Josh Hartnett Reveals He Was “Actively Not Looking to Do a TV Show” Before Joining ‘Below’

Josh Hartnett was happy to continue his career on the big screen before Below came his way.

The Oppenheimer actor revealed on Friday that was “actively not looking” for television roles before reading the script of the Netflix thriller miniseries, created and written by Jesse McKeown.

“Can I just say I was actively not looking to do a TV show?” Harnett shared at The Hollywood Reporter ’s Studio at 1 Hotel during Toronto International Film Festival , presented by sponsor Canada Goose. “Like, I was actively not looking for this. I’d just came off a movie and wanted to do another movie. I was going to go do another movie, and then I read this [script], and I was like, ‘Wow, this is amazing.’” Related Stories Movies Sebastian Stan Says "Invitation to Be Negative" in Society "Starts at the Top": "It's Just So Lazy" Movies HBO Buys Megan Rapinoe Doc, Betting on the Outspoken Soccer Legend (Exclusive)

Set in a remote Newfoundland fishing village, Below follows Hartnett’s Calvin as he fights to protect his family and community from a mysterious, terrifying sea creature. The series, which also stars Charlie Heaton, Mackenzie Davis and Natasha Henstridge, has been compared to Apple TV’s comedy horror hit Widow’s Bay , but Hartnett sees a distinct difference between the two shows.

“ I saw Widow’s Bay and I really liked it, but there’s a totally different tone in this show,” he explained. “It’s much more sort of human-oriented and less sort of overtly comedic, but very funny in its own way.”