The Stunning Transformation Of Josh Hartnett's Wife Tamsin Egerton

Thanks to his performances in blockbuster flicks like "Pearl Harbor" and small budget indies like "The Virgin Suicides," Josh Hartnett transformed into one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood in the '90s and early 2000s. His time in the spotlight didn't last, however, as he traded in his stardom for a quieter life. But when he does step back out in the spotlight for, say, a movie premiere, he's often joined by wife Tamsin Egerton.

Like Hartnett, the Hampshire native also made a name for herself as an actor at a young age. Nowadays, however, she and Hartnett have embraced raising a family far away from Tinseltown, putting their acting careers on the back burner. As Egerton's husband told Mr. Porter in 2021, "I decided to have a life. To put that first. That was always my goal." It seems safe to assume Egerton shares this goal. 

Hartnett's acting career experienced a renaissance of sorts thanks to 2024's "Trap" and 2023's "Oppenheimer." However, it doesn't sound like he's eager to work like he did in the '90s and '00s. "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 told The New York Times in 2024. Egerton's own career has also gone through some ebbs and flows, too. Here is how she transformed from former child actor to proud mom of four.

Tamsin Egerton was born on November 26, 1988, in Hampshire, England. In a 2011 interview with the Independent, she reflected on her upbringing and the ways in which it shaped who she is today. "My parents are very different people, which I think has made me a rounded person," she said. "My mum is a bit unconventional, she's outdoorsy and has more of an emotional intelligence whereas my dad is pragmatic, he's a businessman." 

While she did get into the performing arts at a young age, Egerton initially hoped to pursue an entirely different career path. As she told the outlet, she grew up loving animals and even considered becoming a veterinarian. "We've always had a house filled with animals so there was constantly something on your lap wanting a cuddle," she said.  "We had guinea pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits at home — we had everything!" Alas, her dream of getting into veterinary science eventually fizzled. "I decided I wanted to be an actress from the age of 11: I got the bug and that was it," she said. 

Egerton's love of animals seems to be as strong as ever. As the Hollywood Authentic noted in a 2024 profile of Josh Hartnett, the couple have goats, chickens, guinea pigs, and a dog.

Tamsin Egerton's acting career started thanks to her older sister, Sophia Egerton. As Tamsin recounted in the aforementioned chat with the Independent, Sophia seemed to be a natural performer from an early age. "My sister is very extrovert, you'd hear her singing or dancing or generally shouting," she recalled. In a separate chat with The Scotsman, Tamsin gushed about how much she looked up to Sophia when they were kids. "My sister's such a huge personality that she dictated our childhood! She's fantastically vivacious and strong," she said.

Once Sophia decided to get involved with a local youth theater group, 6-year-old Tamsin pulled the classic little sibling move and followed suit. "The whole reason I'm acting now is because I wanted to be doing what my big sister was doing," she told the Independent in 2008. "If she'd wanted to be an astronaut, I'd probably have done that." Just as she joined, Tamsin quickly fell in love with the craft. It didn't take long before she'd decide that being an actor was what she wanted to do, and for good reason. In addition to garnering small gigs in commercials, Tamsin found steady success appearing alongside Anjelica Huston in "The Mists of Avalon" and Stina Nordenstam's music video for "Everyone Else in the World." Her time in the local youth theater group paid off as she continued to work as an actor; Sophia decided to pursue other ventures. 

When she was a teenager still trying to find her footing in the acting industry, Tamsin Egerton also picked up some modeling work. Though she found some success in the modeling world, Egerton does not seem too keen on that period of her life. 

In a 2007 interview with Daily Mail, Egerton spoke candidly about the time she spent modeling between acting jobs. "I did model for a little while part-time, but I wasn't a bloody model and I am definitely not that horrible thing 'model-turned-actress,'" she stated. What's more, she did not appreciate the way she was treated at certain modeling gigs. "I hated modeling," she said. "I found people were very disrespectful — it was, 'Don't talk,' as if you were a thing, not a person. I am sure if you work your way up in modeling — if you are a Lily Cole — you gain respect. But for me, having been used to being treated on set with respect as an actress and someone with talent, to suddenly be treated as an object was horrible." As the years have gone by, Egerton's feelings about modeling haven't exactly softened. In 2013, she would tell the Daily Mail that the work was "boring."

During her teen years, Tamsin Egerton's acting career continued to chug along, landing roles like Betsy Balcome in the "Napoléon" miniseries and a regular spot in "Sir Gadabout, the Worst Knight in the Land." However, her success drew the ire of envious classmates who made her school life miserable. In a 2010 interview with Express, Egerton stated that she was regularly bullied by her peers.

"I think going away to do jobs pulled me apart from the group, sectioned me off, and made me different," Egerton suggested. "When I went back to school, I wanted to be a kid and play Barbies with my mates. But they didn't want to do that. They wanted to be mean." She told the publication that there were some instances where her classmates' behavior turned violent. "My teeth were knocked out when I was blindfolded and someone smashed me into a pole. ... Bullying is despicable and no one should get away with it," she stated.

While she had a difficult time with some of her classmates, she doesn't regret the unconventional path she took during her teen years. "I gained so much more than I lost by being a child actor," she stated in the Independent in 2011. "I'd be mortified to think my parents might have turned all that down to have me go to school all day every day, in a little box where everybody does the same thing the whole time and you get told off for speaking a bit louder than normal."

When Tamsin Egerton first got her start in acting, she mostly landed roles in historical dramas. In 2005, however, she stepped out of the genre and pivoted to comedy. Egerton's breakthrough comedic role was in the feature film "Keeping Mum," in which she starred alongside Rowan Atkinson, Kristin Scott Thomas, "Dirty Dancing" star Patrick Swayze, and "Downton Abbey" icon Maggie Smith. In it, Egerton played Holly Goodfellow, the rebellious teenage daughter of a pastor (played by Atkinson).

The role ended up being Egerton's most explicit role yet, as it involved a semi-nude scene. In her aforementioned interview with The Scotsman, she noted that she was only 16 when filming "Keeping Mum," but her parents were around to ensure her comfort and safety on the set. "We spoke to my mum. My dad is very supportive no matter what. I think he felt uncomfortable about it, but as long as I felt okay, and mum felt okay, then he was fine," she stated. "My mother got herself a license to be my chaperone and whenever I was acting as a child, [she] went everywhere with me." In her aforementioned 2011 chat with the Independent, she suggested that she was not that worried about the controversy the scene drummed up at the time. "It's not like I was doing a topless shot for a lads' mag. I'm not prudish," she said.

After "Keeping Mum," Tamsin Egerton continued to dabble in the comedy world. In addition to nabbing roles in police drama "Silent Witness" and action-adventure film "Eragon," Egerton struck gold when she landed the part of Chelsea in the 2007 film adaptation of "St. Trinian's." The comedy feature fell into her lap after her roommate — Elon Musk's ex-wife, Talulah Riley — suggested that she should audition for the movie as well. 

She returned to the role for the sequel "St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold," which hit theaters in 2009. As a result, Chelsea in the "St. Trinian's" franchise became Egerton's most notable role to date. Naturally, there were questions about whether or not she'd take on the role in future installments. While a third movie in the "St. Trinian's" series was in the works for a while, it never came to fruition. If it had been made, Egerton almost certainly would've been on board. In 2011, she told Digital Spy that she would be up for filming a third "St. Trinian's" film. "I love 'St. Trinian's. I love it. Especially the second one, I had such an amazing time. One of the best summers of my life with those girls, and it's such a collaborative piece. ... I'd love to do another one. Why not?" she said.

In 2011, Tamsin Egerton not only appeared in the comedy sports flick "Chalet Girl," but starred alongside "Stranger Things" actor Jamie Campbell Bower in "Camelot" for 10 episodes. That same year, she also happened to meet the man who would go on to become her husband. As Josh Hartnett shared in a 2024 chat with Julia Stiles for Interview magazine, he and Egerton first crossed paths while working on a project that never saw the light of day. "We played husband and wife in the worst movie either of us have ever made," he said. "No offense to the director, it'll remain nameless. It just got lost in post-production." (It's been speculated that the film was "The Lovers.")

The two connected immediately, even though neither were single at the time. According to Hartnett, they began dating after they split up from their respective significant others. The relationship was a long-distance courtship for a while, as she was living in London and he in the U.S. "Then she came out to the States and we went on a long road trip where she met my parents and it kept going," he recalled. The two waited until 2013 before they went public with their relationship. 

Egerton and Hartnett have stayed a relatively private couple ever since. "I purposefully didn't want people to know too much about my personal life because I think a lot of people give it away for free," Hartnett told USA Today in 2015. "I think if you spend too much time courting people's attention into your personal life, you lose your ownership of it. That's why I make sure my life is my own."

In 2015, Tamsin Egerton and Josh Hartnett became parents for the first time when their daughter was born — and the celebrity couple may have a lot more kids than you realized. In 2017, their second child arrived. Baby number three came in 2019, and a fourth little one was born in 2024. Given what we know about how private they are about their own relationship, it shouldn't come as a surprise that these stars are also incredibly private about their children; Egerton and Hartnett have not revealed their kids' names.

What we do know is that the family enjoys a quaint and peaceful life in Hampshire, England. We also know that Egerton grew quite fond of her motherly duties, which is apparent on her Instagram profile. In addition to sharing personal photos of her children, her Instagram is also home to her dishing out secrets of her journey to motherhood to her followers. When asked about one of her greatest accomplishments she's most proud of on her Instagram Story in 2018, she replied, "My children!"

As if her acting career and motherhood didn't keep her busy enough, Tamsin Egerton has also become an advocate for various causes. She occasionally uses her Instagram account to promote movements such as the Be Kind to Elephants campaign to the Wild Born Project. She also has worked with the King's Trust, formerly known as the Prince's Trust. Founded in the United Kingdom, the King's Trust is a nonprofit that was created by King Charles III with the goal of providing people from disadvantaged backgrounds with opportunities, resources, and assistance. The organization has counted a number of high-profile stars as ambassadors over the years, including Rod Stewart, Idris Elba, and Geri Halliwell.

In 2008, Egerton became an ambassador. After attending a King's Trust event in 2019, she took to Instagram to share her thoughts on the organization altogether. Alongside a picture she took with A-listers such as George Clooney and "The Grinch" actor Benedict Cumberbatch, she expressed her admiration for the nonprofit. "I have been an ambassador for over 11 years and still love how hands-on, practical, and encouraging The Prince's Trust can be for those in need," she wrote. "There is no prejudice, only guidance and support."

As previously noted, Tamsin Egerton and Josh Hartnett have long kept the details of their relationship close to their chest. So, it should come as little surprise that they did not exactly broadcast their nuptials from the rooftops. Rather, Egerton shared an Instagram post in 2021 that simply hinted at their marriage. Within a carousel of pictures, Egerton included a photo of what appeared to be a wedding ring on her finger. Though the post was intended to thank everyone for the birthday wishes, some followers speculated that the "incredible week" she referred to in the caption to could've been about a wedding, too. 

In March 2022, The Sun confirmed that the two indeed tied the knot the year prior. According to the publication, the two held their wedding at the Old Marylebone Town Hall in London. Egerton and Hartnett reportedly enjoyed a humble ceremony with very few in attendance. An unnamed source spoke candidly about the event to The Sun, confirming that they are indeed married. "They're as smitten as ever and wanted to make it official in a low-key affair. It was a classy ceremony with only a handful of close family and friends," they stated. "They're really happy living a low-key life away from showbiz parties and red carpets, so are happy to fly under the radar."

After Tamsin Egerton became a mother in 2015, she seemingly took a break from acting altogether to focus on being a parent. She addressed this decision in a 2018 Instagram Story. "I had two babies super close together and therefore felt it paramount to be full-time mummy whilst they were both so young," she said. "Now my youngest has just turned one, I feel much more comfortable going back [to acting]. My family are everything, so the next step just has to be right." In 2019, she'd return to the big screen in "Balance, Not Symmetry," only to take another lengthy break after her third child was born. 

Aside from a few stage performances, Egerton's acting career has been relatively quiet in recent years. But in 2024, Egerton announced she had a part in the film "Tell That to the Winter Sea." Just weeks before its release, she took to Instagram to share the news with her followers. "I was asked to be a small little role in this by dear friends Greta Bellamacina and Jaclyn Bethany. On a whim, I said yes and I'm so glad I did," she wrote. "Working with an entirely female cast and crew really did feel magical. ... I wish this film all the sparkle it deserves." Fans will have to stay tuned to see what's next for Egerton.