Josh Hartnett reveals surprising reason his kids don't want to watch his movies

Josh Hartnett has revealed the surprising reason his children don’t watch the movies he stars in, admitting that to his kids, he’s simply 'dad'.

Having a famous parent might sound like the ultimate brag, but for many celebrity kids, their parents' Hollywood status can be surprisingly insignificant.

After all, it’s difficult to see someone as a movie star when you’ve spent your whole life knowing them simply as mom or dad.

And dad-of-four Hartnett has echoed that very sentiment, after noting his children have never watched a single movie he has starred in.

"My kids have never seen me in anything," he told E! News, "I like it that way. I think it's healthy."

While the star acknowledged that his children, all aged between two and eleven, might want to watch 'at some point', it doesn't look like its on the cards anytime soon.

The Oppenheimer actor added: "I know some of their friends have seen me in movies, but [my kids] haven't shown that much interest.

The star has opened up about his four children. (Taylor Hill/WireImage)

"They're like, 'It's daddy's work', but they're just living their lives and they're happy with their own stuff."

Hartnett instead made the point that his kids are far more interested in showing their dad what they're up to.

And the star has previously spoken candidly about how he has struggled to leave work at the door, despite rising to fame in the late 1990s.

"It's easier for me than it used to be when I was younger," he explained.

Hartnett will play Jeremy Crawford in Verity. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)

"I just developed techniques for all of work that it doesn't have to stick with me for a long time. There are, of course, certain scenes that are stickier than other scenes, especially ones that are incredibly intense. But I figured out how to leave my work at work."

But after becoming a dad, things are more clear-cut for the star, as he added: "When you have a lot of kids, you can't bring it home. You can't do that. So, I had to learn not to."

And while Hartnett's children may not be rushing to watch their dad's movies, his latest role is likely to have plenty of adults talking.

He is set to take on a very different kind of character, starring as Jeremy Crawford in the highly anticipated adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel Verity.

The psychological thriller, which also stars Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, is in cinemas from October 2.