Justin Hartley and Wife Sofia Pernas' Sweetest Quotes About Working Together
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
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
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
"[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."
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This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 10:00 PM.