‘Tracker’ fans, Justin Hartley has some major news ahead of Season 3 finale
Justin Hartley, the star of CBS's action-drama series 'Tracker,' has been the talk of the town as Season 3 nears its end, with the finale set to air on May 24. Ahead of this, the 49-year-old star has been announced as the commencement speaker at Knox College's graduation ceremony, which will be held on June 7. The university shared the exciting news on its official Instagram account on April 2 and also mentioned that Hartley will be receiving an honorary degree at the event. The post was captioned, "Western Illinois-born and award-winning actor, producer, and star of CBS’s Tracker Justin Hartley is the 2026 Knox College Commencement speaker. He will be awarded an honorary degree, along with internationally respected American art executive and cultural leader Deborah F. Rutter and award-winning investigative reporter Dorothy Tucker."
In his official statement, President C. Andrew McGadney said that he was thrilled to extend the award to an Illinois native. "It’s not often that Knox gets to welcome a native of the Illinois prairie as its commencement speaker, which makes awarding an honorary degree to Justin Hartley this June truly meaningful. With a career that spans more than 20 years as an actor, producer, and director, Justin’s outstanding work in television and film sets a noteworthy example of artistic achievement and personal accomplishment for the Class of 2026." Hartley grew up in Knoxville, which is only a short distance away from the college in Galesburg.
Hartley's career took off when he starred as Kevin Pearson in NBC's family drama series, 'This Is Us,' which ran for six seasons from 2016 to 2022. He then appeared in 'Tracker,' which premiered in February 2024 on CBS. Inspired by Jeffery Deaver's 2019 novel 'The Never Game,' the series follows Hartley's character, Colter Shaw, as he uses his survival skills to find missing people in exchange for monetary rewards. 'Tracker' has been a major hit for the network throughout its three seasons. The survivalist drama aired its latest episode from Season 3, titled 'Daughters,' on Sunday, April 19. In this episode, Colter was hired to look for a teen who went missing during a triple homicide at her friend's house. The episode is co-written by Ryan O'Nan and Jai Franklin Sarki, with Joel Novoa serving as director.
'Tracker' is only a few weeks away from airing the Season 3 finale, which is titled 'The Best Ones.' The episode will see Colter reunite with his brother, Russell (played by Jensen Ackles), for another thrilling mission to close out the show's latest installment. As per its official synopsis, "Colter and Russell search for a victim of a nefarious research project." 'Tracker' was renewed for Season 4 in January and will premiere this fall on CBS as Hartley continues his run as a skilled survivalist.
