Earlier than Justin Hartley introduced Kevin to life on This Is Us, he briefly questioned whether or not he was meant to play the position of Jack, which finally went to Milo Ventimiglia.
“[My friend] despatched me this script and I begin studying it instantly. I obtained to, like, the primary, second and third web page and I used to be like, ‘Oh, my God, [creator Dan Fogelman] wrote me.’ Like, how is he doing this? I’m Jack Pearson,’” Hartley, 48, recalled on the Wednesday, July 9, episode of the “This Was Us” podcast. “I used to be like, ‘It’s unbelievable. It’s me. I might do every part for my daughter [like Jack does for his kids].’”
Hartley discovered the patriarch of the Pearson household to be such a “nice character” that he practically missed his connection to Kevin.
“I used to be like, ‘That is unimaginable and it’s going to be a beloved character. Take a look at what he’s doing,’” the actor recalled. “[I kept reading and realized] that I’m Kevin. I’m not Jack in any respect. My buddy thinks I’m Kevin.”
It didn’t assist that Hartley’s first introduction to Kevin within the script confused him.
“Then I obtained to the top and I used to be like, ‘Wait a minute. If this present works, that is going to be this enormous magnificent arc that I don’t know if I’m prepared for,’” Hartley recalled. “[My friend] did say he ended up [seeing me as] Kevin. He had learn the entire script earlier than he gave it to me. I had not as I used to be flipping by it. I used to be like, ‘Why is Kevin in mattress with two unusual girls on his birthday?’”
Hartley continued: “He doesn’t have any pals and he’s surrounded by strangers. He threw this huge get together for himself and his household was not there [in the pilot]. He’s obtained his shirt off and he’s with two girls they usually’re like able to go.’”
This Is Us, which ran from 2016 to 2022, centered on siblings Kevin (Hartley), Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Randall (Sterling Okay. Brown) along with their dad and mom, Jack (Ventimiglia) and Rebecca Pearson (Mandy Moore). Earlier than This Is Us got here to an finish, Hartley was already making strikes — with the assistance of producer Ken Olin — along with his new CBS sequence Tracker.
Hartley not solely stars on Tracker however is an government producer. This has allowed him to reunite with a number of This Is Us costars, together with Jon Huertas and Jennifer Morrison.
“We knew for years and years and years that that present was ending when it was ending. Numerous occasions you don’t get that chance. Issues simply occur and folks go, ‘You aren’t doing it anymore,’” Hartley defined throughout an episode of Tommy DiDario’s “I’ve By no means Mentioned This Earlier than” podcast in October 2024. “This was extra like, ‘You’ve gotten the chance to play this character for six years. It’s going to be superb. What a journey this man goes to go on. Here’s what his journey goes to be.’ I assumed that venture was outstanding to be part of.”
Justin Hartley‘s CBS sequence Tracker has received over its viewers due to the intriguing instances — and the spectacular visitor stars. Tracker, which premiered in February 2024, is centered round a survivalist named Colter (Hartley) who travels the nation serving to individuals and regulation enforcement sort out a wide range of mysteries. Because the sequence unfolds, viewers study […]
Hartley was requested on the time whether or not viewers would see further This Is Us cameos on Tracker, to which he replied, “I feel we’ll.”
He continued: “We’ve all talked about [bringing the show back in some way]. I don’t know if there are plans to reboot it — I haven’t been concerned but — which is an entire different dialog. However I nonetheless keep up a correspondence with all of these guys. They’re all so nice, they are going to be lifelong pals of mine. I really like all of them.”
Throughout Wednesday’s podcast, Brown, 49, Moore, 41 and Chris Sullivan confirmed their help for potential Tracker cameos. Ventimiglia, 48, in the meantime, has teased that he wish to make an look on the present sooner or later.
“I watched Justin’s present final night time too, and [I’m] tremendous happy with him and Ken and Roxy Olin,” Ventimiglia solely advised Us Weekly in February 2024. “I noticed numerous acquainted This Is Us faces or names on the display screen within the manufacturing finish.”
Ventimiglia famous that he “thought the present was nice” and Hartley had “a enjoyable position,” including, “Reuniting with him or anybody else from the forged — or anybody from any variety of movies I’ve carried out within the final 28, 29 years — I’m positive that’d be a blast.”