Josh Hartnett's 4 Kids: Everything He's Said About Being a Dad

The 'Trap' actor shares four children with his wife Tamsin Egerton

Josh Hartnett is a dad of four.

The Trap actor and his wife Tamsin Egerton are parents to four children, whose names they haven’t publicly disclosed. They welcomed their first child, a daughter, in late 2015, while their second and third children arrived in 2017 and 2019, respectively. In February 2024, Hartnett revealed that he and Egerton had quietly welcomed their fourth child.

Like their relationship, Hartnett and Egerton have kept their kids primarily out of the spotlight, however, Hartnett occasionally shares a look at his home life in interviews.

Notably, while promoting his latest role in M. Night Shyamalan’s horror film Trap, in which he plays a father, Hartnett has shared a few details about his children, including how he doesn’t necessarily want his kids to follow the same career as him.

“We'll try and keep them away from it as much as possible because we want them to have normal upbringings," he told PEOPLE of why he and Egerton don't raise their kids in the spotlight.

Here’s everything Josh Hartnett has shared about his children and fatherhood.

He and Tamsin raise their kids in the U.K. countryside

Despite being a Hollywood star, Hartnett and his family live in the Hampshire countryside of England. Speaking with PEOPLE, the actor explained why he chose to get out of Los Angeles years ago.

"Hollywood is more than a place; it's like a state of mind. If you're around people who are constantly talking about the movie business, your life is going to be pretty much one note. And I've never wanted that," he explained.

"I've always wanted to be around ... people generally doing lots of other things that would bring my mind off of my work and force me to grow in different directions," continued Hartnett. "To me, that's the spice of life."

Becoming a dad put everything into perspective for him

Following the birth of his first child in 2015, Hartnett gushed about how fatherhood changed him during an appearance on Live with Kelly and Michael in 2016. “She’s the apple of my eye. She’s perfect in every way,” he told the hosts. “It puts things in a totally new perspective.”

“Your ego just melts away when you have a new kid — your heart leaves your body, and you give it permission to walk around with someone else for a while,” he added. “It’s really terrifying, but it’s beautiful. I love it more than anything — I wish I would’ve started earlier.”

Being a dad is what he’s most proud of

During an interview with Mr. Porter in 2021, Hartnett confirmed he was a dad of three, noting that being a family man was what he was most proud of in his life.

“The thing I am most proud of is that I’m a father of three and I have a good relationship with my partner and a great family life and I’m still able to do good work and, as I’ve got older, the characters have become more interesting,” he told the publication.

He doesn’t want his kids to become actors

Having grown up in the spotlight himself, Hartnett told PEOPLE he doesn’t necessarily want that same lifestyle for his children. "I mean, I'd have to be if they really wanted to, but I wouldn't encourage it," Hartnett explained. "Not to make it too simplified, but I do think the industry is really tough on girls, and I don't want that for my kids. I also think the industry is tough on actors. We're always waiting for people to say it's okay for us to do our job."

Though he added, "If my kids wanted to be directors, or if my kids wanted to be musicians the way that Night's are, I would understand that. That would be really cool."

He always looks forward to spending time with them when he gets off set

It’s clear that being a dad is Hartnett’s No. 1 priority. At the premiere of Trap, he opened up to PEOPLE about how he maintains a healthy work-life balance, noting that “it’s never easy.”

He added that he looks forward to hanging out with them whenever he’s finished filming, especially on an intense movie like Trap. "We have so much fun with our kids, so to be able to have that when I get off set, especially on something like this, is a dream come true. You need it," added Hartnett. "You need it in order to take this stuff out of your bed."

Having kids shaped which roles he takes on

During a conversation with The New York Times, Hartnett discussed his new role in Trap as well as his role as a father in real life. When asked if becoming a dad shaped his career in any way, he replied, “I spend a lot more time at home. I don’t choose to do something unless it feels like it’s really going to be worth it.”

He added that he didn’t really bring any of his own experiences from fatherhood into the role, though he and Shyamalan certainly bonded over having three girls. “I doubt Night would have chosen me if I didn’t have kids,” he said. “That was necessary. He loves the fact that I have three girls and he has three girls. This movie was born out of something in his relationship with his daughters.”

His daughters made him a Swiftie

Being a girl dad, Hartnett has become immersed in their music preferences, specifically listening to Taylor Swift. As the concert in Trap is intentionally similar to one of Swift's Eras Tour shows, the actor told PEOPLE that he finally attended a concert with his girls when he wrapped filming.

"I became well-versed after the movie, but before I really didn't know," Hartnett said of the real-life fandom and "mania" surrounding the “Bad Blood” singer. "Some of the stuff, while we were filming, I was thinking, 'God, this is a little over the top. The amount of the fervor of the audience, and they know every word.' Then I went to the concert. I was like, no, it's exactly right."

"The thing is, my kids weren't really into pop music so much last year when we shot [Trap]," he explained. "Then when they heard the Eras Tour was coming because their friends at school were all into the concept, they just immediately became Swifties — and really hardcore Swifties."

"We listened to that music for six months nonstop in the car before we went to the show," he added, noting that his favorite era is 1989.

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