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Teen Beat: We love Josh Hartnett Cover Story

Josh Hartnett may be Hollywood's next big thing, but he's still a Midwestern boy at heart. He continues to live in St. Paul, Minnesoata, where he spent his childhood playing football and work at a local video store.
When he was growing up, acting was the farthest thing from his mind-until he was disabled by a football injury. "I really didn't have anything to do," Josh recalls," and I heard about and audition for this local production of Tom Sawyer. I didn't go to learn about acting-it started with me just being
competitive and wanting to see if I could beat out the other kids." But he got the role and it changed his life. "I kind of just took to it," he says about acting . " I loved the immediate grafitication of being onstage."
After college, Josh turned to acting full-time. His big break was the short-lived 1997 televison series Cracker, which lead to far more high-profile (and scarier) roles the following year in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later and The Faculty. Almost overnight, Josh was on the Hollywood hot list, but he wasn't inclined to become the new buzz boy- he evern turned down a chance to aution for Dawson's Creek. "It's not hard saying 'no' to the money," he says. "It's hard to say 'no' to good people. My bottom line is that movies come and go, but your self-respect is something you can keep
forever. I'm jusy trying to be selective."
That attitude has lead him to more romantic roles: The Virgin Suicides(1999), Here on Earth(2000), the recently released (and very controversial) O and, of course, last summer's Pearl Harbor. The role of Danny Walker, made him into an international star, but Josh wasn't even sure he wanted the part. So he talked it over with his dad. "My father is a really good friend to me ," he once said." And I like to talk to him while washing his car. So I went home to Minnesoata and got out the big bucket and the towels. My father knew it was serious."
What finally decided it for the star was the simple fact that Pearl Harbor felt like a sloid project. So what's next for Josh? The upcoming flim Black Hawk Down, Another movie about mean at war, this one is set in Somalia in 1993 and Hartnett plays a staff sergent who loses a number of men during the
fighting. When it came to the battle scenes, Josh knew what he was doing. "At least I had some job experience in this depatment," he admits.
Josh will finally get out of uniform in 40 Days and 40 Nights, a romantic comedy in which he responds to a bad breakup by swearing off girls for 40 days-just before he meets his true love. In real life, he has yet to meet the girl of his dreams, although he has reportedly gone out with superstar model Giselle Bundchen and his 40 Days costar Monet Mazur. Given all the attention he's been getting, Josh is being careful to keep his feet on the ground and tries to spend as much time as possible in St. Paul near friends and family.
"I try to stay out of Los Angeles," he says. "It's easier to stay away from the core of show business. Plus, Minnesoata keeps me grounded. Things are not such a big deal. People understand you." And is he's faced with a tough career decision, he knows hot to deal. "I can always go to my Dad's house," he explains," and wash cars."

-Teen Beat