What challenges did Jon Huertas face while directing ‘Tracker’ with Justin Hartley and how did he overcome them?

What challenges did Jon Huertas face while directing ‘Tracker’ with Justin Hartley and how did he overcome them?

Jon Huertas turned a setback into a blessing while filming Tracker with Justin Hartley.

While filming the CBS show starring Hartley in Vancouver, Canada, Huertas, 54, and the crew found themselves stuck in winter snow.

The director, who stars on This Is Us with Hartley, recalls studying on his iPad in the car on the way to set before looking up and seeing “snow everywhere.”

“You don’t plan for this. What am I going to do? And I didn’t plan for this with what I was wearing. So I was freezing. I had hand warmers in my hands. I had hand warmers in my boots. I was just trying to stay warm,” he told PEOPLE.

Looking at the situation from a director’s perspective, Huertas said, “It was something new that I had to adjust to.”

Left with no other choice, Huertas said he began to view the unexpected snowfall as a “happy accident” rather than an accident.

“This is great,” he recalls thinking. “I’m going to be able to really sell the fact that this is three years ago, where the rest of our story is going to take place. So it ends up being an opportunity for us to take a curveball and knock it out of the park.”

Rather than worry, Huertas chose to turn the unexpected obstacle into an advantage. He said he finds the most joy in directing is thinking on the fly and problem-solving.

“That’s what I did with the snow. I made it part of the story,” he explained. “And I froze my butt off doing it.”

Huertas directed Tracker’s ninth episode, “Aurora,” which gave him the chance to reunite with Hartley, 47, on screen for the first time since their days together on This Is Us. (Huertas plays Miguel Rivas on the NBC series while Hartley plays Kevin Pearson.) Speaking about his co-star, Huertas revealed that, for the most part, Hartley is an “open book,” but what might surprise people is that “his fashion sense is on point.”

“Justin’s style is amazing, but it’s all his. He’s really his own stylist. So I think that’s pretty surprising for someone who’s always looked as good as he looks in clothes,” he said. “I’ve asked him for advice. ‘Where did you get that jacket, man? It’s so beautiful.’ And he’ll come to me and say, ‘Yeah, buy one.'” A This Is Us reunion! Jon Huertas Reunites With Co-Star Justin Hartley in First Look at New Tracker Episode (Exclusive) In Tracker, “Aurora” will see Hartley’s character Colter Shaw searching for a widow’s missing daughter. However, that exploration “leads him into the world of ghost hunting and paranormal activity,” according to the episode description from CBS.

When PEOPLE caught up with Hartley ahead of Tracker’s February premiere, the actor was ecstatic about his reunion with Huertas.

“I’m going to be with him every day on set,” Hartley said. “We’re going to spend a lot of time together.”

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