Justin Hartley is taking on a whole different kind of role in his new TV drama Tracker-- but that doesn't mean he's moved on entirely from hisThis Is Us role.
Hartley recently sat down with ET's Nischelle Turner to chat about his new CBS mystery series, and how his This Is Us character, Kevin Pearson, informed and influenced his Tracker character, Colter Shaw.
"I will always take pieces of Kevin Pearson with me everywhere I go," Hartley explained. "It's exhausting work diving into another character, because you you do have to start over."
Hartley starred as Kevin on the acclaimed NBC series for all six seasons, and made life-long friendships with many of his co-stars. Now, with his new series following different stories in each episode, the format lends itself to showcasing guest stars.
While it doesn't appear that any of his This Is Us co-stars will be popping up on the new series just yet, Hartley seemed to like the idea, exclaiming, "That'd be fun!"
"I'm always thinking about ways to get back together with those guys," Hartley shared. "[But] it'd have to be something really special."
Hartley jokingly suggested the possibility of a very meta crossover episode.
"Maybe we could find out [my character's] such a good tracker, maybe he finds Jack [Pearson]," Hartley quipped, referring to the This Is Us character played by by Milo Ventimiglia. "Like [maybe] he never died, something like that?"
Tracker is set to premiere right after Super Bowl LVIII, in one of the most coveted time slots for any show, and Hartley says that kind of trust and support from the network is appreciated.
"It feels good," he said. "We worked really hard on this pilot and we did something I think is really special."
Based on the best-selling Jeffery Deaver novel, Tracker centers on survivalist and drifter Colter Shaw, who roams the country as a "reward seeker," using his expert tracking skills to help private citizens and law enforcement solve all manner of mysteries while contending with his own fractured family.
"It's a show that I just haven't seen before," Hartley explained of his attraction to the project -- on which he also serves as an executive producer. "[We] got the rights to the book... and in reading that book, I fell in love with that character."
"This lone wolf survivalist, the idea of this guy who is raised in a certain way where his father took him off the grid, taught him how to be a survivalist, and then you have him as an adult using all of those skills to help other people roaming around the country. He lives in an Airstream," Hartley shared. "I just love the idea of that the guy is so free."
Fans will get a chance to see Hartley's new lone wolf survivalist when Tracker debuts Feb. 11 on CBS.
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