{"id":238590,"date":"2026-05-06T03:31:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T03:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/06\/what-have-justin-hartleys-tracker-costars-said-about-working-with-him-amid-multiple-cast-exits\/"},"modified":"2026-05-06T03:31:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T03:31:17","slug":"what-have-justin-hartleys-tracker-costars-said-about-working-with-him-amid-multiple-cast-exits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/06\/what-have-justin-hartleys-tracker-costars-said-about-working-with-him-amid-multiple-cast-exits\/","title":{"rendered":"What Have Justin Hartley\u2019s \u2018Tracker\u2019 Costars Said About Working With Him Amid Multiple Cast Exits?"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Justin Hartley<\/strong><\/a>\u2018s Tracker<\/em><\/a> costars have often spoken about their experiences working with him as the hit CBS series lost several cast members.<\/p>\n

After becoming a household name with roles in Passions, Smallville, The Young and the Restless<\/em> and This Is Us<\/em>, Hartley scored a major career success<\/a> with Tracker<\/em>. The show, which premiered in February 2024, was coined the most-watched broadcast premiere since NCIS<\/em>\u2018 final episode with Mark Harmon<\/strong> in September 2021. Its average viewership was reported to be 18.2 million per episode.<\/p>\n

Hartley, for his part, received praise for his work as the star of the show. Meanwhile, his role as an executive producer on the show allowed him to bring in some familiar faces for guest star roles, including Sofia Pernas, Jensen Ackles, Melissa Roxburgh, Jennifer Morrison<\/strong> and more.<\/p>\n

Despite Tracker<\/em> quickly becoming the show<\/a> many wanted to join, it also made headlines when Robin Weigert, Abby McEnany<\/strong> and Eric Graise<\/strong> all exited the show before season 3. Executive producer Elwood Reid<\/strong> previously defended the onscreen reconfiguration during an exclusive interview with Us Weekly<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want the show to be phone-a-friend every week. I think that gets old, and Justin is always challenging me on that. He\u2019s like, \u2018Do we need to do this? Do I need to call Bobby all the time? Can I do this?’\u201d Reid shared in May 2025. \u201cYou don\u2019t [always] see Reenie. He talks to Velma for two seconds. He may talk to Bobby for one phone call. The show works because you are over Justin\u2019s shoulder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luckily, Hartley has received nothing but praise and support<\/a> from those who continue to appear on Tracker<\/em>. Keep scrolling for everything various Tracker<\/em> guest stars have said about working with Hartley before those cast exits:<\/p>\n

Jensen Ackles<\/h3>\n
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Sergei Bachlakov\/CBS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Supernatural<\/em> alum has returned to Tracker<\/em> every season since being cast<\/a> as Hartley\u2019s onscreen brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m playing the older brother of somebody that I know very well, and I get along with very well. I mean, Justin and I have known each other for over 20 years, and we\u2019ve been buds and we\u2019ve never gotten to work together,\u201d Ackles told TV Insider<\/em> in July 2025. \u201cSo it was really fun for us to get on set. But it was also very easy because it\u2019s just hanging out with your buddy and we get to have fun and we get to mix it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued: \u201cAnd it\u2019s nice that he\u2019s an executive producer on it so he can be like, \u2018Do you like that word? Do you like that line?\u2019 Just change it, whatever you want.\u2019 So it kind gives us a little freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Melissa Roxburgh<\/h3>\n
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\"'Tracker'<\/div>
Darko Sikman\/CBS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Speaking of fictional siblings, Roxburgh has rounded out the Shaw family as Hartley\u2019s sister on the show.<\/p>\n

\u201cJustin is great. It\u2019s such a lovely and warm set [because] Justin does such a good job of making it that way,\u201d she told Us<\/em> in February 2025. \u201cSo I\u2019d love to go back. Justin is a friend and it\u2019s nice to play with your friends and I love the show, so we\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fiona Rene<\/h3>\n
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CBS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the last remaining main cast member alongside Hartley, Rene has praised her costar<\/a> for his hard work.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s such a phenomenal No. 1 [on the call sheet]. He wears so many hats [on set]. Not only is he an actor, but [he is focused on] the numbers of the show,\u201d Rene told Us<\/em> in November 2024. \u201cIt\u2019s important to him as well as a producer. When he comes on set, he\u2019s all about business and we even call him the Terminator.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rene spoke highly of Hartley\u2019s process on set.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cBut then he takes off that hat, he puts on his actor hat and he genuinely plays. It\u2019s such a dream for an actor to be able to come on set and work together to find what feels right between their characters,\u201d she added. \u201cJustin is always up for that. And for someone wearing so many hats, to be able to let all of that go and play in that moment is honestly the dream. I hope I can do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jennifer Morrison<\/h3>\n
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\"Justin<\/div>
Darko Sikman\/CBS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Morrison was thrilled to reunite with Hartley after their time on This Is Us<\/em>, telling Closer<\/em> in November 2024, \u201cI think it was Justin\u2019s idea. We had a great time working on This Is Us<\/em>. We just got along so great. What I\u2019m constantly looking for in this industry is to spend time on set with people I really care about, respect and admire. Justin is one of those people.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Most Iconic Guest Stars Featured on Justin Hartley’s ‘Tracker’ Series<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tJustin Hartley\u2018s CBS series Tracker has won over its audience because of the intriguing cases \u2014 and the impressive guest stars. Tracker, which premiered in February 2024, is centered around a survivalist named Colter (Hartley) who travels the country helping people and law enforcement tackle a variety of mysteries. As the series unfolds, viewers learn [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Jon Huertas<\/h3>\n
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\"Jon<\/div>
Michael Courtney\/CBS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Huertas, who has only appeared behind the scenes as a director, had similar feelings<\/a> about Hartley.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause Justin and I had this history together, it was like we just fell in lockstep again from when I directed him on This Is Us [and] when we worked together in scenes as stepfather and stepson,\u201d Huertas shared with Us<\/em> in April 2024. \u201cWe fell into that rhythm so naturally that it was easy. It made it really easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Huertas was thrilled to be reunited with Hartley after This Is Us.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I love about working with people that I\u2019ve worked with before and working with friends. In fact, Diana [Maria Riva], who worked with Justin in this episode, she and I have known each other for a long time,\u201d he noted. \u201cSo having a rapport with people really makes the process much easier and smoother. And because TV moves so fast, I like that. I like working with people that I know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sofia Pernas<\/h3>\n
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\"Justin<\/div>
Michael Courtney\/CBS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe get asked all the time, like, \u2018You guys don\u2019t take a break from each other?\u2019 I\u2019m like, \u2018I love him.\u2019 Thankfully that\u2019s reciprocated because how often do you get that?\u201d Pernas, who has been married to Hartley since 2021, told People<\/em> in March 2024 after joining Tracker<\/em> as her husband\u2019s onscreen love interest. \u201cI\u2019m just really thankful that we both feel that way about each other and that we\u2019re able to take that to work and not need extended breaks from each other because we\u2019re so absorbed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lachlan Quarmby<\/h3>\n
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\"Tracker\"<\/div>
Darko Sikman\/CBS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During an exclusive interview with Us<\/em>, Hallmark\u2019s Lachlan Quarmby<\/strong> recalled his guest appearance in season 1, sharing in August 2025, \u201cJustin is awesome. He\u2019s straight in there. He\u2019s a real captain of that ship. That was a great time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quarmby walked away from the hit CBS series with a very positive experience.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI got to do an Australian accent. I was told when I was at acting school in Australia that I\u2019d never play a surfer since I just don\u2019t have the look. And I got to play a surfer in Vancouver, who was Australian,\u201d he noted. \u201cThat was so fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

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