Justin Hartley and wife Sofia Pernas melt our hearts every time they talk about getting the opportunity to work together.
The couple originally met on the set of The Young and The Restless in 2015. After their first time as costars, Hartley and Pernas went their separate ways before reconnecting years later off screen and subsequently tying the knot in 2021. Hartley and Pernas have since enjoyed finding projects to collaborate on, including Quantum Leap and Tracker.
Tracker, which is based on Jeffery Deaver‘s novel The Never Game, follows Hartley as a survivalist named Colter. Viewers were continuously reminded that Colter was mostly a loner — until someone from his past named Billie (Pernas) made an appearance in season 1.
Hartley was thrilled about how Colter and Billie’s relationship was received by fans after paving the way for their introduction.
“We have a great time together. I just thought it would be a really cool idea. It was sort of my idea from the beginning to have this character that comes on that you just mentioned,” the actor, who is also an executive producer on the CBS procedural, explained to Deadline in May 2024. “I think it was in the second episode, there was a big reward for a car. There was a line that one of the ladies said, ‘Word on the street is that Billie is circling the case.’ And then Coulter kind of eye rolls. If you’re really paying attention, you go, ‘Oh, he’s got a rival, this guy Billie.’”
Hartley wanted to lay the groundwork for Pernas’ character before she even showed up.
“My idea was to tease that and intentionally name the character Billie, and then reveal that Billie is, of course, Sofia. We didn’t get to tease that as much as I would have liked, just because we were so pressed with time. But that was the intention,” he continued. “Then when she came on, to be honest with you, I’m not sure how much of that character aspect that she brought was actually written.”
Keep scrolling for Hartley and Pernas’ sweetest comments about sharing the screen:
Collaborating Before Their Romance
After exchanging vows with Pernas, Hartley reflected on working with his wife before they even started dating.
“You meet in different capacities. We didn’t work together that closely, and we didn’t work together that long. I knew that she was very kind and very nice. I liked being around her. But I was in a different place in my life. I wasn’t available,” Hartley told Haute Living in 2021 about being introduced to Pernas years before they got together. “Timing has a lot to do with that. I’m very lucky to not only have found ‘The One,’ but I found her when she was available and the timing was right.”
Pernas also remembered Hartley fondly during their brief overlap on The Young and the Restless.
“My first and only impression was, ‘God, that guy comes in and leaves as soon as the bell goes ding,’” Pernas shared with Entertainment Tonight in March 2024. “Sometimes he’d do up to 65 pages a day. He was just ripping pieces off, throwing them in the trash, as soon as he’d be done with the scene. It was almost like pop smoke and then he would leave. It was incredible.”
Always Looking for Something New
Quantum Leap offered Hartley a guest spot as a bounty hunter while Pernas portrayed the head of a drug cartel.
“It was the absolute best,” Hartley told E! News in October 2022. “I don’t know if I’ve ever laughed as much on a set. We had such a good time. … Sofia’s got a really great sense of humor. There were a couple of moments where she took some liberties, she did a little ad-libbing, which allowed me to do a little ad-libbing. And the characters became more and more annoyed with each other — and we had a lot of fun with that.”
Hartley later said the experience made him even more excited to star alongside Pernas in future projects, sharing with the outlet four months later, “It’s amazing. It’s good for the environment, too. You can carpool and everything, so it’s wonderful. Absolutely we’ll do that. For sure.”
Adding to Their Scenes Together
Following Billie’s initial introduction, Pernas discussed the conversations she had with Hartley about the dynamic between their characters.
“It wasn’t really scripted for us to kiss,” she explained to Entertainment Tonight in March 2024. “We played with some moments where felt like, do they kiss in this moment? Just because there is so much history, and there was so much tension, and there was a certain life-threatening event that happened right before, so it’s all of this pent up pressure.”
Taking Work Home
Hartley had nothing but praise for Pernas after confirming her return for season 2 of Tracker.
“You’re just watching a talented actor. There were a few things we had the benefit of discussing privately that, normally, you don’t have time to do that,” he told Deadline in May 2024. “But when you live with the person, you can talk about that stuff at dinner, and go, ‘Hey, what about this?’ So we really got a chance to dialogue about that.”
Making His Job Better
“She’s wonderful. I mean, if I had my choice, I’d spend every minute with her,” Hartley exclusively told Us Weekly at the Television Critics Association event in July 2024. “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 continued: “She elevates scenes, and so it makes my job easier, actually. But yeah, it’s just wonderful to work with her.”
Her Influence on Him
“[Our characters on Tracker] couldn’t be more opposite of who we are. But we really enjoyed doing that,” Hartley told The Hollywood Reporter in July 2024. “I love watching her. I am a fan of her work as well. She’s a brilliant actor. But to get to work with her is great. She elevates the show and my performance. I’m grateful for that.”
