Josh Hartnett received an "unhealthy" amount of fan attention during his younger years.
Josh Hartnett has recalled his struggles with fame
The 46-year-old actor achieved heartthrob status as a teenager, but Josh now admits that he found it to be an overwhelming experience.
He told the Observer newspaper: "People’s attention to me at the time was borderline unhealthy."
Asked to clarify what he meant, Josh replied: "Well, look, I don’t want to give this a lot of weight ... There were incidents. People showed up at my house. People that were stalking me."
Josh recalled one incident when "a guy showed up at one of my premieres with a gun, claiming to be my father. He ended up in prison."
Josh ultimately decided to step away from Hollywood, and focus his attention on independent projects instead.
He explained: "There were lots of things. It was a weird time. And I wasn’t going to be grist for the mill."
Meanwhile, Josh previously admitted that he hasn't had a "cohesive career".
The actor was one of the most sought-after stars in Hollywood during his younger years, but Josh has subsequently opted to shun some big-budget film projects.
Speaking to The Independent, Josh - who previously starred in 'Pearl Harbor' and 'Black Hawk Down' - explained: "I have an artistic mind, and I want to follow things that are somehow just outside of my understanding.
"Does that necessarily make for a cohesive career in a movie star sense? No. But before the last few years I just had less of a chance to do it."
Josh loves making movies and TV shows - but he doesn't enjoy the pressures of fame.
He explained: "Coming up to the city and doing an interview is a rarity. Typically, I work on the films that I work on, and then I go home."
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