"A lot of work" — When Justin Hartley made his feelings clear about working with Jensen Ackles

Both Justin Hartley and Jensen Ackles are CW alums—Hartley starred in Smallville, while Ackles played Dean Winchester in Supernatural. They met while working on their respective shows and have been friends ever since.

However, Hartley and Ackles never had the chance to work together until last year when Ackles appeared in Hartley's action drama series, Tracker. The duo discussed their experience of working together in an interview with Entertainment Tonight on October 21, 2024.

Reflecting on working with Ackles, Hartley said:

"It's been great, we've run in the same circles. We never got a chance to work together. Although sometimes hanging out with him as a friend is a lot of work."

He added:

"I mean he's put his own flavor on it and it's much better than we ever could have could have imagined."

Tracker stars Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, a lone wolf tracker who helps law enforcement and private citizens in exchange for reward money. Jensen Ackles made his first appearance as Colter's estranged brother, Russell Shaw, in season 1 episode 12, titled Off the Books.

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Justin Hartley on how he recruited Jensen Ackles for Tracker

Justin Hartley has starred in several acclaimed shows, including The Young and the Restless, which earned him a Daytime Emmy nomination, and This Is Us, which earned him three Critics Choice Television Award nominations. Meanwhile, Jensen Ackles is popularly known for his performance in Supernatural. He has since appeared in the hit Prime Video series The Boys.

Ackles and Hartley have been friends for years, so when they got the chance to collaborate on Tracker, they did not let go of it. In an interview with CinemaBlend on May 27, 2024, Hartley opened up about the conventional way in which Ackles was cast in Tracker, saying:

"Actually how that happened was he was watching football. And he said, 'Hey, man, I'm trying to watch the football game. Can you get your ugly mug off my screen, please?' Because they kept promoting the show."

He further said:

"And then I just texted him. I said, 'You should come play my brother.' And he texts me back. He goes, 'When and where?' And I was like, 'All right, it's on!' So it's been fun."

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Justin Hartley on how he became friends with Jensen Ackles

Jensen Ackles portrayed Russell Shaw in Tracker season 2 episode 2, titled Ontological Shock, which aired on October 20, 2024. While he is likely to return at some point in the show, it remains uncertain whether it will be later in season 2 again or season 3.

In a TV Insider interview from September 2024, Justin Hartley shared how they first met. He said:

"Well, we were both on the CW. He was on Supernatural and I had joined Smallville. I got to know him and Jared and all those guys over there at Supernatural. We’re all actors displaced here in Vancouver and we have a lot in common."

He further said:

"He’s a family man and he’s got kids and loves his work and loves his family and loves his fans. We’re the same age and we just developed a friendship. I’d never had a chance to work with him until Tracker. He’s a very busy man, but I love working with him. It’s a treat."

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Tracker is available for streaming on Paramount+.