get a certain amount of fame, I didn't want to deal with it at all, and moving back to Minnesota was kind of my way of pushing it all away.

"Michael Bay (Pearl Harbor director) wouldn't have done what I did, but I wasn't ready to just take my success at face value.

"I wanted to try to eke out my own way, to etch my own path."

Hartnett was also disturbed by the fact he had shot to stardom by playing military heroes in both films - characters so far removed from the real him.

He adds, "I felt, 'Am I still Josh Hartnett?'

"It was the best thing for me (to go home), because I wasn't happy being part of the system that way - I never have been.

"Maybe that's because of my Minnesota roots."