Although This Is Us ended only earlier this year, some of the stars haven’t wasted any time in picking up new gigs, including Justin Hartley. The actor returned to NBC with his newest role in the October 10 episode of the new series Quantum Leap, and he has explained why came to the new show.
Justin Hartley guest starred as Jake, a bounty hunter, on the reboot of the popular ‘80s series alongside his wife, Sofia Pernas. Quantum Leap marks Hartley’s first follow-up to This Is Us and gave him the chance to improvise. He explained to E! News:
The reason you were here is because you're gonna bring something for us to the show, so please, 'Tell us, what do you want to do? Let's go. We'll play with you.' We loved that, and Quantum Leap has the same kind of vibe.
Given the success of This Is Us, Quantum Leap having the "same kind of vibe" tracks as something that would appeal to Justin Hartley, on top of being able to act alongside his wife. Even though the role was just for one episode, seeing him back on TV, and on NBC no less, was a joy. Hopefully, this won’t be the last time he’ll be on the network.
Meanwhile, Justin Hartley is working on another follow-up, this time on CBS. The Never Game was given a pilot order from the network over the summer. Hartley is going to be busy on the series, as he’s not only starring in it but serving as an executive producer alongside Ken Olin, a former EP on This Is Us. So fans may be able to look forward to some This Is Us Easter eggs and perhaps even a reunion or two. One can hope, anyway!
It’s hard to think about the fact that the cast of This Is Us is moving on to other roles, even though it’s already been several months since the drama aired its finale. Although it came to an emotional end, the cast clearly had fun filming the final batch of episodes, as shown by their hilarious wobble video. It’s also nice to see them working on other projects. Since The Never Game is only in its pilot stage, it may be a while until we find out if it goes to series, but at least Hartley’s Quantum Leap appearance allowed fans to see him in front of the camera again.
Although Quantum Leap was able to snag Justin Hartley for an episode, they may not be able to get an original star. Scott Bakula has been open about his decision to not return, but it seems like the series is doing just fine without him. NBC recently gave the series a full-season order, meaning that it’s on the track to possibly being renewed for Season 2.
Don’t miss new episodes of Quantum Leap on Mondays at 10 p.m. EST on NBC! Check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule to see what else to look forward to in the coming months as the year comes to a close.
