For most TV stars, downtime between filming is a rare luxury, often spent catching up on rest or preparing for the next project. But for Justin Hartley, star of This Is Us and Tracker, that downtime often involves something completely different from cameras, scripts, and Hollywood: woodworking.
It started years ago as a way to decompress from the emotional intensity of acting. On This Is Us, Hartley’s role as Kevin Pearson required him to dive deep into emotionally charged scenes day after day. “There were times I’d get home, and it felt like I was still carrying Kevin with me,” Hartley once shared in an interview. “Woodworking gave me an escape — something tactile, creative, and completely outside of my professional life.”
Inside his Los Angeles home, Hartley converted a garage space into a full woodworking studio, complete with saws, sanders, and stacks of raw lumber. He doesn’t just dabble — friends describe him as “meticulous” and “a perfectionist” when it comes to his craft. “He’ll spend hours on a single piece,” says one friend. “If the angle is even slightly off, he’ll start over.”
What makes this hobby so valuable for Hartley isn’t just the craftsmanship, but the mindset it requires. “Acting is collaborative and constantly in motion — there are people around, cameras rolling, cues to hit. Woodworking is slow, deliberate, and private,” he explained. “It teaches you patience. It also teaches you that mistakes can be fixed — or sometimes, they become part of the beauty of the piece.”
Hartley has reportedly made coffee tables, bookshelves, and even hand-carved picture frames. Occasionally, he’ll gift a piece to close friends or family, making it even more meaningful. “It’s not something you can buy in a store. It’s a part of him,” says a co-star who received a custom wine rack.
For fans, this side of Hartley is a reminder that even Hollywood stars need something real and grounding. And for Hartley himself, it’s more than a hobby — it’s a way of maintaining balance in a career that demands emotional vulnerability and constant reinvention.
