Justin Hartley Bio
Justin Scott Hartley, born January 29, 1977, in Knoxville, Illinois, is an American actor, television producer, and director with a career spanning more than two decades. He first came to attention on the NBC daytime soap opera Passions (2002–2006) as Fox Crane, then went on to portray Oliver Queen on the long-running superhero series Smallville (2006–2011). Hartley later earned mainstream recognition for his role as Kevin Pearson on the NBC drama This Is Us (2016–2022) and, in 2024, began starring in the CBS action drama Tracker.
Beyond his work in front of the camera, Justin Hartley has steadily built a résumé as a producer and director, taking on behind-the-scenes duties on several television projects. His film work includes A Bad Moms Christmas (2017) and the holiday drama The Noel Diary (2022). Across soap operas, primetime dramas, and streaming features, he has remained a familiar face on American television.
Early Life and Background
Justin Scott Hartley was born on January 29, 1977, in Knoxville, Illinois, a small community near Galesburg, where his family was living at the time of his birth. He was raised in the Chicago suburb of Orland Park alongside his brother Nathan and his sisters Megan and Gabriela. Growing up in a Midwestern household shaped his early years and gave him a steady environment in which to explore his growing interest in performance.
After high school, Justin Hartley attended Carl Sandburg College before continuing his education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the University of Illinois at Chicago. At these schools, he majored in history and theater, fields that combined his academic curiosity with his early passion for acting. His coursework and campus productions helped him sharpen the craft he would soon take into professional television work.
Hartley has often pointed to his Midwestern upbringing and his family’s support as foundational to his decision to pursue acting. The combination of suburban stability and serious theater training in college provided a clear path from small-town Illinois to Hollywood auditions.
Path to Celebrity
Justin Hartley broke into the entertainment industry in 2002 when he was cast as Fox Crane on the NBC daytime soap opera Passions, a role he would play for four years. The daytime serial gave him daily on-camera experience, long rehearsal hours, and a national audience, all of which prepared him for the demands of primetime work. Working on a long-running soap also taught him the pacing and emotional consistency that later defined his performances in hour-long dramas.
After leaving Passions in 2006, Hartley auditioned for a television pilot titled Aquaman, also known as Mercy Reef, intended for The CW. Although the pilot was not picked up as a series, the experience positioned him directly in front of the network’s executives. Later that same year, he was cast as billionaire Oliver Queen on Smallville, a guest role that eventually grew into a regular position on the show. During his Smallville years, he also expanded into writing and directing, co-writing the 2010 episode “Sacrifice” and directing the 2011 episode “Dominion.”
Justin Hartley Career
Early Career (2002–2011)
Justin Hartley’s earliest notable television work was his four-year run on Passions, where he portrayed Fox Crane from 2002 to 2006. The role established him as a steady presence on network daytime television and opened the door to his next major opportunity. He then joined the cast of Smallville in 2006 as Oliver Queen, a character fans of the Superman mythology knew well. Hartley initially appeared in a seven-episode arc before returning to the show as a regular cast member in 2008.
Alongside his television work, Justin Hartley branched out into film with a starring turn in the 2008 independent movie Red Canyon, filmed in the badlands of Utah. He also co-wrote and directed episodes of Smallville, signaling an early interest in the creative side of production. These formative projects laid the groundwork for his transition into the high-profile primetime dramas that would define his career.
Breakthrough (2012–2022)
Following Smallville, Justin Hartley took on a series of supporting and lead roles that broadened his range. He starred opposite Mamie Gummer in the CW comedy-drama Emily Owens, M.D., and guest-starred on series including Chuck, Castle, and Hart of Dixie. From 2013 to 2014, he had a recurring role on the ABC primetime soap opera Revenge, playing Patrick Osbourne, the illegitimate son of Victoria Grayson. In 2014, he joined the cast of the ABC drama Mistresses as plastic surgeon Scott Trosman in a recurring capacity.
That same year, Justin Hartley took over the role of Adam Newman on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless, a part he played from November 2014 until September 2016. The role earned him a Daytime Emmy nomination and introduced him to a wider soap audience. In 2015, he was cast in what would become his most recognizable role, Kevin Pearson on the NBC family drama This Is Us, which debuted in September 2016.
Hartley’s performance on This Is Us turned him into a household name and earned him three consecutive nominations for the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. He and the rest of the principal cast won Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series at the 24th Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2018. During the run of the show, he also appeared in the 2017 comedy film A Bad Moms Christmas and the 2020 thriller The Hunt, and signed on to star in and executive produce the 2022 Netflix film The Noel Diary.
Notable Works and Milestones
Across more than two decades, Justin Hartley has built a signature résumé that includes Passions, Smallville, The Young and the Restless, This Is Us, and Tracker. His SAG Award for ensemble work and his trio of Critics’ Choice nominations for This Is Us stand as the most decorated moments of his career. The 2022 release of The Noel Diary also marked a milestone, as it was the first project in which he held an executive producer credit on a feature film.
Justin Hartley Award Nominations
Justin Hartley has earned recognition from several major awards bodies across his television career. His portrayal of Adam Newman on The Young and the Restless brought him a Daytime Emmy nomination, and his work as Kevin Pearson on This Is Us resulted in three Critics’ Choice Television Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. These nominations span daytime soaps and primetime drama, reflecting the breadth of his on-screen work.
Justin Hartley Awards Won
Justin Hartley’s most prominent award win came in 2018, when he and the principal cast of This Is Us were honored with Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series at the 24th Screen Actors Guild Awards. The ensemble prize recognized the group work that became a hallmark of the NBC drama and remains the headline award of his career to date.
| Award | Wins | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Screen Actors Guild Awards – Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (This Is Us) | 1 | 2018 |
Justin Hartley Family
Justin Hartley grew up in Orland Park, a Chicago suburb, alongside his brother Nathan and his sisters Megan and Gabriela. His family was living in Knoxville, Illinois, near Galesburg, at the time of his birth, and he was raised in the broader Midwest before relocating to Los Angeles to pursue acting. His siblings remain part of his personal life, though he keeps most family details private.
Personal Life
Justin Hartley married his Passions co-star Lindsay Korman on May 1, 2004. The couple welcomed a daughter, Isabella Justice, on July 3, 2004. In May 2012, Korman filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences, and the two have remained on amicable terms while sharing joint custody of their daughter.
Hartley later began dating actress Chrishell Stause in January 2014, and the couple announced their engagement in July 2016 before marrying on October 28, 2017. They resided in Valley Glen, Los Angeles, before Hartley filed for divorce in November 2019, with the divorce finalized in February 2021. In March 2021, he married his Young and the Restless co-star Sofia Pernas, with whom he has continued to share his life in subsequent years.