Jensen Ackles landed the role of Russell Shaw after a playful text exchange with his longtime friend Justin Hartley. Ackles complained about seeing Hartley in Tracker ads during a football game; Hartley suggested, “You should come play my brother.” Ackles replied, “When and where?”
How Justin Hartley proposed Jensen Ackles for the role
Hartley described the origin of the casting idea in a May 2024 interview with TheWrap. He and Ackles had been friends for years, dating back to when Ackles was on Supernatural and Hartley was on Smallville. Both shows were associated with The WB, later The CW, and the actors worked in the same city while away from home.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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The Tracker | $23.96 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Alien Tracker - DVD | $16.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
![Tracker [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51dFEUF9q3L._SL160_.jpg)
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Tracker [DVD] | $36.41 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![Treasure Trackers [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51kX7mm5oIL._SL160_.jpg)
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Treasure Trackers [DVD] | $16.67 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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The Tracker - DVD | $20.11 | Buy on Amazon |
While watching football, Ackles saw television ads for Tracker and texted Hartley to ask him to get his “ugly mug” off the screen. Hartley answered with the invitation to play his brother. Ackles’s quick “When and where?” turned the joke into a real possibility; Hartley later said Ackles came in and did an excellent job.
Hartley says the suggestion was partly a joke, but he meant it
Hartley retold the story in a 2025 CBS Mornings interview, as reported by Parade. He said he was “half joking” but also serious when he suggested Ackles for the part. Hartley recalled calling others involved with the show afterward and saying, “I think I got the brother, I think I know exactly who it should be.” Their response, he said, was, “Of course it’s him.”
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The accounts differ slightly in the wording of Ackles’s complaint about the ads, but both describe the same sequence: the football-game text, Hartley’s suggestion, and Ackles’s enthusiastic response. They show Hartley advocating for his friend and the idea being welcomed by the team. They do not establish that Hartley alone had formal casting authority.
Who Russell Shaw is in Tracker
Ackles plays Russell Shaw, Colter’s estranged older brother. Paramount+’s official cast guide describes Russell as a former soldier turned private security contractor. The series is based on Jeffery Deaver’s novel The Never Game.
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Russell’s casting was publicly reported in April 2024. TV Insider reported that he first appears in the episode “Off the Books,” and TVLine reported that the episode was then scheduled to air on May 12, 2024. That date was the historical schedule, not a current viewing date.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the casting story resonated
The anecdote is unusually personal: rather than describing a formal audition or a long search, Hartley traced the idea to an everyday exchange between friends who already knew each other’s work. His account also makes clear that the suggestion was not simply a gag. Ackles was interested, Hartley put the idea to the people involved with the show, and they agreed he was the right fit for Russell.
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- Tracker (2010)
- Tracker (2010)
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