Josh Hartnett on Starring in M. Night Shyamalan's Trap

For M. Night Shyamalan’s latest thriller, Trap, the director wanted a lead actor who is willing to take risks. He found what he was looking for in Josh Hartnett, whose diverse credits include the romantic comedy 40 Days and 40 Nights, the action/war movie Black Hawk Down, the horror TV series Penny Dreadful, and most recently, the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer.

In Trap, Josh Hartnett takes on the role of a father attending a concert with his daughter. The narrative takes a shocking turn when it's revealed that the concert is actually a police sting operation aimed at capturing a serial killer—who turns out to be Hartnett's character.

In this exclusive interview, Hartnett delved into the intricacies of his character, Cooper, and shared his approach to bringing this multifaceted role to life. He also offered a glimpse into his collaboration with Shyamalan, discussing the director’s unique style and the dynamic process on set.

Trap opens in Philippine cinemas on July 31.

Hartnett on playing Cooper: "It’s a very tricky but fun character to play. If it leans too far one way or another, you could lose either the goodwill of the audience or the sense of danger."

How did you approach the role of Cooper?

Josh Hartnett: I first read the script just before meeting with Night and had an understanding of what his approach would be beforehand. I knew that the script was a type of blueprint for the storyboards that he was going to draw, but I needed to speak to him to get a sense of the film’s tone and flavor. There is a lot in the script that feels larger-than-life, wild and unusual, and some of it is very dark. It feels heightened, but I knew that Night was going to be able to pull everything together and make it something surprising and cohesive. I really wanted to hear his perspective. My whole process was trying to find the buoyancy and the lightness within that, and to understand what this character could be going through. But really, at its heart, I think that this film is a father-daughter love story, how they care about each other. They’re going to see his daughter’s favorite singer in concert. And then, it grows into something that is much more nefarious and wild.

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How was it working with M. Night Shyamalan?

I was incredibly familiar with Night’s work because I was coming up at about the same time that he was making his first films, and they were massive. I went to the premiere of The Village in New York because I had friends who were in it. Afterwards, we all went to dinner together with Night and he and I talked for an hour or so with other people. I thought he was great. He was amazing, and he’s obviously an incredible filmmaker. We never saw each other again, until I got a call about this.

I’ve seen everything he’s done since then—he’s one of the true original filmmakers of our time, along with the fact that he continually puts out these films with excellent concepts and terrific performances. And he gets audiences in to see them. There aren’t many people that can do that. He also has a singular perspective. There’s nobody like Night and you’ve got to respect that. It is an enormous achievement to be able to create a signature style within this industry. Yet, he’s always exploring something that’s unique to him.

You can see the arc of who he is and what he’s aiming toward over the course of his whole career. I think he would admit that he’s a big Hitchcock fan, and you can see that influence, but there’s also something else—something different—that I really respond to. It’s rare that you get to work with somebody who has such command of film language. Also, he’s a really nice guy, which is probably the most important thing when you’re making an intense film like this. We’re on set every day, and my character is in every scene. But he makes it so easy. He’s just such a gem of a human being. I find it enormously gratifying to be a part of this.

What was the process like for this film?

Night is a really sweet person, and I think he recognizes that this experience is a privilege, not a right. Being able to come to work every day and make stories is what we’re all here for, and he enjoys it very much. He prepares like no one I’ve ever worked with. He knows exactly what shots he needs every day. He’d written the entire movie and storyboarded it before we started. I was talking to the makeup and hair people, and they said they had a meeting with him at the beginning of this film. He told them that there were going to be 811 shots, and I think he stuck to it.

On working with Ariel Donoghue: "She’s a professional and she gets it. But she’s also this energetic presence that changes the dynamic every day she’s on set."

Who is Cooper? Tell us more about your character.

Cooper is a firefighter by trade, and he has a lot going on outside of his domestic obligations and his role in society. He’s a father and loves his daughter very much. He finds himself in a tricky situation in this film. As the title suggests, he finds himself in a trap and must find his way out. My job is to get into his head, feel everything from his perspective, and give him the benefit of the doubt, even though he is essentially irredeemable. But for me, I can’t see him that way. Ultimately, I need to get to know him and like him in some respects. That’s been a process. I researched and read many books, trying to understand people like him and why they are the way they are, and then portraying him as a dynamic and fun character onscreen.

What are the challenges of playing a character whose perspective the film is based on?

The movie is built around this character, and the concept of this character is something that Night was really interested in exploring. He doesn’t do many films that are from a single perspective, and this one is pretty much just from Cooper's perspective. To achieve that, we had to make him as fascinating and layered as possible. It’s a very tricky but fun character to play. If it leans too far one way or another, you could lose either the goodwill of the audience or the sense of danger. It really needs to walk that fine line, like a high-wire act. I think that’s why Night wanted to take it on. That’s definitely what appealed to me. There are so many challenges, but it has been a lot of fun finding that balance with Night. We both have a similar sensibility about these characters and a desire to play something so dangerous. It’s like saying, “Let’s see if we can pull it off!”

Why was Ariel Donoghue the best choice to play your character’s daughter?

I love Ari. She’s such a dynamic human being. A lot of actors are affected by what they perceive to be their role in this business, but Ari is totally unaffected. I love it. She’s so open—everything she thinks just comes out of her mouth, and it makes it so much fun to be on set with her, because you never know what’s going to happen next. Sometimes, there’s a tendency among younger actors to not want to repeat the same thing over and over. She’s a professional and she gets it. But she’s also this energetic presence that changes the dynamic every day she’s on set. And I think that her presence onscreen is astounding. It’s exciting to see her doing her thing.

Speaking of father-daughter relationships, Saleka Shyamalan had the opportunity to work with her dad on this film. Can you talk more about her work here?

Saleka is an extraordinarily talented human being who, aside from Night, probably had the most to do on this film. She wrote and recorded an album, learned all of the choreography for the stage performance, and basically had to go on tour. She also had to create a character. None of this is from her perspective, but what she’s doing with the music is soundtracking my character’s interactions and the way he understands what’s happening to him. All of the songs—which are amazing in their own right—relate to what Cooper is going through over the course of the film. They don’t sound overt or cheesy, and you don’t quite get their significance at first. It’s not in your face. It’s a remarkable achievement. She’s done all of that, and it’s her first film, plus she’s being directed by Night. I think that’s a Herculean effort she’s put in, and it’s an inspiration.