Catching Up With Justin Hartley
Soap Opera Digest: You’ve been on quite a roller coaster since leaving PASSIONS. You didn’t think you landed the role of Aquaman, then you did. You taped the pilot, then it didn’t get picked up. How have you gotten through all that?
Justin Hartley: It wasn’t hard because I just finished a Warner Brothers film called Spring Breakdown, so I didn’t have a lot of time to sit there and feel bad. The bottom line is, I think it would be ridiculous to feel bad because I came out to Los Angeles as an actor and got a soap opera, then to book a pilot when I got off the soap during my first pilot season, and then to book a studio film and get into some independent films, and now I’m on SMALLVILLE [as Oliver Queen, a.k.a. Green Arrow]. I’m just having a good time. You can’t ask for everything, right?Digest: Spring Breakdown stars SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’s Rachel Dratch. You love to be a little funny, so how was that?
Hartley: Just a little? I like to be a lot funny, but I don’t know how. It was great. To go take after take and see Rachel Dratch, who is my love interest in the show, come up with fresh new ways to do a scene that is supposed to be hilarious, but we heard it 50 times, was amazing. I ruined her take. It was a brilliant take and the funniest moment of her life and I was laughing. It was funny, what am I going to do? It’s cool to work with really talented, skilled people. Digest: Amber Tamblyn (ex-Emily, GH) is also in the movie. Did you have any scenes with her?
Hartley: No, I didn’t. I met her and spoke with her briefly on set a couple of times. She was shooting different days or times. I saw her in passing and she is a really nice person. My dialogue was mainly with Rachel. Digest: What is L.A. Blues?
Hartley: That’s a little independent film that I had a small role in. It’s a funny take on the idea of what a typical, ungrateful, spoiled celebrity is like. He’s very arrogant and conceited and doesn’t think about much more than his paycheck and biceps. It was a really quick part. I went nuts on that one, made everyone laugh and then left. That was a fun time.Digest: How is SMALLVILLE going?
Hartley: It’s going well. I’m going to try not to run this show into the ground. It’s a finely tuned machine because they’ve been doing it for so long. I go to Canada and just follow the leader. Digest: How many episodes have you filmed?
Hartley: I’m going back tomorrow to finish my third one. They get the character heavily involved in the story right away.Digest: Did you do a lot of research for your role as Green Arrow?
Hartley: You know me, I don’t really work that hard [laughs]. Of course I did! I read a bunch of comics and books. You can watch other actors that you admire that played superheroes. I was watching Michael Keaton and Christian Bale and their takes on Batman. It’s interesting because that helps me with this character more than it did for Aquaman because Green Arrow is more like a Batman character. Also, I studied Clive Owen in Inside Man. He doesn’t play a superhero, but this guy is a bad guy, and the whole movie, he’s acting with sunglasses on, a hood and a mask up to his nose, so all you see is his forehead. The Green Arrow costume is a little bit concealing as far as the eyes go. A lot of times when you’re acting, you use your eyes. When you’re covered up, you can’t do that. There are some times when you actually see my face on the show, so that’s good [laughs]. It’s not even me. It’s a lie. I just feel bad about the Aquaman thing, so I just tell everybody I’m on SMALLVILLE.Digest: Ha! What is the rest of the costume like? More specifically, are you in tights?
Hartley: There is an homage to the original costume and there were tights in the original. It was more Robin Hood-esque. There was a moment where I had that on, so you do get to see me in tights, not that you ever wanted to. If for nothing else but the sake of making fun of me, you do get to see me in tights. And then the costume evolves into a modern costume with leather. It’s still tight, mind you. Talk about disarming! They did a wonderful job with it, but hopefully I’m pulling it off. It’s hard to pull off tight leather for a guy. They’re good people over there; they’re not going to let me look like too much of an idiot.
Digest: Has your daughter, Isabella, seen you in the costume?
Hartley: No, she hasn’t, but there was a photo shoot in L.A. so they had to ship the costume here. [My wife] Lindsay [Hartley, Theresa] was actually able to come to the photo shoot, so she got to see me in the costume, minus all the weapons I have on in the show. But she saw me in the skintight leather costume. I don’t mind the costume though. It’s a little warm because it’s layered leather, but nobody gets to have an excuse to wear all leather. I can put on head-to-toe leather and nobody can say a word. However, I don’t think I’ll be walking around anywhere except on set because I don’t want to scare anybody.Digest: Did you have to train for this role?
Hartley: I did some archery training, obviously because he’s a Green Arrow. Then I did some motorcycle training. I had no idea how to ride a motorcycle, but Green Arrow rides a motorcycle, so I had to learn how to ride it. Now I know how to shoot a bow and arrow, which I’m pretty good at, and how to ride a motorcycle. Digest: Is there anything else you’re working on, as if you have time?
Hartley: I have a project of my own that I’m trying to develop. I wrote it with a friend of mine and we’re ironing it out. It’s a feature. I’m trying to work on that when I have time. It’s a juggling act. You don’t want to just do one thing because it keeps everything you’re doing fresh. Then I have the husband and father thing, which is like a full-time job. I have that hyperactive thing going on so it’s good for me. Digest: Is Isabella in her terrible twos?
Hartley: If you ask Lindsay, no. If you ask me, she’s a little ornery. She has a little personality on her. She’s a little dramatic, but it’s cute. She’ll do something that’s completely inappropriate and it’s funny. I don’t know how you’re supposed to take them seriously so I laugh and I guess I’m not supposed to laugh. So I have to stop that. She’s talking like crazy and hasn’t done anything too terrible as far as the twos go. She hasn’t drank gasoline or anything, so we’re still safe.Digest: That’s good! Have you been to the PASSIONS set since you left the show?
Hartley: I’ve been there a couple of times since I left. Digest: Is it weird to be back there?
Hartley: No, it’s not weird at all. I had fun when I worked there and I like everyone there. Everyone seems to like me enough to invite me back to visit. I’m not going back to reprise my role of Fox Crane, I’m going to visit my wife. It’s not like I’m trying to pull a fast one. Digest: Is it weird that you don’t have to work while you’re there?
Hartley: It’s a relief. I didn’t realize how hard my job was at PASSIONS until I watched other people do it. I watched Lindsay and Eric [Martsolf, Ethan], who I talk to all the time, and I was like, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” You have all that dialogue to memorize and have to put something behind it. I can’t even imagine it now. I did it for three years, but now I see them do it and I think it’s ridiculous. It’s one of those things that’s like going to the gym; the more you go, the more you’re going to be able to lift and the better you’ll feel. But being out of it for several months, I don’t even know if I have the brain to do that anymore. For right now, I’m happy with my five pages a day.Digest: So when can we see you on SMALLVILLE?
Hartley: October 5th. Two weeks after that is my huge episode. It’s funny because I’ve been doing all this work and nobody has seen it, but you can get AQUAMAN on iTunes now.Digest: The trailer alone looks like a blockbuster movie.
Hartley: I showed up at SMALLVILLE and it’s the same kind of feel the way they shoot it. I’m into it. I love it!
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