Josh Hartnett Says ‘Below’ Changed His Mind About TV Roles

Josh Hartnett says he was “actively not looking” for a television role when he read the script for Netflix’s thriller miniseries Below, according to reporting by The Hollywood Reporter.

The Oppenheimer actor told THR at its Toronto International Film Festival studio that he had just finished a film and planned to make another when Jesse McKeown’s script changed his mind. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is amazing,’” Hartnett said.

Set in a remote Newfoundland fishing village, Below follows Calvin as he tries to protect his family and community from a mysterious sea creature. The cast also includes Charlie Heaton, Mackenzie Davis and Natasha Henstridge.

Hartnett said the series has a more human-focused, less overtly comedic tone than Widow’s Bay, despite both involving comedy-horror elements. He and Heaton, who play father and son, worked with a dialect coach to develop a shared Newfoundland accent. Hartnett also listened to CBC’s long-running radio show The Broadcast almost every day because of the region’s many local dialects.

The role also required Hartnett to play someone comfortable in the water, despite the actor’s own fear of it. “I’m terrified of the water,” he said. Below debuts on Netflix on Oct. 8. For entertainment audiences tracking Hartnett’s move between film and television, his comments offer a direct explanation of why this particular project overcame his stated preference to keep making movies.