Josh Hartnett might have risen to fame in movies likePearl Harbor,but one of his best roles comes from television in the underratedPenny Dreadful. The fact that the actor was away from the big screen for a while had many wonderingwhat happened to Josh Hartnett. Now that we are in a Hartnett renaissance with movies likeOppenheimerandTrap, it is clear that his focus on smaller projects allowed him to develop his versatility as an actor. Many of these are lesser known, but feature an excellent performance from Hartnett.
Hartnett often plays unconventional characters, and this was especially apparent in the 2010s. He starred in the quirky comedyOh Lucy!as a teacher with an unusual outlook on life, and while the Belgian time travel romanceThe Loversmay not be one ofJosh Hartnett’s best movies, he was praised for his dual role performance. While Hartnett has acted across many genres, he has made a name for himself in horror. He was excellent in the 2007 vampire horror movie30 Days of Night, butJosh Hartnett’s best horrorproject is the 2014 TV show,Penny Dreadful.
Penny Dreadful Is A Great Horror Show That Flew Under A Lot Of People’s Radars
Penny Dreadful Has Some Big Names In Its Cast
Penny Dreadfulis based on a collection of British horror stories from the Victorian era, known as “Penny Dreadfuls.” The series has a gothic horror tone and follows familiar characters from existing literature, like Dorian Grey, Victor Frankenstein, and Abraham van Helsing. The costume design inPenny Dreadfulis outstanding, and the series is both dramatic and scary. Declining views and a budget cut meant the show ended abruptly and was largely forgotten, butPenny Dreadfulhas a 91% positive critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes and isdestined to become a 2010s TV classic.
Josh Hartnett is not the only well-known name involved inPenny Dreadful, as the series has an extremely strong ensemble cast. Eva Green plays Vanessa Ives, the central character in the series, whose backstory is one of the main plots. Billie Piper, Timothy Dalton, and Rory Kinnear all have central roles, appearing in all 27 episodes ofPenny Dreadful. The series was well-received, with the second season getting a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with Eva Green and Josh Hartnett’s performances being especially lauded.
Before His Big Movie Comeback, Josh Hartnett Was Great As Penny Dreadful’s Ethan Chandler
Josh Hartnett’s Performance In Penny Dreadful Is Underrated
While some ofPenny Dreadful’s characters are evil, most are morally ambiguous, allowing the actors to show a lot of nuance in their portrayals.Josh Hartnett plays Ethan Chandler, an American cowboy who has been bitten by a werewolf, making him a werewolf too. Chandler has a dark backstory which he is trying to make amends for, but struggles with the fact that he hurts people without meaning to when he becomes a wolf. Chandler is charming and heroic, but extremely dangerous without trying to be. This gave Hartnett an interesting character to play, and he shone in the role.
Josh Hartnett’s career renaissancebegan in 2023, when he starred in bothBlack Mirrorseason 6 andOppenheimer. Before then, he had not taken on a major role sincePenny Dreadful. In addition to all his recent movie roles,Hartnett has an upcoming Netflix series, set in Newfoundland, Canada. The show does not yet have a title, but it will see Hartnett as a fisherman trying to protect his family from a sea monster. Hartnett does horror well, and his new thriller may be the perfect show to watch if you missPenny Dreadful.
