Two decades later, Josh Hartnett has finally shared why he chose to leave Los Angeles at the height of his fame.

In a recent Guardian interview, the 46-year-old actor, currently starring in M. Night Shyamalan’s film "Trap," explained, “I didn’t want my life to be consumed entirely by my work. Back then, it felt like you had to give everything up, and you saw how some people ended up being overwhelmed by it. I didn’t want that for myself.”

Josh Hartnett’s Hollywood career took off in the late 1990s, when he gained recognition for his roles in indie films like The Faculty and  The Virgin Suicides. His rise continued with leading parts in the 2001 films Black Hawk Down and Pearl Harbor, as well as the 2002 movie 40 Days and 40 Nights

Despite achieving significant success in Hollywood with films like Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down, and even famously turning down the role of Superman twice, Hartnett observed that there was no clear distinction between "happy Josh and unhappy Josh." He explained, “The attention I received at the time was bordering on unhealthy.”