A show like Tracker has many, many stunts and action sequences. The CBS drama that's wrapping up its third season on the 2026 TV schedule has all this action because Justin Hartley’s Colter Shaw can’t seem to stay away from danger. He’s been shot, beaten up, and was even in a car accident. Of course, trying to find missing people means going after some pretty bad guys, and from a production standpoint, that means lots of stunts. So, now we're three seasons in, and someone finally asked Hartley how often he does his own stunts.
It’s no secret that Colter has gotten himself into some trouble from time to time while trying to save people. It comes with the job. And that means, behind the scenes, a lot of time and planning have to go into figuring out these sequences so they're safe for Hartley and the stunt team. As an actor, he definitely has to take precautions when it comes to doing stunts, and he set the record straight while appearing on The Tonight Show after host Jimmy Fallon asked him if he’s getting better and better at doing stunts:
I try to do all of my own stunts, and I say this in this way, on camera. So, in other words, when you see them, I like for the audience to see that it’s me doing them, which basically means that I have a stunt team that does those stunts a hundred times before I’m allowed to do it at all. So it’s not like I’m doing everything. They’re doing all the heavy lifting.
It is always fun to hear how much an actor does their own stunts, especially when they really want to do as much as they can. Of course, there’s only so much an actor is allowed to do stunt-wise before it gets too dangerous, though, and that’s when the stunt performers are brought in. To that point, while it sounds like the This Is Us actor is doing a good chunk of his own action sequences, he does have limits, as he explained:
But when you watch the show, I like to do my own stunts. There are certain things they don’t let you do. They’re just too dangerous. I’m not getting in car crashes. I’m not lighting myself on fire. I get hurt doing the fake fighting. I see a fake fight coming up, I’m like, ‘Oh man, I got to stretch out the neck.’
Knowing that Hartley does some of his own stunts really makes watching Tracker even better. I’m always so fascinated by how much an actor does when it comes to stunts, especially when it’s for a project that relies so much on action. Even if it’s just fake fighting, the stunts are pretty great, and it's awesome that the actor does a lot of them. However, this also shows how important stunt doubles and the choreography are.
That being said, Season 3 has seen some impressive stunts. The midseason finale ended on a bloody cliffhanger that involved Colter getting into a car accident with a friend, who was shot. Whether or not the season finale will end on a similar major cliffhanger is unknown, but it can be assumed that there will be a lot of action involved.
There are still a few more episodes left of Tracker’s third season, so who knows what else will be in store for Colter. Jensen Ackles is set to return as his brother, Russell, for these final episodes, and whenever those two get together, it’s unpredictable what could happen.
New episodes of Tracker air on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, and they stream the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.
