Justin Hartley

Born Jan. 29, 1977 in Knoxville, IL, actor Justin Hartley was the second of four children. He attended Carl Sandberg High School, where he played baseball and soccer, but an injury forced the young man to change paths. After graduation, he enrolled in Southern Illinois University, majoring in theatre after discovering the joy of performing on stage. He moved to Los Angeles after graduation, landing the role of the rich and spoiled Nicholas Foxworth Crane on the campy daytime soap opera, "Passions" (NBC, 1999-2007; DirecTV, 2007-08) in 2002, and immediately became a fan favorite. Hartley stayed locked into the soap until 2006, when he landed the lead role in the much-hyped pilot "Aquaman" (WB, 2006) - a fantasy/drama that centered on the comic book superhero capable of breathing underwater and communicating with aquatic creatures who vows to maintain the safety of the Earth's oceans and its inhabitants. But due to the merger of the WB and UPN into the CW network, "Aquaman" got lost in the shuffle and was not picked up for production. Meanwhile, Hartley joined the cast of "Smallville" (CW, 2001-11) in 2006, playing Green Arrow, a rich, enigmatic crime fighter lacking superhero powers, but not the desire - not to mention the tools and ability - to fight the powers of evil. After that series ended in 2011, Hartley joined the cast of "Emily Owens M.D." (CW 2012-13), a short-lived comedy-drama starring Mamie Gummer in the title role. Hartley then appeared in recurring roles in the drama series "Revenge" (ABC 2011-15) and "Mistresses" (ABC 2013-16), as well as a two-year stint on soap opera "The Young and the Restless" (CBS 1973- ) before landing a starring role in the critically-acclaimed drama "This Is Us" (NBC 2016- ). Between seasons of the blockbuster hit series, Hartley appeared in the films "A Bad Moms Christmas" (2017), tween fantasy "Little" (2019), and romantic comedy "Jexi" (2019).