H20 Exclusive Interview

At 19 years old, Josh Hartnett is a brand new face in the film world...making his cinematic debut in HALLOWEEN H20. What's more frightening is that he plays John Tate, the nephew of Michael Myers! Hartnett speaks in a very deep, but quiet voice. Sporting the same blue hat he wore on the set of HALLOWEEN H20, Hartnett sat down to tell us about his experience with Michael Myers!

Q: Josh, on the behind the scenes clips we've seen you're in that same blue hat you're wearing now. Is there something special about that hat?

JH: I did a movie where I've got extensions and when I'm on the set, it's just nice to - hide myself.

Q: What are you working on right now?

JH: Right now I'm working on a movie called VIRTUAL SUICIDES. Sophia Coppola is directing.

Q: This is your feature film debut. Seeing the fame previous HALLOWEEN alumni have reached, do you think any of that will happen to you?

JH: I can just hope for the best and kinda take what's coming...try and be respectful to fans who want autographs.

Q: As an actor, don't you even dream of fame?

JH: I never really did. I know its probably completely senile, but what I really want to do is theater. I went to theater school and got booted, got kicked out.

Q: Why?

JH: (Laughs) You really ask good questions. Ahhh....why. Lots of reasons, lots of reasons. Well, it's a state run school, and they don't really have a lot of funding for the arts, so they can't really afford to graduate everyone they take in. They took in 26 of us and the first day they told us only 7 of us would graduate. And that's not a good position to put a volatile young actor in, to pin 'em against each other. So anyway, I told them that's probably not the best way to go about it, in this very eloquently written letter. And they really didn't appreciate it. And there was also something about a professor's daughter...(laughs)

Q: A lot of your scenes in H20 are with Jamie Lee Curtis. What's she like to work with?

JH: Jamie Lee...she is a luminous person. She's got charisma and such passion. And that's something every young actor should take a look at. To sit back and watch the way she works is really a lesson. She's just great.

Q: Likewise, what was Michelle Williams like?

JH: She's a talented actress. I had to strain just to keep my jaw off the floor.

Q: Did you watch the first HALLOWEEN before working on H20?

JH: Yeah. I saw the first one tow weeks before we started. it is a classic movie. That's where the horror cliché came from.

Q: How much of you is in the character of John Tate?

JH: Quite a bit actually.

Q:Can you picture yourself becoming a teen idol?

JH: I don't think there's any problem with being a teen idol if you can handle it, if that's what comes. It's such an insane business. There's this standard you have to be in order to be a teen idol. I dunno if I could handle that.

Q: Who and what were some of your influences in the movies?

JH: Ethan Hawke. He's a terrific actor. My inspiration when I was younger - my Dad made me watch ON THE WATERFRONT. Jimmy Stewart, people like that.

Q: When did you know you wanted to be an actor?

JH: About three years ago. I hurt my knee while playing football. I auditioned for this play...and I got the part. I got up on stage and people were clapping - and looking at me. It was exciting. I felt like I had a place.

-H20 official page