"This is the last you’ll see me on TV, apparently"— When Justin Hartley shared his experience of his first on-camera job
Over two decades ago, Justin Hartley made his TV debut as the character Fox Crane in the series, Passions. However, that was not his first on-camera role. During his appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on February 8, 2024, he revealed that his first on-camera role was in a beer commercial, when host Colbert asked him if he remembered his first on-camera role.
"I remember a commercial that I did, a beer commercial that I did. It was a commercial that they had me ad-libbing for hours. They were like, 'Do it different. Ad lib.' And there were no lines. I'm just ad libbing," Hartley said.
The Tonight Show then played the commercial in question. In the commercial, a young Justin Hartley could be seen approaching a woman sitting alone at a bar. Much to her annoyance, Hartley can be seen sliding her a key to his hotel room. They seem to be exchanging words, but all the viewers can hear is an upbeat tune.
After the commercial was over, Justin Hartley said he thought that the commercial was "inappropriate."
"This is the last you’ll see me on TV, apparently. I’m gone," he added.
He went on to reveal why this job turned out to be even more disappointing.
"I was really proud of all my ad-libs that day. And then when I watched the thing — I told my mom, I was like, ‘I made it. I’m on a commercial’ — they play that silly jingle over the whole thing."
Also read: Why did Justin Hartley leave The Young and the Restless? Explained
Justin Hartley looked back on his early days as a child actor
Early on in the interview, Hartley also discussed one of his earliest acting gigs in a school production. When Stephen Colbert asked if the Tracker star was a child actor, he said that he thought he was but later realized that he was not all that good.
Justin Hartley recalled playing the lead role in a school production of the play Frosty the Snowman.
"I was in a school play, and I really loved it. It was called Frosty the Snowman, and I was Frosty the snowman. I got cast in the lead role of this play. This guy's obviously—put him, you know, front and center," he said.
He continued:
"He's the namesake of the whole production. And then, as the production was going on, it dawned on me— Frosty doesn't move, he can't breathe, he doesn't talk, he can't sing the song, and the only time he moves is when they finally make him come to life."
Justin Hartley further recalled that after Frosty came to life, he would have to dance his way off the stage, which made him feel like he was the worst actor. What made this whole experience potentially even worse was that the snowman suit was just a dunce cap.
The Emmy-nominated actor now has a lead role in the CBS TV series, Tracker. He stars as Colter Shaw in the series, which is in its second season currently. It has also been renewed for a third season.
