Justin Hartley gushes about sharing the screen with his wife, Sofia Pernas, on Tracker. The couple, who tied the knot in 2021, met on the set of The Young and the Restless back in 2015 and have since collaborated on multiple projects, including Quantum Leap and their current series, Tracker. Hartley expresses his admiration for Pernas’ talent and their on-screen dynamic, teasing the evolution of their characters’ relationship.
Justin Hartley simply adores sharing the small screen with his wife, Sofia Pernas. The duo, who wed in 2021, initially crossed paths on the set of The Young and the Restless in 2015. They have since collaborated on a string of projects, including Quantum Leap and their current series, Tracker. Hartley can’t help but rave about Pernas’ talent and their dynamic on-screen, offering a tantalizing tease of their characters’ relationship evolution.
Speaking exclusively to Us Weekly at the CBS Summer TCA day in July 2024, Hartley, 47, highlighted a practical benefit of working with his wife: “I mean, I love carpooling. That’s fun.” But his admiration for Pernas goes far beyond the convenience of shared transportation. “She’s wonderful. I mean, if I had my choice, I’d spend every minute with her,” he gushes.
Hartley also takes a moment to praise Pernas’ acting chops. “What’s really cool is when you meet someone that means so much to you, that you’re so proud to be with and so proud of, and just such a fan of, and to get to see her work, because she’s such a talented actor,” he says. “She elevates scenes, and so it makes my job easier, actually.”
Hartley’s affection extends to Pernas’ character on Tracker, Billie Matalon, who is a rival to his character, Colter Shaw. “The character [is] such a badass,” he says. “She brings so many layers to that character.”
When asked if he enjoys having Pernas, 34, as competition on the show, Hartley replies, “I think it’s cool.” He elaborates on the intriguing dynamic between their characters: “I love the dynamic where it’s like, you could look at it like competition, but there’s also a history there. So there’s a little bit of bad blood, but it’s also like, ‘Are they gonna mend things? Are they not? You know, can you trust her? I don’t know if you can.’ I mean, she hasn’t proven that you can trust her, that Colter can trust her. So, we’ll see how that evolves. It’s just a lot of room to work with that relationship.”
Hartley and Pernas’ path to working together again on Tracker was paved with serendipity. After their initial meeting on The Young and the Restless, where they co-starred for nearly a year, they went on to pursue other projects. “You meet in different capacities. We didn’t work together a lot [on The Young and the Restless], but we did cross paths, and it was always fun,” Hartley recalls.
Their reunion on Tracker was a welcome surprise. “It was just one of those things where it was like, ‘Oh, this is gonna be fun.’ And it was,” Hartley says. “It was a lot of fun. And it’s always fun to work with her.”
Justin Hartley and Sofia Pernas have shared the screen multiple times since their first meeting. The couple originally crossed paths on the set of The Young and the Restless in 2015, co-starring on the soap opera for nearly a year. Since then, they’ve continued to collaborate, showcasing their on-screen chemistry in various projects. […]
Tracker, based on Jeffery Deaver‘s novel The Never Game, centers on an expert tracker who travels the country in search of reward money. Following its successful premiere in February 2023, the series became the most-watched show of the 2023-24 TV season, securing a renewal for the 2024-25 season. Pernas isn’t the only familiar face from Hartley’s personal life to make an appearance on Tracker. He also reunited with his This Is Us costars Jon Huertas and Jennifer Morrison.
When Milo Ventimiglia expressed interest in joining the series, Hartley was quick to welcome the idea, saying, “If I had my way, I would have them all on at the same time, but it’s a different show.” He adds, “I mean, look, imagine a life where you get to do exactly what you want to be doing. They call it work. I love what I do. And doing it with people that you absolutely love that are extremely talented. That’s how I feel about all those people. So, at any time, I would love to have them all on. Absolutely.”
In February 2023, Ventimiglia, 47, shared his support for Hartley, telling Us that he was “super proud” of Hartley after watching the series premiere and expressing his interest in appearing on the drama: “I’m sure that’d be a blast.”
With reporting by Mariel Turner
