“They don’t mind stepping over people”: Josh Hartnett Reveals His ‘Trap’ Villain Was Based On CEOs Amid Luigi Mangione Case
- Josh Hartnett expanded his portfolio last year with M. Night Shyamalan's Trap.
- Hartnett revealed that his character is inspired by CEOs who do not mind going to any lengths for their profit.
- The Oppenheimer actor's revelation seems to be an example of life imitating art.
Josh Hartnett made a bit of a splash earlier last year, playing the protagonist/villain in M. Night Shyamalan’s psychological thriller Trap. This was one of those movies that performed well at the box office but received mixed reviews from critics. One of the most intriguing elements of the film is Hartnett’s portrayal of the villain, Cooper Abbott.
Initially, Cooper seems like an ordinary man, striving to be a fun and caring father to his daughter. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that there is much more to his character than meets the eye. In an interview, the Oppenheimer actor opened up about how he based his character on some CEOs. This sounds a lot like the Luigi Magione case that came to light recently.
Josh Hartnett on how his character in Trap is based on CEOs among others
After 2023’s Knock at the Cabin, M. Night Shyamalan returned with yet another min-bending story in Trap. The movie follows the story of Cooper Abbott, a firefighter in Philadelphia, who is actually a serial killer. While attending a concert with his daughter, he becomes aware of the police blockade orchestrated to trap him.
The beauty of Shyamalan’s movies is often his unconventional storytelling approach. Trap is no different in this case as the viewers the story unfold from the serial killer’s point of view instead of that of the police or the victim. So, Hartnett had to understand the mindset of the villain to be able to act like one.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the Black Hawn Down actor opened up about how he had to take inspiration from real people to channel Cooper.
There are a lot of CEOs, politicians, people in our business… a lot of people who are at the top. They don’t mind stepping over people or doing horrible things to get where they’re going, and not having any empathy is a pretty big sign of being a psychopath.
He further stated that these people might not be outright killing people, but the kind of things they are involved in do hurt people in the long run. This was what made his portrayal of Cooper easier, and the recently surfaced case of Luigi Mangione proves his point.
Luigi Mangione is the prime suspect of the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
There is a counterpart to everything in this world – the sun to the moon, summer to winter, and perhaps the most timeless of all, evil to good. It’s also worth noting that the line between good and evil can be remarkably thin, often blurring to the point where defining someone or something as purely one or the other becomes difficult.
Luigi Mangione’s case looks something like that. According to ABC News, Mangione is a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a privileged and wealthy family. He had a very bright future ahead of himself until he became the prime suspect in the targeted murder of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, in broad daylight in the middle of New York City.
According to UnitedHealth Group, neither Mangione nor his parents received insurance through the company. However, investigators have suspected that Mangione shot the 50-year-old CEO because he held a grudge against the medical insurance agency.
This case has drawn the world’s attention as it raises several questions and the answers are quite multifaceted. Many people have come forward in Mangione’s support and even raised funds since his arrest although he reportedly killed the CEO.
