The Dynamic Duo of Primetime TV
There’s something magnetic about two seasoned actors teaming up in a high-stakes action drama—and Tracker has exactly that. As fans eagerly anticipate Tracker Season 3, one name has sparked extra buzz: Jensen Ackles. Known for his role in Supernatural and more recently The Boys, Ackles has joined Justin Hartley, the series lead, and it’s creating quite the ripple. But what’s it like behind the scenes? Let’s dig into what Jensen Ackles has said about his experience working with Hartley and how their collaboration is reshaping the series.
Who Are Jensen Ackles and Justin Hartley?
Jensen Ackles – TV’s Consistent Powerhouse
Ackles has been a fixture in the TV world for over two decades. Whether as Dean Winchester in Supernatural or the brutally charming Soldier Boy in The Boys, his charisma is undeniable. But Ackles isn’t just a “tough guy” actor—he brings emotional depth and clever nuance to every role.
Justin Hartley – From Soap Operas to This Is Us
Hartley has charted an equally impressive path. From Passions to Smallville, and his standout role in This Is Us, he’s carved out a name as a leading man who blends sensitivity with screen presence. Now he’s crushing it as Colter Shaw in Tracker.
After Tracker’s second season finale dug deeper into the complicated Shaw family history and revealed that Colter’s mother was responsible for his father’s death, Season 3 will likely continue to open up those wounds on the 2025 TV schedule. This hopefully means bringing back Colter’s siblings, including his brother Russell, who is played by Jensen Ackles. Even amid his busy schedule with Prime Video’s new crime drama Countdown and the upcoming The Boys prequel Vought Rising, he’s still making time for Tracker. Having appeared in a few episodes in earlier seasons, Ackles is opening up about what it’s really like working with pal Justin Hartley.
It may be surprising to know that Hartley and Ackles have actually known each other for quite a long time, and it’s actually one of the reasons why the Supernatural star is playing Russell in the first place. While the two were both on Smallville, Ackles’ character Jason Teague was long dead once Hartley’s version of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow came around, they were still on The CW at the same time and had likely become close through the various events they attended together.
For Ackles, he loves working with Hartley and playing his brother after knowing him for so long, as he told TV Insider: I’m 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’ve been buds, and we’ve never gotten to work together. So it was really fun for us to get on set. But it was also very easy because it’s just hanging out with your buddy, and we get to have fun, and we get to mix it up.
Even though it’s still weird to see Ackles playing an older brother to someone other than Jared Padalecki, it has been fun to see his dynamic with someone else after all these years. And it’s better knowing how long Ackles and Hartley have known each other, which is why they make a great team, even with their strained on-screen relationship. But that’s not the only reason why Ackles loves working with Hartley on Tracker:
And it’s nice that he’s an executive producer on it, so he can be like, ‘Do you like that word? Do you like that line?’ Just change it, whatever you want.’ So it kind gives us a little freedom. It’s been exciting to see Jensen Ackles and Justin Hartley portray brothers. And now that Colter knows what he knows about his dad, it’s hard to predict how things will go down with Russell once he knows, especially since it was thought for a long time that he had something to do with their father’s death. It’s unknown how many episodes Ackles will be appearing in for Season 3, but it sounds like he’s looking forward to working with Hartley again and exploring more about the Shaw family.
With Ackles saying there’s “probably a good chance” he’ll be coming back for Season 3, there is still the question of whether or not Melissa Roxburgh will make an appearance as Colter and Russell’s sister, Dory. Just like Ackles, Roxburgh has been pretty busy with her own show, The Hunting Party, which is coming back for Season 2 this fall on NBC. It might be hard to bring her back, even for just one episode, but nothing is off the table yet.
If anything, fans will be able to look forward to probably seeing Russell Shaw back on their screens come Season 3 this fall, and he and Colter have a lot to catch up on. Tracker Season 3 premieres on Sunday, October 19 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Meanwhile, the first two seasons are streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.
