since Tracker Premiere on CBS Justin Hartley He himself reminds the audience that his character Colter Shaw can and will die.
based on Jeffery DeaverNovels Never competethe tracker revolves around a survivor named Colter, who travels the country to help discover missing people (or sometimes dogs) and solve for others not. As the series unfolds, viewers learn how Cortt used to shape his current life as a lonely wolf.
Not only is Hartley a star in the show, he also serves as executive producer This is us Producer and Director Ken Orlin. His behind-the-scenes role allows Hartley to surprise fans with an exciting cameo, but it also puts the actors in the way the show goes.
“I just like watching shows like this and then watching season 1 and then watching the last season, you see the character develop, and then you go, ‘Wait, are they playing different roles?’ But if you watch it over the years, you’re going to experience that with the character,” he told TV Insider in September 2024. “As competent and confident as Colt, I don’t think he doesn’t have a ton of learning, especially about himself and his family and all of that.”
He continued: “Going forward, I think that’s going to be the way the show lives on the long track, and that’s that we continue to develop the character, and he’s getting better in his own work. He’s an upset person and for the audience, it’s at least showing that I like watching, you like watching, you like to see a character grows, and we have it.”
In addition to display us Hartley’s growth, Hartley warns that the character is not immortal. He even suggested that the fan favorite lead could die as the tracker actors face to face.
Keep scrolling to learn about Hartley’s most candid quote about Cote’s mortality rate:
A realistic portrayal
You start to see all the levels of this guy, about why he is doing what he is doing. Why he does his business the way he does and why it means so much to him. I wonder why Hartley has nothing more to do.
Hartley put it with Rockford Documentsadding: “We’re not like that anymore, I feel nostalgic about that kind of TV. I’m thinking, what if we had an old-fashioned show with a modern advantage? And I think the characters are great.”
No one is safe
According to Hartley Tracker Don’t be afraid to take big risks with Colter.
He told him: “It’s important to keep raising the ante. I love being Cote as a hero, finding people, etc. I also really enjoy seeing him in suspense thrillers and dangerous situations.” Hollywood Reporter In April 2025. “I don’t want our audience to forget that this man is a mortal, he is not a superhero. He can die! What he does is very, very dangerous.”
Keep Colt rooted
Hartley explained to CBS Mornings in May 2025 why he likes Colter as a “hero”, but not necessarily a “superhero.”
“I think one thing people connect with is that he’s vulnerable, like he might be hurt,” Hartley shared. “And I think when you put on your cape… it loses a little. You see him breaking down in a way you wouldn’t expect. He’s on his head, he hears the message, he’s overwhelmed, he’s kind of broken down.”
Influence writing
In the same month, executive producer Elwood Reid Special conversation US Weekly About the future of Colter.
“[Justin] Always talking. Colter is not Superman, and is closely related to his body elements, but then there are exciting things that attract him.
Reid continued: “Justin has been promoting an episode, and Cotter is almost dead in the middle of the show, and we go back. He has all kinds of crazy ideas, but I think that’s what makes the show fun because Cotter becomes Superman and then he’s not there. That’s not what Justin wants, I don’t think that’s the character.”
