EW The Ultimate Guide To This Is Us 2022

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO
TV’s Most
Beloved Family
Says Goodbye
INSIDE
ALL 6
SEASONS
PLUS
Exclusive
Farewell
Interviews
Collector ’s Edition
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO
This Is Us
Contents
4 80
No Tears Left A Love Letter
to Cry to Us
It’s time to bid adieu Executive producer
to #TissueTuesdays, Ken Olin directed
whether we like it or not more episodes of TIU
than anyone else.
6 Here he looks back at
OMG! Moments the experience
The show’s most
stupendous surprises, 82
which still have us The Old and
picking our jaws up the Beautiful
off the floor How do you age
Mandy Moore into a
20 woman twice her
Meet the Family age and back again?
All-new interviews According to makeup
with the people who department head
portray the extended Zoe Hay, very carefully
Pearson clan
84
48 Burning Down
Teen Spirit the House
The trio who play Kate, When the Pearson
Randall and Kevin in home burned to the
their most formative ground, the cast and
years—Hannah Zeile, crew had to pull off
Niles Fitch and Logan one of the most danger-
Shroyer—reflect on ous and important
their experience as episodes of the series
the Big Three in their
late teens 88
More Burning
52 Questions
The Complete Making a show this
History intricate ain’t easy.
The beauty of This Is Us How TIU made the
is the twisty, turny deceptively difficult
way the story unravels. moments look easy
Here we unfurl some
of the show’s most 92
important moments, The Sound of Us
in chronological order Composer Siddhartha
Khosla shares his vision
68 for the soundtrack and
The Man Behind score for the show
It All
An interview with the 96
beating heart of the Scene Stealers
Pearson universe, What the cast hopes to
creator Dan Fogelman liberate from the set!
72
Behind the Scenes
Take a peek at the cast
and crew as they film
to see how the sausage—
er, tomato soup and hot
dogs—gets made
2 E N T E R TA I N M E N T W E E K LY
Kevin (Justin
Hartley), Kate
(Chrissy Metz),
Rebecca
(Mandy Moore)
and Randall
(Sterling K.
Brown).
T H E U LT I M AT E G U I D E T O T H I S I S U S 3
FO R E WO R D Cast your mind back, if
you can, to the summer
No Tears Left
of 2016. A tense nation
braced itself for the upcoming
election (such innocent times,
to Cry
when we thought we knew what
“tense” was), and one hopeful
respite for those who tuned in
to NBC’s prime-time shows—
It’s hard to remember a time before the Pearsons, The Good Place, Grimm, Emerald
but after six seasons, we have to bid adieu to City—was a commercial for what
#TissueTuesdays. (P.S. False alarm: We found a looked like a sweet drama called
few more tears.) By Carla Sosenko This Is Us.
“Eighteen million people in
the world share the same birth-
day,” said the omnipresent
first trailer, which got 80 mil-
lion views in two weeks. “But
Worst-case scenario: Creator
Dan Fogelman, who had previ-
ously made ABC’s The Neighbors
and Fox’s Pitch (“television
shows that I loved making but
didn’t achieve the zeitgeist-ness
and got canceled before I was
ready to have them end,” he
tells EW )would add another
credit to his résumé and move
on. Best-case scenario? This Is
Us would become a fan favorite,
ratings hit and critical darling,
raking in four Emmys (plus
34 nom inations), six Golden
Globe noms (including one win,
for Brown) and a bevy of other
accolades including an NAACP
Image Award, SAG Awards and a
GLAAD Media Award.
After six seasons, This Is Us is
coming to a close at what cast
and crew agree is the right time,
though that doesn’t mean it’s
easy. Show composer Siddhartha
Khosla puts it thus: “Ultimately I
will walk away from this show
having the most complete pro-
fessional experience I could have
asked for. I got to work on some-
thing that millions and millions
of people have watched, and it’ll
go down as one of the most suc-
cessful network dramas in the
history of television.”
that’s not the only thing they ↖ Clockwise The show seemed to promise That drama took on issues
from left
have in common.” Jack (Milo the warmth of beloved dramas like grief, racism, addiction,
In the two-and-a-half-minute Ventimiglia) and past—Brothers & Sisters, Parent- relationship abuse, fat phobia,
Rebecca with
spot, we got snippets of four char- two of their Big hood—that distinguished them- and gender and sexuality, and it
acters all turning 36: Gilmore Three babes; the selves as cozy and comforting let us see its characters—these
entire family at
Girls brooder Milo Ventimiglia the police sta- but not saccharine: As in, it was wonderful, flawed characters
tion after Kevin
(in his birthday suit), whose wandered away exactly what we needed in 2016. struggling with how to adapt and
wife, played by pop star Mandy from a movie Then the premiere aired on find the right words in difficult
theater; the
Moore, was herself about to pop; adult Big Three: Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016, and situations. More important, it
Randall (Sterling K. Brown), an Randall (Sterling we were collectively shook. let us watch as they figured out
K. Brown), Kate
über- successful commodities (Chrissy Metz) These were not separate stories what to do when they’d said the
and Kevin
trader who had just located his (Justin Hartley). of four people with the same wrong ones.
birth father; and twins Kevin birthday, they were intercon- Now, as we navigate a world
and Kate (Justin Hartley and nected narratives about one without the Pearsons (best case:
Chrissy Metz), who were strug- family, occurring over multiple a reboot or movie; worse case, we
gling with the indignities of time lines. We’d never seen any- binge-watch the series over and
sitcom superstardom and diet thing like it—but could the series over again), we take a look back
culture, respectively. sustain its bombshell pilot? at all that Us gave us.
The fireman who
found Randall
(Brian Oblak)
offers Jack (Milo
Ventimiglia) a
smoke—in the
maternity ward—
and viewers are
never the same.
M
O G! Mo
ments
Over six seasons,
This Is Us made us
laugh, cry and shout,
‘Wait a minute—
what?!?’ Take a look
back at the show’s most
stupendous surprises.
By Carla Sosenko
OMG! Moments
They’re All Related and Have the Same

Birthday—and There Are Different Timelines!
SEASON 1, EPISODE 1
It was so long ago—Sept. 20, 2016, to be precise—
that it would be easy to forget the series’ most
jaw-dropping twist, which happened at the very end
of the pilot. Those of us who tuned in spent most
of the episode thinking we had been following three
separate, concurrent story lines, about unlinked
characters who were all turning 36 that day:
Jack, whose wife, Rebecca, was pregnant with their
first child; Randall, who had just located his birth
father; and Kate and Kevin, twins commiserating
about the state of their lives. Except, twist! In a mat-
ter of minutes, we realized that Jack and Rebecca
were in a completely different timeline than the
↑ From top other three, and she was pregnant with them! One
The Big Three;
Randall (Sterling of the triplets, Kyle, didn’t make it, and in his place,
K. Brown) and the Pearsons brought home a newborn who’d been
William (Ron
Cephas Jones); left at a fire station that very day. One family. Two
Kate (Chrissy timelines. Lots and lots of smoking in the hospital
Metz) and Kevin
(Justin Hartley). waiting room. Millions of minds blown.
Rebecca Is Married to . . . Miguel?!?
SEASON 1, EPISODE 2
By episode 2, we were still reeling from the rev-
elation that this show was not what it seemed,
but we were at least starting to wrap our heads
around the premise. In the 1980s timeline,
there’s trouble in paradise for Jack and
Rebecca—mainly because of Jack’s drinking—
but after a stern talking-to (and one amazing
image of Jack slumped outside their bedroom
door because he doesn’t like sleeping far away
from her) things seem back on track for our
No. 1 couple. Except, cut to the present timeline,
and guess who’s coming to dinner at Randall
and his wife Beth’s: Grandma Rebecca and
Grandpa . . . Miguel? Did this mean that Rebecca
and Jack had split up after all? Was Jack dead?
↑ Miguel (Jon Huertas), Rebecca (Mandy Moore),
Tess (Eris Baker) and Annie (Faithe Herman). We didn’t know yet, but we were unhappy.
William and Rebecca Have of their life together and how ↑ Young William A flashback of Rebecca tracking
(Jermel Nakia)
Known Each Other for Years William came to give up his son. and Rebecca. down William in search of parent-
SEASON 1, EPISODE 3 But back in the present timeline, ing advice. Turns out he was the
In present day, Randall is figuring something’s rotten in New one who suggested changing the
out how to tell his mom that he’s Jersey: When Randall introduces baby’s name from Kyle, meant for
found his birth dad. In the past, Rebecca to William and then the original triplet who died. And
we know she spotted him linger- leaves them to talk, William tells that’s how Randall becomes
ing outside the hospital after she her, “You look well,” as in, “You Randall, named after William’s
gave birth. We learn the story of look well since the last time I saw favorite poet, Dudley Randall.
William (Jermel Nakia), aka you.” But still, blink and you And oh yeah, Rebecca makes
Shakespeare, and Laurel (Jenni- could’ve missed it. You can’t miss William promise never to come
fer C. Holmes), the tragic undoing what comes next, though: looking for his son. Uh-oh.
William Has a Boyfriend
SEASON 1, EPISODE 10
After some rough twists and turns, finally: a
surprising-in-a-good way development! It’s Christ-
mastime—and the fall finale—and we find William
in a Narcotics Anonymous meeting bickering with
another member, Jessie (Denis O’Hare). It doesn’t
take long to realize that Jessie and William are in
fact in love, and William, who by now we know has
cancer, confesses that he disappeared to spare his
partner the pain of watching him die. When William
brings Jessie to Christmas at Randall and Beth’s,
the two wonder about the mystery man’s identity. It
takes wise-beyond-her-years Tess (foreshadowing!)
↑ William (Ron Cephas Jones) and Jessie (Denis O’Hare). to tell them, “Grandpa is gay. Or at least bi.”
Kevin Always Loved Sophie

It’s birthday time for the Big
Three (and also Jack, technically,
though once he has triplets, he
doesn’t really ever get to cele-
brate). The Pearsons, in their
never-ending quest to be the best
parents on the planet, host three
simultaneous parties for each of
their three kids, all at the house.
Barely anyone shows up to Ran-
dall’s, but Kate’s Madonna theme
and Kevin’s Princess Bride bash
are a smash . . . with one small
caveat: Kate’s best friend, Sophie
(Sophia Coto), is spending more
time on Kevin’s side of the house.
When Jack asks Kevin to help get
Sophie back to the party she was
invited to so Kate’s feelings aren’t
hurt, Kevin replies, “I can’t, Dad.
I love her.” In the very same epi-
sode, adult Kevin is trying to
figure out whether he should be
with melodramatic actress Olivia
(Janet Montgomery) or brainy
playwright Sloane (Milana Vayn-
trub), and he chooses . . . neither!
Instead he winds up at the New
York City apartment of grown-
up Sophie (Alexandra Brecken-
ridge), who, it turns out, he
married, cheated on and divorced
↑ From top Young Sophie (Sophia Coto) and Kevin (Parker Bates);
12 years prior. teenage Sophie (Amanda Leighton) and Kevin (Logan Shroyer).
OMG! Moments
Jack Makes It Through exception is family dog Louie, who ↑ Jack of smoke inhalation, nothing a
the Fire Kate is especially upset about. quick trip to the hospital can’t fix.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 14 We were torn, because poor Phew. The Pearsons are calm,
By this point in the series, we Louie, but on the other hand, Jack we’re calm, everything is fine.
know that Jack dies, and in the survived and we wanted him to Only the show isn’t done toying
previous episode, we got a pretty stay that way. In true Jack Pear- with our emotions for the night:
good idea how: After a faulty son fashion, he’s not going to let While Rebecca is at the hospital
inherited Crock-Pot went awry Louie languish and goes back getting a candy bar at the vending
(damn you, generous neighbors!), inside to get him. And so there we machine, Jack goes into cardiac
Jack managed to get his family (think we) have it: an answer to arrest and dies. The mystery of
out of the house safely, including— how Jack dies. Except, nope! He Jack’s death was finally solved,
surprise!—himself. The one emerges with Louie and a wee bit and we were a wreck.
OMG! Moments
That’s Grown-Up Tess!

Randall and Beth decide to foster a child, and we
meet Déjà (Lyric Ross), who’s been shuffled from
home to home ever since her great-grandmother
(Pam Grier) died and her mom, Shauna (Joy
Brunson), was arrested for gun possession. Things
are rocky for everyone, and before we know it,
Déjà is sent back to live with her mother. Meanwhile,
we see intercut scenes of a social worker talking
to a young boy in foster care named Jordan and
assume that he’ll soon be moving into Déjà’s old
room in the Pearson home. We should know better
by now: It’s more This Is Us timeline trickery, and
Jordan is going home with another family. His social
worker? Tess, who receives a visit from her dad—
looking much older—at work. ↑ Tess (Iantha Richardson) and Randall.
Nicky Is Alive disciplined, and that he wasn’t a ↑ Nicky (Michael that Kevin got from one of Jack’s
Angarano).
SEASON 3, EPISODE 9 mechanic but a U.S. Army staff war buddies. Dejected, Kevin
Much of season 3 revolved sergeant. The war timeline is gets ready to head home, but not
around Jack’s time in the war, juxtaposed with Kevin in Vietnam without one last bombshell from
something he was reluctant in present day, there with his their guide: According to a Viet-
to talk about in life. “I was just a girlfriend, documentarian Zoe nam memorial database, Nicky
mechanic,” was his frequent (Melanie Liburd), to learn more Pearson did not die in the war.
refrain, and this season shows us about his dad. The closest they A quick cut to a present-day loner
everything Jack couldn’t say: that come is meeting a man who grew living in a trailer in Pennsylvania
he enlisted to protect his gentle up in the village where Jack was holding a stack of mail confirms it:
little brother Nicky (Michael Ang- stationed but has no recollection All the letters are addressed to
arano), who’d been drafted and of him or the woman in the photo Nicholas Pearson.
Who the Heck
Are All These
New People?!
SEASON 4, EPISODE 1
The start of season 4 sets
us off-kilter, as there are
loads of unfamiliar faces,
and we have no idea how
they fit in yet—but we do
know this show deserves
the Emmy Award for Best
Curveballs. First there’s
Cassidy Sharp (Jennifer
Morrison), as a Marine
whose Alcoholics Anony-
mous meeting is violently
interrupted by the very-
much-still-alive-and-older
Uncle Nicky (Griffin
Dunne). Then there’s Malik
(Asante Blackk), Déjà’s
soon-to-be love interest
(whose dad is played by
Morrison’s former House
costar Omar Epps, for
maximum disorientation).
Last but not least is an
unidentified blind musician,
whose life we see progress
quickly: from writing songs
alone in his apartment to
falling in love, getting mar-
ried and having a baby, to
performing onstage to a
sold-out crowd. Turns out
it’s grown-up baby Jack,
aka Jack Damon (Blake
Stadnik), fulfilling all the
musical dreams of his
↑ Clockwise from top Jack Damon (Blake Stadnik); Cassidy (Jennifer Morrison); Malik (Asante Blackk). mother and grandmother.
Randall Confronts Rebecca let him make an appointment with ↑ Rebecca and impairment likely because of
Randall.
SEASON 4, EPISODE 9 a neurologist. In a disorienting epi- Alzheimer’s. No one knows how
We tried not to see this one sode that flashes back and forth quickly things will progress, but
coming but did. There have been in time without our knowing it— everyone knows this is not good
hints of Rebecca’s self-professed perhaps to mirror the constant news. Suddenly a show that’s
“senior moments,” and now state of disorientation Rebecca been fixated on Jack’s death pulls
Randall finally talks to his mother feels—the Pearson matriarch, with the rug out from under us, making
about her memory. Though she Miguel and Randall by her side, us realize that our future with
first resists, she finally agrees to gets a diagnosis: mild cognitive Rebecca isn’t guaranteed either.
That’s Kate and Toby’s Daughter!

Who’s that girl? In this episode, titled “Strangers:
Part Two” (in “Strangers: Part One,” we met Cassidy,
Malik and adult baby Jack), the character we’re
most interested in is a young woman named Hailey,
who works at an art gallery and whose coworker has
a crush on her. Separately Kate and Toby are cele-
brating baby Jack’s 1st birthday and talking about
having another kid. That’s when we realize Hailey
is in the future. How do we know? Grown-up baby
Jack and his wife have just had their own kid—a little
girl named Hope—and who rushes into the hospital
room to meet her? Her aunt Hailey, from the art
gallery, who it turns out is Jack’s little sister—and
↑ Jack (Blake Stadnik) and Lucy (Auden Thornton), holding
Kate and Toby’s future daughter. baby Hope, and Hailey (Adelaide Kane).
OMG! Moments
Kevin and Madison

Are Having Twins!
Gotta love that Pearson
DNA. In fairness, this revela-
tion was preceded by an
equally surprising one—though
an obvious one given the
result: Kevin and Madison
slept together! (“I was literally
upside down at one point,” is
the way Madison describes it
to her not-thrilled best friend,
Kate.) Madison has learned
not to expect anything from
anyone and lets Kevin know it—
he’s off the hook if he wants to
be—but children are what he’s
always wanted. The pregnancy
coincides with the pandemic,
and podding together turns
into something more for these
two: They become a happily
cohabitating family and decide
↑ Madison (Caitlin Thompson) and Kevin with babies Nicholas and Frances. to get married.
Laurel Didn’t Die That Day

SEASON 5, EPISODES 1 & 2
For all we’ve learned about
William, we know very little about
Randall’s birth mom, Laurel. The
last time we saw her, paramedics
had pronounced her dead from
an overdose in the apartment
she and William shared, and
William fled with their newborn.
But not so fast! All these seasons
later, she takes one sharp, sur-
prising inhalation and goes on
to live a long, full life back in her
native New Orleans with her
youthful sweetheart Hai. After
Randall’s shirtless-councilman
video goes viral, Hai reaches out,
and Randall and Beth immediately
go down to his lake house in New
Orleans to learn about Randall’s
mom. Except, Hai tells them, it’s
their lake house: Laurel left it for
her son when she died of cancer. ↑ Laurel (Jennifer C. Holmes).
OMG! Moments
Kate Had an Abortion

SEASON 5, EPISODE 5
Kevin’s and Randall’s love lives
are well-worn territory by
this point, but we know little
about 18-year-old Kate’s. By
now we’ve met her boyfriend
Marc, her boss at the record
store. And though he seemed
fine enough at first, it quickly
becomes apparent that he’s
an emotionally abusive, con-
trolling, horrible jerk, and that
a grieving, lonely, depressed
Kate is his perfect prey. Luck-
ily, Kate eventually realizes it
too—though not before he
inflicts some major damage,
including one night at the cabin
that could have resulted in
hypothermia—so when she
finds out she’s pregnant with
his baby, she knows she’s going
to have an abortion. It takes
↑ Kate (Hannah Zeile) and Marc (Austin Abrams). her years to tell anyone.
Madison Dumps Kevin

at the Altar
As unlikely a couple as they
once seemed, Madison and
Kevin are actually pretty
adorable together, and the
onetime womanizer seems to
think his bride-to-be hung the
moon. He loves their life, he
loves their family . . . but, Madi-
son starts to wonder as their
wedding day approaches, does
he love her? Her mom walked
out on her, her dad was barely
home—she’s been settling for
relationship scraps her whole
life, and she doesn’t want to
do it anymore. She loves Kevin,
but she will not marry him
unless he loves her back in the
same way—and he doesn’t. So
that’s a wrap on Kadison, right
on their wedding day. ↑ Madison and Kevin.
Kate and Toby Split Up—and
Kate Is Planning to Marry Her
Mean Jerk Boss?!
KaToby have been on the rocks
for a while—he’s no longer a
depressed stay-at-home dad,
but his weekly commute to
a new job in San Francisco is
putting a strain on the relation-
ship. Luckily for Kate, her new
job—teaching music at a school
for children with visual impair-
ment—is filling her cup with
love . . . if only it weren’t for “Phillip
Mean Jerk” (that’s literally how
she has him labeled in her phone).
He’s smug, he’s arrogant, he’s dis-
missive—and by the end of this
episode, he’s getting ready to
walk down the aisle to marry her. ↑ From top Kevin, Madison, Beth and Kate; Phillip (Chris Geere).
Nicky Finds Love!
SEASON 6, EPISODE 2
But not with who you think.
In the future timeline, when
the family is assembling at
the cabin to sit by Rebec-
ca’s bedside, characters
are revealed little by little.
The latest is someone yet
to be revealed, just pulling
up in a car. But never mind
that, let’s talk about Sally:
Nicky’s one true love, who
deflowered him in her van,
Pearl, and with whom he
was supposed to attend
Woodstock. Instead, he
chickened out, got drafted,
and life was never the
same. A whimsical road trip
to see Sally in present day
finds Nicky, Rebecca and
Miguel at the world’s most
awkward dinner party—
mostly thanks to Sally’s
obnoxious husband—but it
does bring him enough
closure to move out of the
Rivas house and head on
back to the cabin. On his
flight back east, Nicky is
busy being the gruff guy
we’ve grown to love and
refuses to put his seat back
in an upright position for
takeoff. And wouldn’t you
know it, the flight attendant
Edie not only finds it
charming, but she can
give as good as she can
take. Sometimes you find
soulmates in the most
unexpected places. (And
yes, that’s Edie pulling up to
the cabin, and, boy, is Nicky
glad to see her.) ↑ From top Sally (Dey Young) and Nicky; Edie (Vanessa Bell Calloway) and Nicky.
OMG! Moments
An Accident Damaged
Kate and Toby’s Marriage
SEASON 6, EPISODE 3
We’re in the home stretch now,
the final season, and things are
looking up for KaToby—except
that we know she ends up
engaged to Phillip Mean Jerk.
So what gives? Another flash-
forward to adult Jack Damon
gives us a clue: As he stands at a
smoker grilling meats for his wife,
Lucy, she refers to the smoker,
where he’s cooking, and then
touches a scar on his head. “It’s
like the literal symbol of the day
your mom and dad’s marriage
blew up,” she says of the Big
Green Egg, which was meant to
be one of Toby’s grand gestures,
to try to finally right things with
his family. He wanted to create a
Damon-focused activity that all
four of them—Toby, Kate, Jack
and Hailey—could make memo-
ries with, and boy oh boy did he
↑ Jack succeed, but not in a good way.
Miguel Moved to Houston

Because of Rebecca
SEASON 6, EPISODE 7
When Rebecca reconnected
with Miguel, it was on Face-
book, and his location was
Houston. We already knew
the two eventually got married,
but almost everything in
between had so far been a
mystery. We’ve seen him
become her resident handy-
man and even her speed dating
wingman, but we’ve never
known how Miguel ended up
in Texas. Now we do: He was
in love with Rebecca for a long
time, and being near her was
too painful. Thanks to—what
else?—social media, the two
were able to reconnect, and
the rest is Pearson history. ↑ Rebecca
Meet THE
From left
Sterling K.
Brown, Susan
Kelechi Watson,
Milo Ventimiglia,
Mandy Moore,
Justin Hartley,
Chrissy Metz and
Chris Sullivan.
Family What a long,
strange, wonder-
ful, sob-inducing
trip it’s been.
The actors who
play the Pearsons
and Pearson-
adjacent peeps
who populate the
series’ universe
sat down with EW
for all-new inter-
views about their
time on the show
M e e t t h e Fa m i l y
Rebecca
& Jack
It’s hard to remember a time before we knew Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia’s
foible-prone but mostly perfect parents. The actors reflect on becoming one of
TV’s greatest love stories and how it feels to be nearing the end. By Carolyn Hinsey
I N 2016 S I N G E R M A N DY M O O R E WA S ST RU G G L I N G TO BO U N C E BAC K ON HOW THEY’RE FEELING

after her divorce from musician Ryan Adams. Milo Ventimiglia was TOWARD THE END
looking for some new roles after successful stints on Gilmore Girls Moore Bittersweet. I’m so grateful
and Heroes. Enter Dan Fogelman, who changed both their lives by for this experience, but I’m defi-
hiring the winsome duo to play Pittsburgh’s favorite parents. nitely not ready to say goodbye!
“I have such ingrained memories of the first season,” says Moore, Ventimiglia I feel like we’ve done
38, who had never starred on television before landing the pivotal our job. I think the show has con-
role of time-traveling matriarch Rebecca Pearson. “I remember sistently gotten people to relate
thinking, ‘How do you do 13 episodes of a TV show?’ Then we got our stories to their own lives.
picked up, so I was like, ‘How do you do 18 episodes?’ ” There’s not a lot of shows where
Now the question for Moore and Ventimiglia, 44, is: How do you you get the opportunity to go out
say goodbye to six years of the best job of your life? on your own terms.
O N T H E I R FAVO R I T E
THIS IS US MOMENT
Moore The big fight between
Milo and me at the end of season 1
is really stuck in my brain. It was
this four-page scene where we
were cursing a bunch and going
toe-to-toe.
Ventimiglia I also loved the clos-
ing of season 1, the big argument
leading into the conversation
after she asked Jack to go stay at
Miguel’s house. That whole sea-
son was such a foundation for
Mandy and me to support and
← In addition to look out for one another.
starring in the
show, Mandy
Moore (with Milo
Ventimiglia) ON THEIR MOST
says, “I just love MEMORABLE SCENE
watching this
show as a fan. Moore Oh, that’s so tough! I get
I’m just as to live in all these different chap-
interested as
everyone else.” ters and work with all of the
other actors. I have so many ers jersey and jeans shivering. ↑ Clockwise O N W H Y M I G U E L I S N ’ T AT
from left
more memories to pull from. Ventimiglia The hardest scenes Rebecca and DY I N G R E B E C C A’S B E D S I D E
Ventimiglia I always go back to for me are always those where Jack with Kate; Moore The family is congregat-
a perfect Pear-
babies and Mandy. I’m never going I’m truly vulnerable as an actor. son moment: the ing, and maybe not everybody is
to forget the look in Mandy’s eyes From talking to Hannah [Zeile, time capsule there yet. Be patient, and we will
(with Mackenzie
when I said, “That diaper I just teenage Kate] and admitting to Hancsicsak, Lon- understand all in due time.
nie Chavis and
tossed to you? It had real s--- in it.” Jack’s drinking problem all the Parker Bates); Ventimiglia I can tell you abso-
way up to the episode where a rare moment lutely nothing. [Laughs]
of displeased
ON A TOUGH SCENE Jack says, “I don’t have a mom Pearson parents,
T H AT S TA N D S O U T anymore.” Jack is not emotional in season 2’s O N L O O K I N G B AC K AT
“Number 1,”
Moore All of the crazy stuff we and would never let his kids see featuring an T H E PA S T S I X Y E A R S
arrogant adoles-
shot pertaining to the house him break. I am a little more cent Kevin being Moore Never a dull moment!
catching fire. We were in the tapped into my emotions than a rude to a Pitt Jumping around in time keeps
recruiter.
middle of Santa Clarita, Calif., man born in the 1940s, so those you on your toes. I feel excited to
and it was freezing. I’m in a Steel- scenes are a hard line to walk. go to work every day, challenged
“I feel excited to go to work
every day, challenged and
sometimes overwhelmed”
MANDY MOORE
I remember walking into my Pearsons five to 10 years down

trailer looking at my choices of the road. Maybe I won’t have to
nude color dressing for that go through all that crazy age
opening scene when my ass makeup. Ten years from now
preceded my face, but I also they’ll be like, “Actually you look
remember every single moment very age-appropriate.”
in between. It’s been wonderful. Ventimiglia That’s funny. But
Jack is dead, and our kids are
O N H O W FA N S W I L L F E E L grown-up, so I don’t know how
ABOUT THE FINAL EPISODE I’d fit in. . . .
Moore I think it will be very sat-
isfying for everyone—for us who O N W H AT T H E Y ’ L L
worked on the show for six MISS THE MOST
seasons and for the audience. Moore My friends. I’ll miss see-
Everyone will be very fulfilled. I ing everybody, running into
have such faith in Dan and our people in hair and makeup,
writers. When he sold the show, opening the scripts. I finish every
he sold it as a six-season show, so script and wonder if I’ll ever feel
this was the plan all along. I trust this way about another job.
that he knows exactly how to Ventimiglia The crew. It’s not just
land the plane. the creativity they bring individu-
Ventimiglia I agree with my TV ally—if one person is different, my
wife! We’re going to feel ready to experience is different. I can say
take on the world. that because when I went back to
Gilmore Girls [on Netflix in 2016],
ON WHETHER QUESTIONS the fans got more Luke, Lorelai,
WILL BE LEFT UNAN- Rory and Jess, but I wasn’t work-
S W E R E D AT T H E E N D ing with the crew that I made
Moore Everything truly burning the original show with, so it was
will be answered. You’re never different. TIU has retained over
going to please everybody, but 90 percent of our crew from the
and sometimes overwhelmed at that leaves room for us to do a beginning—the pilot!—so that’s
the prospect of what we’re trying This Is Us movie or a fun reunion what I’m going to miss most.
to do, but I love being a part of in a couple of years where we can
something so emotional and address that. O N W H O T H E Y ’ L L S TAY
ambitious. We’re not immune to Ventimiglia We’ve got a really IN TOUCH WITH
this story that’s unfolding. I love smart audience. If there’s any- Moore My husband [musician
watching this show as a fan, but I thing left behind, it will be Taylor Goldsmith] and I are very
also want to see how my friends intentional. close with Chris Sullivan and
are playing certain scenes and his wife, and Jon Huertas and
what the show has edited out. W A I T — T H E Y ’ R E A L R E A DY his wife. We’ve all gone on trips
Ventimiglia We talk about this a TA L K I N G A B O U T A together. But I feel like our text
lot on-set. Everyone says that REUNION SHOW? chain will be thriving once the
first season feels like yesterday, Moore We joke about it. The show is done.
and I follow it up with, “But nature of this show would leave Ventimiglia Mandy Moore, of
we’ve done a lot since then.” it open for us to check in with the course!
Randall
& Beth
Sterling K. Brown and Susan Kelechi Watson became one of TV’s most enduring
love stories in part because they are the embodiment of #parentinggoals. All that chemistry,
banter and inspirational-speech-giving didn’t hurt either. By Keith Murphy
THE BLUEPRINT FOR THIS IS US actors attended New York Uni- because nobody was going to
power couple Randall and Beth versity’s prestigious Tisch School take it personally.”
Pearson came from an unlikely of the Arts a few years apart. That rich theatrical connec-
source. It was the summer of “When we started shooting the tion not only helped make the
2016, and Susan Kelechi Watson pilot, it was just easy because we formidable pair’s onscreen union
was preparing to step into a role approached the work in a very believable, it propelled them to
that not only would raise her similar way, and play is the foun- the pantheon of all-time great TV
own profile but was, even then, dation of that work,” explains couples. The trope-obliterating
still relatively rare on TV: half of Brown. “Even in season 3, when TV marriage of Randall, the
a Black married couple on a Beth and Randall were going brilliant, quirky, tightly wound,
much-hyped network series fea- through their marital troubles, Black adopted son of white par-
↓ Their inspira-
turing an otherwise mostly white we knew that we had the freedom tion: Martin ents, and the ambitious Jamaican
cast. So the Brooklyn native to play with each other and could Lawrence and American Beth, an outspoken,
Tisha Campbell
suggested to her TV husband, take it wherever we needed to on Martin. sarcastic, love-filled working
Sterling K. Brown, that they tap
into a raucous sitcom for some
grounded relationship goals.
“I was watching a lot of reruns
of Martin,” Watson recalls of the
classic African American ’90s
comedy. “And I said to Sterling,
‘If we could get the chemistry of
Martin and Gina, we’ve done it.’
And Sterling was totally down
with that. He was like, ‘Sis, I hear
you. Let’s do it.’ It’s that feeling in
the Black community where you
really are invested in that couple.
It was really the response that
helped me to be aware of what
we had. I just knew that I had a
brilliant scene partner.”
But there was another layer to
the effortless synergy between
Watson, 40, and Brown, 46. Both
“We tried to capture life as
it is and the message that
it’s not always easy, but it’s
always worth living”
STERLING K. BROWN
mom, had never been seen on the Justin [Hartley] and I were fight-
small screen. ing in season 1, and we both
From the upper-middle-class heard the police coming,” con-
Pearsons raising three African tinues Brown. “And I said, ‘Let’s
American children and dealing get out of here. I’m still Black,
with racism to more inside- bruh.’ And it’s funny, but the s---
baseball moments (like the time is real . . . and the producers
Beth’s cousin Zoe had to explain to left it in! Dan has two things:
Randall’s white brother Kevin that He’s a gifted writer who has a
she sleeps with a silk pillowcase very in-depth understanding of
because of her natural hair), TIU humanity, and he also knows
pushed to give a nuanced depic- what he doesn’t know. He trusts
tion of the Black experience. the other writers, whether they
“One of the greatest impacts are Black or LGBTQ, to fill in his
This Is Us has had on me has blind spots and say, ‘Yes, this
been the way that people talk feels fully realized now.’ ”
about the relationship between Then there’s the time the This Is
Beth and Randall and how they Us crew filmed on location in
have inspired so many viewers,” Memphis, where Randall and his
a proud Watson says. “Just to see dying father, William (Ron Cephas
Black people in a loving relation- Jones), visited once-segregated
ship, to have that as an example water fountains. “Ron comes up to
on a network TV show where the fountain, and he was like,
Beth is a career woman, has a ‘Back in the day when I was a kid, I
family, has braids in her hair and wasn’t allowed to drink from this
wears things that reflect her cul- fountain,” Brown recalls of the
ture. And I know it has had the heavily ad-libbed scene. “And I
same impact on the audience. said, ‘You know what, man? I was frustrated with industry politics.
There was a part of me that raised by white people,’ and She attended Howard Univer-
didn’t realize how people outside walked over to the whites-only sity, where legendary actor
the culture didn’t understand drinking fountain and just started Phylicia Rashad—who was later
how normal it is or can be.” drinking out of it! There are so cast as Beth’s mom—taught one
Adds Brown: “Sue and I, every- many wonderful moments that of her classes.
one in the cast . . . we knew we happened. But that relationship Writers incorporated Wat-
were taken care of.” He credits with Ron was special.” son’s Jamaican heritage into the
TIU creator Dan Fogelman and For Susan Kelechi Watson, series, and the classically trained
his diverse team, which over the whose previous credits include a talent was also able to show off
past six seasons has featured recurring role on Louie and her comedic chops.
standout Black writers Kay Oye- appearances on The Blacklist, “I love when Beth is in the [pan-
gun, Eboni Freeman, Shukree Veep and Billions, This Is Us try] talking about her secret wine
Tilghman and the late Jas has given her an abundance of bottle,” Watson muses. “Or that
Waters, with injecting authen- serendipitous moments. Like she has weed stashed away. And
ticity into the show. Beth, she studied dance but she’s like, ‘It is what it is.’ The com-
“There was a scene where gave it up when she became edy of Beth is what I really love.”
Olivette, Mo., native Sterling ↑ Clockwise Crime Story and This Is Us that he fun working with Justin,” she
from top left
K. Brown, on the other hand, was Beth’s mom, ascended to superstardom. “I’ve says. “He’s one of my favorite
set to pursue a career in business, Carol (Phylicia talked to my reps, talked to characters on the show.”
Rashad), and
with initial plans to major in eco- Randall; Beth friends and people in the indus- Brown, meanwhile, doesn’t
nomics at Stanford University in (Susan Kelechi try, and they tell me, ‘You know, want to let go. “They are my fam-
Watson) and
1994. But during his freshman Randall; William normally this doesn’t happen like ily,” he says of the people who
(Ron Cephas
year he was bitten by the prover- Jones) and Beth. this,’ Brown reflects on his blis- have become invaluable parts of
bial acting bug. After undergrad tering run, which includes a his life for more than six years.
came NYU, then a plethora of gigs Golden Globe, three Emmys, four “Everybody is going to stay in the
including guest television spots Screen Actors Guild Awards and a phone. Nobody is going to get
(ER, Without a Trace and Super- role in the history-making 2018 erased. Just day in and day out,
natural), film (Brown Sugar) and superhero film Black Panther. coming in and being able to spend
plays (The Resistible Rise of Now, with the final episode time with people whose talent
Arturo Ui). of This Is Us, Watson says she you have the utmost appreciation
But it wasn’t until his riveting will most miss the moments for, but whose humanity you enjoy
performances in 2016’s The bonding with her costars, espe- to the fullest . . . This Is Us has been
People v. O.J. Simpson: American cially Hartley. “I have the most a phenomenal experience.”
Tess,
Annie
& Déjà
We watched the Pearson girls grow up and grow
close before our eyes. The actors who play them—
Eris Baker, Faithe Herman and Lyric Ross—say their
bond transcends the screen and share what they’ve
learned from their time together. By Keith Murphy
THERE’S A MOMENT IN THE FINAL SEASON OF THIS IS US THAT ENCAPSULATES

the Pearson sisters’ relationship perfectly. Seventeen-year-old Déjà
(Lyric Ross) has gotten caught sneaking off to see her boyfriend
Malik (Asante Blackk) at Harvard, and Malik has offered to make the
family dinner as a sort of peace offering. Randall (Sterling K. Brown)
and Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) can sense that the two are up to
something, they’re just not sure what.
Enter the other Pearson girls, who try to help their big sister.
Middle child Tess (Eris Baker), an outspoken queer teen, runs inter-
ference by asking her mom a suspiciously curious work question,
and precocious baby girl Annie (Faithe Herman) does her part by
telling a too cute knock-knock joke. It doesn’t work—Déjà reveals
that she plans to get her GED so she can move in with Malik, Randall
flips out, and MVP Beth goes into damage-control mode—but the
effort Tess and Annie make to shield their sister is still admirable
and adorable.
For the television sisters, the scripted united front came easily and
from a real place. “I think our own screen connection is beautiful,
especially because we have a relationship offscreen,” Baker says. Her- → From left
man agrees: “I’m very grateful for that.” Faithe Herman,
Sterling K.
Herman, Baker and Ross were 8, 10 and 13 respectively when they Brown, Susan
started on This Is Us. Now the trio reflects on what it was like coming Kelechi Watson,
Lyric Ross and
of age on one of TV’s most-watched shows. Eris Baker.
ON GROWING UP PEARSON
Herman I’m the youngest, so
everything in regards to the
industry was new to me. In the
beginning I was so nervous about
making mistakes, but I feel like
I’ve gotten used to everything. I
remember me, my sister and my
mom were at a Halloween store
in San Diego. And there was this
girl and she looked at me and was
like, “You look like the girl from
This Is Us.” “Yeah, I am.” [Laughs]
I’ve had some really nice notices,
even at the mall. I feel like I’m
much more comfortable now.
Baker I don’t think I fully under-
stood that I was on an NBC show.
I didn’t understand how big that
was. I was just happy that I
finally got a part. I honestly don’t
think 10-year-old me really
understood the level of love that
this show would mean for me.
Ross With me being 18 now,
there were a lot of things that I
kind of had to figure out myself.
I’m this kid that’s basically
growing up on a No. 1 hit show.
It was like, “Oh my God! And I’m
already in a state where I’m
thinking about what other peo-
ple are thinking about when they
see me.” I think what helped me
out was the people I was sur-
rounded with: Susan, Sterling, that. [Laughs]. I love our break- ↑ Clockwise ON THE BIGGEST DIFFER-
from top left
Eris and Faithe . . . they have to fast scenes. [But] the moment I Tess (Eris ENCE BETWEEN THEMSELVES
be some of the most humble, will definitely take with me is Baker) and AND THEIR CHARACTERS
Annie (Faithe
down-to-earth, grounded people when Tess came out. Speaking Herman); the Herman Annie is more of the
that I’ve met in this industry. for myself, I was very terrified. I Pearsons; Ran- quiet one than I am in my fam-
dall (Sterling K.
Throughout all of the recog- had never cried or been vulnera- Brown) and Déjà ily. I’m definitely the one who
(Lyric Ross).
nition and the fame that has ble on-camera before. When I “Sometimes loves to joke around. But I will
surrounded the show, they actually stepped into Tess’s we’ll walk around also say that Annie has a lot of
set, and I’ll show
haven’t changed. shoes, I started to understand the [the girls] old fun dressing in her patterns
fear that she was going through pictures that are and mixing them up more than
part of our set
T H E I R FAVO R I T E T H I S at that moment. I’m going to decoration,” says I would.
Brown. “Sue
IS US MOMENT remember that scene forever. [Kelechi Wat- Baker I think Tess is very comfort-
Herman I’ve had the most fun Ross The scene where Déjà tells son] and I both able with being open and being
are like, ‘Man,
during our breakfast scenes. Randall that he’s her day 1. I look at you guys. vulnerable. She’s a great commu-
And our car scenes and family remember that setup and just You were babies, nicator. I’m not that comfortable
and now you are
gatherings. . . . Those are always the atmosphere being so pure young women!’ ” with being that vulnerable. In so
really fun. and genuine. It was just raw . . . it many ways Tess has taught me
Baker Of course Faithe would say was real and honest. about communication.
Ross I t r y t o l i st e n m o r e Baker Just being around Susan [scheduled] for 2023. That’s
than Déjà. [Laughs] Especially and Sterling I’ve learned that going to be pretty exciting.
when it comes to people who acting is a lot like tennis. You hit Baker Acting is always going
are truly wise. She’s got a big the ball back and forth. to be my first love, but I defi-
heart, but sometimes I look at Ross “Just go for it . . . just do it.” nitely want to branch out and
Déjà like, “Girl, you are doing Sterling gave me that advice. I work within different categories
too much.” mean, Sterling . . . he’s all the way in this industry. I want to go
up here. [Laughs] He’s huge! But behind the camera 100 percent.
O N T H E B E S T A DV I C E his personality—he’s so true to I want to break out to film. As an
THEY’VE GOTTEN his weirdness. And there’s so actor I have so much to learn.
Herman Mr. Sterling taught much freedom to that. I’m only 16. I’m still finishing up
me that it was okay to mess up high school.
during scenes. I was always ON LIFE AFTER Ross Eventually I will be going
super nervous, so it’s always a THIS IS US to college. I do have some proj-
learning process when I’m on- Herman I’m definitely finishing ects that I will be working on
set. I felt like I’ve learned my up school. I want to spend more that I cannot say what they are.
craft from being around all time with my family and I hope But yes, you will be seeing more
the adults. to do more of Shazam!, which is of me.
Kate &
Toby
They’ve weathered the storms of depression, miscarriage, commuter marriage and
even suspected infidelity (anyone remember Lady Kryptonite?). Now Chrissy Metz and
Chris Sullivan face their toughest challenge yet: saying goodbye. By Carolyn Hinsey
K A-TO BY M E T C U T E AT A W E I G H T- LO S S M E E T I N G , W H E R E T H E Y AG R E E D O N T H E I R FAVO R I T E S C E N E
to be “fat friends” and—despite Kate’s repeated rebuffing—ended up Metz When Kate said “I don’t
passionately in love and married with kids. We already know they’re know if you should come to
going to break our hearts, thanks to glimpses of their future involving Thanksgiving with us” and Toby
a Green Egg barbecue (what is it with this show and cookers?), but was just gutted. Kate was stand-
that doesn’t mean we have to like it. ing up for herself: “I told you I
According to Metz, 41, “Kate’s like, ‘I finally found this wonderful wasn’t ready for a relationship.”
career that I love and I get to be at school in L.A. with [my son] Jack. There was so much unsaid but
And Toby’s really feeling himself at his job, which just happens to be understood in the scene. And the
in San Francisco.’ ” Which eventually leads to Ka-Nopey. miscarriage episode where
Chris Sullivan praises the writers for handling Kate and Toby’s Rebecca comes to Kate’s door
rupture with such “love and understanding and honesty,” but backs and she falls into her arms . . . so
off when asked how the series will end. (After all, we’ve only seen many people reached out to me
Kate in her wedding dress, not actually saying “I do” to Phillip Mean and said, “This is much more
Jerk.) Says Sullivan: also 41, “I honestly don’t want to know.” Speak- than a TV show.”
ing for millions of Americans: Ditto. Sullivan I could name one with
each actor. Chrissy and I have
had all kinds of adventures:
dancing on a countertop in a
coffee shop, our trip to Las
Vegas, just back from San Fran-
cisco and Mandy was directing.
Those few days were some of
the best days I’ve had in all
six seasons.
O N K AT E A N D T O BY ’S S P L I T
Metz I’m upset! I texted Dan
[Fogelman], “You’re going to
break people’s hearts and break
the Internet.” We already know
they’re not going to be together
← Metz and forever, so watching the unravel-
Sullivan in their ing is really difficult. But what’s
early days of
dieting together. great is that we get to show the
audience how to love a person the audience a road map to navi- ON BEING DIRECTED BY
even if they’re not your forever gate this situation, but it’s a bit of MANDY MOORE IN SEASON 6
person. Some people end in such a bummer to have to finish on Metz Not only do we speak a
dysfunction and pain. This didn’t this note. shorthand, she’s collaborative
end that way. and gentle and encouraging and
Sullivan This Is Us made an O N W H Y K AT E I S N ’ T supportive.
agreement with its audience that A L R E A DY AT DY I N G Sullivan It was so great. We get
it was going to explore every R E B E C C A’S B E D S I D E into our rhythms here in L.A.,
aspect of a relationship, whether Metz Kate could be at the laun- but when we get to travel, it feels
it was parental or sibling or mar- dromat, the dry cleaners, the like a class trip!
ital. At some point they were store. She could be anywhere!
going to discuss the dissolution Sullivan They ’ve got to hold ON THEIR TOUGHEST
of a relationship, and it wasn’t something back. It certainly SCENE
going to be Randall and Beth. was heartening to see Toby Metz The stuff we’re doing right
Metz I felt ill. Nobody’s right, in the flash-forward, if for no now is probably the hardest
nobody’s wrong, it’s just the evo- other reason than to know that because it’s the beginning of the
lution of a relationship. Chris Sullivan was going to end, for me as Chrissy and also
Sullivan It falls on Chrissy be involved until the final the character.
and me and the writers to give season. [Laughs] Sullivan When Toby had his
nervous breakdown. That was ↖ Clockwise proven that when you’ve got an Goldsmith; the four of us spend a
from left
a hard day. The vulnerability KaToby (Sullivan ensemble this big, you wind up lot of time together. Jon Huertas
involved was a new level for and Metz) in with a bunch of people who don’t and Sterling [K. Brown] live
happier times,
that character. after their have any friends. [Laughs] close by, and of course Chrissy
wedding; Kate’s Nobody at the end is going to say, and I have formed a bond that
bachelorette
ON ANY UNANSWERED party in “Hey, we never got to meet will last the test of time.
Vegas, one of
Q U E S T I O N S AT T H E E N D Sullivan’s favor- Toby’s brother and sister.”
Metz Maybe the question of ite moments, O N W H AT T H E L A S T D AY
as is his coffee-
could Kate and Toby have shop dance; ON WHO THEY’LL KEEP WILL BE LIKE
worked it out? We’ll see the one of many IN TOUCH WITH Metz Either I’m going to be
tense moments
beginning of Phillip and Kate’s for the couple. Metz We all have our individual like, “Chrissy, turn it off” or I’m
relationship—I think it’s episode relationships. I will miss sharing going to be a blubbering mess.
12—which is tough for me to han- so much of my life with these It’s not goodbye, right? It’s “See
dle. As an actor I feel like I’m wonderful people. Every job is you later.”
cheating on my scene partner. It special, but there will never be a Sullivan Solemn. Maybe they’ll
feels weird. Who’s going to be cast like our cast. Ever. schedule things so that our last
funnier and more interesting Sullivan I imagine I’ll see every- days are at Rebecca’s bedside.
than Toby? body. I have become very close That would be a nice way to close
Sullivan Television history has with [Moore’s husband] Taylor things out together.
Kevin
Come for the rugged good looks, stay for the deeply sensitive soul. Justin Hartley
is basically the introverted version of his character Kevin. By Keith Murphy
WHEN JUSTIN HARTLEY FIRST and addiction issues. Yet there is good parents. I think I didn’t trust
set foot inside the world of The redemption on the horizon for the myself and my judgment, so I
Manny—the self-seriously sac- privileged man-child. really didn’t talk much.”
charine sitcom on which his Hartley somehow pulls off the But soon the quiet introvert
character Kevin Pearson stars— deeply layered subject matter began unleashing his untapped
he experienced a bit of déjà vu. with effortless comedic timing, a humor as a coping mechanism.
It’s the role that made Kevin’s talent that initially caught cre- “I realized that I had this knack
career but also one he’s come to ator Dan Fogelman and the for making other people com-
resent, playing the resident hot casting team off guard given that fortable by making them laugh,”
and frequently shirtless care- the man looks like he walked out he says. “I started to get addicted
giver. It’s also a scenario Hartley, of a 1990s Calvin Klein under- to other people’s laughter.”
45, knows something about. wear ad. Susan Kelechi Watson Hartley also discovered a love
“Times have changed a bit, but (Beth) describes him as the fun- for becoming other characters. He
I think taking off your shirt was a niest person on the show. majored in history and theater at
rite of passage back in the day,” But growing up in the Chicago Southern Illinois University Car-
↓ The final
he says of his experiences on suburb of Orland Park, he felt nei- straw for Kevin bondale and the University of
the show Passions in the early ther funny nor like eye candy. “I (Justin Hartley) Illinois at Chicago. By 2002
on The Manny
aughts, and later The Young and was really shy and insecure when comes when his Hartley was a working actor, a
the Restless. “It was just expected I was young,” Hartley remembers. character is few years later he was catching
instructed to try
on soap operas. It was a constant “I had a good childhood, I had to nurse a baby. parts on hits like Smallville and
thing, and I didn’t mind it back
then. But then you wake up and
you feel, ‘Oh, s---! That’s what
everyone thinks I am?’ That’s
when I started having ideas of
how I wanted to be perceived.
And that’s the thing Kevin was
going through in his career.”
Kevin, the lovably infuriating
and often pathologically self-
destructive member of the
close-knit Pearson clan, has gone
through a lot during This Is Us’s
time-shifting six-season run. The
frustrated Hollywood player
blows up romantic relationships,
escalates a long-simmering
rivalry with his adopted Black
brother Randall (Sterling K.
Brown) and nearly torpedoes his
acting career all while coming to
terms with his own alcoholism
Revenge, and in 2016 he officially spotlight. Out of all of his This ↑ Clockwise CBS action drama The Never
from top left
ascended the television A-list Is Us cohorts, no one has been Hartley in his Game, coproduced and directed
when he landed This Is Us. more fecund tabloid fodder than Passions days; by his This Is Us colleague
Sterling K.
“These are some of the best Hartley (something else he has in Brown and Ken Olin.
people I’ve ever, ever met in my common with Kevin Pearson). Hartley; Kevin And though Hartley won’t—or
and Madison
life,” Hartley says about his fellow His 2021 divorce from Selling (Caitlin Thomp- can’t—spill the beans on which
son) with one of
cast and crew. “I knew it was very, Sunset star Chrishell Stause was their twins. love interest Kevin may finally
very good, but to think we would all over the weeklies, yet Hartley, end up with (“It’s really not up to
get the audience we got . . .” He who is married to actress Sofia Kevin,” he answers cryptically),
trails off in thought as if reflecting Pernas and shares a 17-year-old he is more loquacious when it
on the sheer enormity of it. “The daughter with ex-wife Lindsay comes to discussing his latest
people who watch and their Korman-Hartley, is too busy gear- passion: directing. “I run the set
response to the show, the charac- ing up for life after This Is Us to like a boot camp,” jokes Hartley,
ters and the respect you get from pay such gossip any mind. who helmed TIU’s 2020 episode
the community, the opportunity He’s executive-producing “A Hell of a Week: Part Three,”
to be able to represent a part like the upcoming ABC thriller No the nail-biter about Kate and
this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing.” Good Deed with the team behind her abusive boyfriend Marc’s
Of course with such life-altering Manifest and is set to star in and trip to the family cabin. “No one
fame comes a scorching-hot executive-produce the lone-wolf talks until I f---ing tell them to,”
The World’s Strangest
Serial Monogamist
THAT’S THE WAY RANDALL DESCRIBES HIS
BROTHER, A HOPELESS ROMANTIC WHO FALLS IN LOVE
(AND LIKE AND LUST) A LOT. By Carla Sosenko
Olivia Sloane
JANET MONTGOMERY MILANA VAYNTRUB
The impetuous actress guaran- When Olivia drops out of
tees Kevin will fall for her The Back of an Egg, Kevin finds
when she employs the oldest the closest nonrelative to
trick in the book: rejection. Their rebound with: playwright Sloane.
short-lived love affair comes The two have potential and
to a screeching halt after a even spend Hanukkah together,
nightmarish trip to the cabin. but in the end, Kevin runs . . .
Sophie Zoe
ALEXANDRA BRECKENRIDGE MELANIE LIBURD
. . . straight to Sophie’s apart- What starts as a pure hookup
ment. She’s why he came to situation with Beth’s cousin Zoe
New York to do a play in the first turns into more, and the two
place, he tells her, and that’s move in together. The romance is
he teases of his directorial style. when we find out that not only ultimately doomed, though,
Even though there have been were the two once married but because he wants kid, and she
differences in their narrative he cheated on her. C’mon, man! really, really doesn’t.
arcs—Kevin was a pretty self-
assured kid, after all—Justin and
his alter ego have really grown
together. “I had a lot in common
with him when the show started.
I think he’s grown so much. I
think he’s finally comfortable in
his own skin,” Hartley says. “He’s
ready to be the man that he
Cassidy Madison
always wanted to be. Kevin has
JENNIFER MORRISON CAITLIN THOMPSON
all the tools now. And I think he’s Only Kevin Pearson could move And to think she was once just
maybe forgiven himself for some to a remote cabin in the woods Kate’s nemesis! After sleeping
of the dumb s--- he has done. and end up in a friends-with- with Kevin, Madison gets preg-
benefits situation. But Kevin nant, and the two make a go of it.
He’s ready to be a man. So I have wants more than tough-talking But she wants true love, and no
more in common with him now veteran Cassidy is willing— matter how much Kevin wants
than when we first started.” or able—to give him. to, he can’t give it to her.
Miguel
people show passion—and
Mandy is a great kisser, so how
am I going to forget that?
What can you say about

Loyal Miguel—played by Jon Huertas—has to fight for
Miguel’s not being at Rebecca’s
his rightful spot in the Pearson family, and by the end
dying bedside?
of the series he finally gets his due. By Carolyn Hinsey I can’t say anything. Dan Fogel-
man keeps everything so close to
the vest. It gives him joy for us to
M I G U E L TO L D H I S B E ST F R I E N D, J AC K , I N S E A S O N 1 T H AT R E B E C CA
read a script and be surprised.
was “the gold standard of wives” and then proved that he meant it by
marrying her. It was an uphill climb getting the family—and
What will you miss the most
viewers—to accept him as the new Pearson patriarch, but Jon Huer-
about This Is Us?
tas estimates that “85 percent of our audience roots for Miguel and
I’ll miss working with these cast
Rebecca as a couple now.” The Air Force veteran, 52, says he has
members, this crew, the writers
high hopes of keeping the TIU gang together by throwing “reunion
and producers—you become a
parties” when filming is done: “I love these people a lot.”
family on a show like this. And
I’m going to miss Paramount
Does Miguel grow into Rebecca’s Did anything shock you over the Studios. When I drive through
great love? past six years? that iconic Paramount gate it
Huertas Rebecca was planning to The breakup between Toby and makes me believe that anything is
grow old with Jack. We see after Kate. I thought they were the possible for a kid from any walk
Jack’s death what happens to perfect couple. of life, who grew up with not much
Rebecca and Miguel’s relation- money, no access to Hollywood
ship. At some point Miguel leaves What is your most memorable or the business. So every day I
↓ Of Miguel’s
and goes somewhere else. That scene? memorable drive through that Paramount
was heart breaking for me. I The one where Rebecca said to season 6 kiss gate it’s a reminder that as long as
with Rebecca,
love Mandy. It felt like I was Miguel, “You didn’t get the best Huertas (below you set your goals and stick to
with Mandy
saying goodbye to someone I version of me,” because it was Moore) reflects them and have a never-quit atti-
absolutely adore. the first time we saw Rebecca proudly, “To tude, and you do everything you
me it said that
and Miguel share a passionate people of a can to be as good as you can be at
Were those your toughest kiss. I felt proud that our show certain age can what you do, then you will attain
still be romantic
scenes? was willing to let two elderly and in love.” a lot of your dreams.
The toughest are the ones that
involved Jack’s death and seeing
Rebecca/Mandy go through all
those emotions.
What was your favorite scene?

When Jack was about to be fired
from Lundy [Builders], Miguel
puts it all on the line and says, “If
he’s gone, I’m gone.” Look at
Miguel’s life over six seasons:
All he wanted to do was be suc-
cessful at Lundy, keep being
promoted and be accepted by the
corporate establishment. For
him to put it all on the line for his
best friend, who was like a
brother to him, really showed the
true colors of who Miguel was.
William
You had a double lung trans-
plant in 2020 after battling
stage 4 emphysema, and you
said that not acting seemed
Art imitated life for Emmy winner worse than death. What gave
Ron Cephas Jones when the Broadway actor put you the strength to make it
back to the stage?
on that now-famous fedora. By Keith Murphy
Eventually you are relegated to
being in a chair with an oxygen
machine. You have several
R O N C E P H A S J O N E S W A S B O R N T O P L AY W I L L I A M H I L L . “ I K N E W T H E
options. The one I took was the
character because I saw him in myself,” says the journeyman thes
transplant because the fear of
pian, who earned acclaim for his awardwinning role as the deeply
not being able to work again
complex biological father of This Is Us’s Randall Pearson. Jones, 65,
is crippling. That was the moti
climbed out of addiction—as did his heavyhearted poet alter ego—
vation for me to get back up,
before embarking on a threedecade career in acting. It’s paid off. The
to go back to work and do some
booked and busy star earned raves in Lynn Nottage’s critically hailed
episodes for the final season of
2021 Broadway show Clyde’s and can be seen in Law & Order: Orga-
This Is Us.
nized Crime and Octavia Spencer’s Apple TV+ series Truth Be Told.
How has the role of William
Take us back to your first This graduating in 1978, but you didn’t changed your life?
Is Us audition. launch your professional career Professionally I was able to
Jones I was at that place in my until the late ’80s. What pushed pay my rent. [Laughs] This Is Us
career where I had been audition you to get serious about acting? was my first major gig where
ing for a lot of stuff but hadn’t been I was trying to get a grip on my ↓ Ron Cephas
there was some consistency. I
booking anything major. I’d done addiction. And then when my Jones (below, won two Emmys.
with Sterling K.
some things over at the Broadway daughter (actress Jasmine Cephas Brown and Susan
stage [and on TV], Mr. Robot and Jones) was born, in 1989, I had Kelechi Watson) That was a huge moment for you.
describes his
Luke Cage. This was right around put several years together sober working relation- It gave me international visi
the time when Netflix came into and clean. That’s when I realized ship with his TV bility. I owe so much to the cast,
son as a “symbi-
town. I remember I was very that playtime was over. otic chemistry.” the crew, Dan and everyone.
weary that day; I had done so
many auditions, [but] when you
get good writing like that, it brings
out the best in you.
The chemistry between you,

Sterling K. Brown and Susan
Kelechi Watson jumps off the
screen. When did you realize
that something special was
happening?
I can’t describe it, but it’s one of
those things where you just con
nect. You know when to pass the
ball and when to shoot. And then
as the episodes went on and the
writing would come, that’s when
you really started to know that
this show was special.
You majored in theater at

New Jersey’s Ramapo College,
Nicky
What can you say about Nicky—
not Miguel—being at Rebecca’s
bedside when she’s dying?
I don’t know. Like the audience,
Who’s that cantankerous coot camped out in we have assumptions. Miguel’s
the woods? Why, it’s Jack’s long-lost brother Nicky, not around, and I don’t think it’s
played by Griffin Dunne, and he’s going to for a happy reason.
get a redemption story whether he likes it or not.
Do they make you look older for
By Carolyn Hinsey
those scenes?
To my chagrin, not enough.
[Laughs] Yes, it takes a long time.
“ O N E DAY YO U G ET A G R E AT S C R I P T T H AT R E Q U I R E S YO U TO C O M E TO LO S
One time after shooting, I had to
Angeles, and there goes four years of your life,” marvels Griffin
be somewhere on a Friday night,
Dunne, who was tapped to play Uncle Nicky in season 3. The New
so I’m in my 85-year-old makeup,
York-based actor-director, 66—who’s been nominated for a Golden
and I take off. The makeup per-
Globe, an Emmy Award and an Oscar in his prolific career—credits
son Zoe [Hay] gets me on my
the writers with transforming Jack’s Vietnam veteran brother from
phone and says, “Where are
“that loner in the trailer” to a pillar of the Pearson family—and he
you?” I said, “I’m at a dinner. I’ll
even got the girl!
take it off when I get home,” and
she said, “No, that’s glue!” So I got
Why did this role appeal to you? Everything Nicky doesn’t believe up and went back to the studio.
Dunne I consider myself knowl- could happen happened. I just
edgable about various wars and love that. He’s given up imagin- How would you describe your
particularly Vietnam, which I ing this character out there time on the show?
was too young to fight in but close who’s meant for him, and once A lot of laughs. Justin is hilarious.
enough to be scared of being he lets go, opportunity awaits. ↓ “We shot My scenes lately have been with
drafted if the war dragged on. So an episode Jon Huertas, who’s become a pal—
recently,” says
I had read quite a lot of books What’s been your most memo- Dunne (below every time I see him in real life,
with Justin
about Vietnam before this part rable scene so far? Hartley), “and he’s so hip-looking. I just see him
came into my life. I didn’t read It’s so typical of an actor to say a Nicky has gone as the dowdy husband of Rebecca,
through quite a
the script until I accepted the monologue, but I really enjoyed transformation then we’ll have dinner, and he’s
part—there is tremendous talking to those two rubber babies from that loner this young guy. He’s been fun. We
in the trailer
secrecy—then I spoke to the pro- [Kevin’s newborn twins]. with PTSD.” all find ourselves to be hilarious.
ducers, and the more it was
described, the better it sounded.
What did you think of Nicky

finally finding happiness
with Edie?
Boom! I sit on an airplane, and I
marry the flight attendant. And,
boy, do I clean up! I’m wearing an
overcoat that is quite nice, and a
crew member said, “Did you bor-
row that from Kevin?” I said,
“No, it’s Nicky’s.” I thought, “My
God, look how far I’ve come.”
Is that the most shocking scene

you’ve filmed?
Yes. I called Kevin Falls, who
wrote the script, to thank him.
T H E B I G T H R E E ’S YO U N G E R V E RS I O N S
Teen Spirit
The Pearson kids were ultimately played by
numerous actors, and the teenage versions—
portrayed by Hannah Zeile, Niles Fitch and
Logan Shroyer—were there for some of the trio’s
most formative moments. By Carolyn Hinsey
We first met the teenage washing machine episode, to the

version of the fighting point where the actors have an
yet faithful Big Three ongoing text chain and fre-
in the season 1 episode titled “The quently go to dinner.
Best Washing Machine in the “I love them like family,”
Whole World.” It was during says Zeile, 24. “We’ve been in a
those formative years that Kate unique experience together.
learned to soothe herself with We’re extremely close.” The
food, Kevin learned to mask his actress, who hails from Califor-
feelings by lashing out, and Ran- nia and is the daughter of former
dall got his first taste of panic and pro baseball player Todd Zeile
constant war with his adoptive and Olympic gold-medal gym-
brother. The bookish “triplet” nast Julianne McNamara, laughs
struggled mightily, as evidenced when reflecting back to the day
by his first line in that episode: she landed the role. “I was
“Why does he hate me so much?” cashiering at Chipotle when I got
“Kevin doesn’t hate you,” Kate the call to meet with Dan [Fogel-
reassured him. “Try lightening man],” she says. “I joke that my
things up.” memoir will be called ‘From Chi-
He tried, bringing Pop Tarts potle to the SAG Awards.’ ”
and Yoo-hoo to Kevin as a peace Shroyer can relate. The L.A.-
offering; Kevin responded by based actor considered skipping
telling his brother to “get a life,” his TIU audition for a routine
setting the stage for a lifetime (or dentist appointment but didn’t;
six seasons) of a fraught and fas- instead he found himself being
cinating fraternal relationship. fitted for contact lenses the next
“ ‘The Best Washing Machine day. “I have to wear brown con-
in the World’ is my favorite tacts because Justin [Hartley]
because I was so unaware of what has brown eyes,” explains the 23-
was to come,” says Niles Fitch, year-old. Those lenses sparked
who was hired at age 14 to play an unforeseen challenge when
teen Randall. “I thought it would his character became a high
just be a guest-starring role, and school football star. “I have a very
it turned into series regular, particular prescription, so I
awards shows, everything.” didn’t have depth perception,”
Indeed, Fitch and his teen TV shares Shroyer, who mercifully
→ Randall (Niles
siblings Hannah Zeile (Kate) and wasn’t hit with the ball during Fitch), Kate
Logan Shroyer (Kevin) have Kevin’s brief stint as an athletic (Hannah Zeile)
and Kevin
cycled through a lot since that star. “I was running plays the best (Logan Shroyer).
Te e n S p i r i t
“ To even be I could. That was some of the first

stunt activity I’ve ever done!”
↑ Clockwise
from left Kate
“I’ve been blessed to be around
some seriously great leaders in
in such a Fitc h’s first stu nt work
(Hannah Zeile),
Randall (Niles this industry,” says Shroyer.
successful
Fitch), Kevin
involved—what else?—the Pear- (Logan Shroyer) “They showed me—a terrified 17-
and Jack (Milo
show and son brothers fighting after a
football game. “I remember
Ventimiglia);
the Big Three
year-old when I started the show
—how to figure everything out.”
do it for as Logan and I got into an argu- and Rebecca
(Mandy Moore) “This show has pushed me a
long as we did ment, and to get back at him I at the movies;
the kids cling to
lot as an actor,” agrees Zeile,
is the beauty tackled him,” recalls the Atlanta
native, now 20. “And then Milo
one another and
their mom after
whose young character dealt
with some very adult material,
of things. [as Jack] yelled at us.”
Jack’s death.
like finding herself in an abusive
That’s where The Teen Three all cite Ven- relationship and having an abor-
the bitter- timiglia as a father figure
(see sidebar) and praise creator
tion. “I’ve dealt with a lot of
emotions, which has been chal-
sweet feeling Dan Fogelman and director lenging but really rewarding.”
comes from” Ken Olin along with Ventimiglia “To be in such a successful
NILES FITCH as mentors. show and do it for as long as we
Father
Knows Best
MILO VENTIMIGLIA, AKA THE
PEARSON PATRIARCH, HAS
NOTHING BUT LOVE FOR HIS
TV KIDS. By Carolyn Hinsey
“I’m so proud of the growth all

of our young actors have made,”
raves Milo Ventimiglia, who, as
Jack, raised his kids until they
were 17 years old. Not surpris-
ingly, all three cite their scenes
with Ventimiglia as highlights.
H A N N A H ’S M O S T
MEMORABLE MOMENT
“The beautiful, lighthearted
scene with Jack and Kate in the
car where she thinks she’s
going to get in trouble . . . but he
ends up taking her to the Alanis
Morissette CD signing.”
MILO’S RESPONSE “We had so much
fun that whole scene. There was
a lot of laughter in that.”
N I L E S ’S M O S T
MEMORABLE MOMENT
“When Randall goes to Howard.
That was a super fun episode
because I got to go to D.C. and
actually go to the Howard cam-
pus with Milo.”
did is the beauty of things,” offers going to act the same as when he MILO’S RESPONSE “Oh, man.
Fitch, who says he only ever got was 15 years old, so I felt if I tried Niles is such a fantastic actor.
one acting note from the bosses: to act like him it wouldn’t be nat- I think being out of L.A., he really
had an opportunity to shine in
“They said, ‘You’re being too ural,” explains Fitch, who is that episode.”
cool.’ I guess that’s a compliment. currently a junior at the Univer-
I was being too Niles,” he laughs. sity of Southern California. L O G A N ’S M O S T
Credit good casting (and Growing up Pearson has MEMORABLE MOMENT
“The scene I shot with Milo in the
some prostheses in Zeile’s case) served them well, to the point hospital with the necklace [from
for the uncanny resemblance where they—like all of their adult Vietnam]. Ken Olin was direct-
between the young Pearsons counterparts—are mum on how ing . . . and he and Milo were so
encouraging. It was a very defin-
and their adult counterparts, TIU will end. Zeile, much like
ing moment in my life.”
because none of them even met her alter ego Kate is focused on MILO’S RESPONSE “I remember that
until after the Teen Three filmed the positive—no matter who day. You saw a different light in
their first scenes. Even more winds up at the dying Rebecca’s his eyes. He understood how
connected you are to the words
unbelievable? Fitch didn’t meet bedside. “The beauty of the
and the character and the expe-
Sterling K. Brown the entire first flashback,” she smiles, “is that rience. That was the moment
season. “A 36-year-old is not Jack lives on.” Logan truly became an actor.”
THE Comple
The beauty of This Is Us is the twisty, turny way the story unravels. Here, we unfurl some
Jack’s night in the
doghouse—or right
outside the
bedroom—led to one
of the series’ sweet-
est moments: hallway
story time (with, from
left, Mandy Moore,
Mackenzie Hancsic-
sak, Milo Ventimiglia,
Parker Bates and
Lonnie Chavis).
te History
of the show’s most important moments, in chronological order. By Carla Sosenko
2 9
1. William Hill is born . . . on Oct. 18, 1948—a date that ↖ Clockwise 6. Nicky meets Sally Brooks
from top left
Randall’s birth father (played by comes to hold major significance. Young Jack and It is the summer of Woodstock,
Jermel Nakia and Ron Cephas Nicky (Joaquin the moon landing and—as Nicky
Obradors and
Jones) comes into the world in 4. Rebecca Malone is born Donnie Masihi) puts it—his deflowering by the
the early 1940s and is raised by a A younger woman! Rebecca with their dad, whimsical hippie Sally, his co-
Stanley (Peter
single mom after his dad dies in arrives in 1950, when her soul- Onorati); Jack in worker at the animal clinic, inside
Vietnam; Jack
World War II. mate, Jack, is 5. and Nicky in her van, Pearl.
Vietnam; the
night Rebecca
2. Jack Pearson is born 5. Laurel Dubois is born and Jack meet; 7. Shrimpsgiving!
Arguably the center of the This Is Randall’s birth mother, Laurel— Jack and Rebec- Nov. 27, 1969, aka the day the
ca’s municipal
Us universe, Jack, born Aug. 31, also born around this time— court building Pearson brothers choose the
wedding; Nicky
1944, endures a less than idyllic has a privileged but repressive (Michael Anga- joy of eating 5 lbs. of shrimp
childhood trying to protect his upbringing in New Orleans, a free rano) and Sally together instead of enduring
(Genevieve
mother and brother from their but addiction-addled time in Angelson). another Thanksgiving walking
abusive, alcoholic father, Stanley. Pittsburgh and a clean and brief on eggshells around their
happily-ever-after with her long- mercurial dad. Alas, it’s the
3. Nicky Pearson is born . . . time love Hai back in Louisiana. calm before the storm.
1 9 4 0 s–1 9 76
10 11
13
8. Nicky’s draft number is called Nicky is on drugs and Article Rebecca happens to be singing
Dec. 1, 1969, is not a good day for 15’ed, Jack enlists to protect him. “Moonshadow.”
people born on Oct. 18. Despite
Jack’s constant reassurances that 10. Jack finds Nicky 12. Miguel enters the picture
his little brother will not get drafted In the fall of 1971, Staff Sgt. Jack The year is 1973, and Jack needs
into the Vietnam War, he does. Pearson locates his brother and a suit to impress Rebecca’s
persuades Nicky’s commanding snooty parents. Lucky for him,
9. Jack enlists in Vietnam to officer to let him take care of Miguel Rivas is the salesman—
help his brother him. Their time together in the and his future best friend.
A preexisting heart condition ville ends up ruining their relation-
means Jack is safe from the draft, ship forever. 13. Jack and Rebecca wed
but a different heart condition— at the municipal court
an unyielding sense of empathy 11. Jack and Rebecca meet Nothing fancy for these love-
and desire to protect those he Call it luck or maybe the magic of birds. Jack and Rebecca become
loves—means he ends up there the moon, but an unconsum- Mr. & Mrs. Pearson with Miguel
just the same. After word gets mated robbery on Dec. 23, 1972, and his wife, Shelly, as witnesses
back to Jack that a traumatized leads Jack into a bar where in 1976.
1 97 9 –1 9 8 9
15 17
18 19
← Clockwise 14. William and Laurel start ice skates she bought for the
from top left
Rebecca and riding the same Pittsburgh bus Big Three. To celebrate her life,
Jack; Rebecca After relocating from Memphis the family, including cousin
and Jack with
the Big Three to care for his mother, who’s dying Debbie (Camryn Manheim) and
on the day of of cancer, William meets Laurel boyfriend Mike (Jim Cody
Randall’s adop-
tion; pool day; on the bus in the late 1970s. Williams), take a spin around the
celebrating
Marilyn Pear- frozen pond.
son’s life with 15. Jack gets Rebecca pregnant
a twirl around
the pond. after Super Bowl XIV 19. The Pearsons meet Yvette
Jan. 20, 1980, is a big day in the What starts as a well-intentioned
’Burgh: The Steelers beat the pool day turns into a stressful
Rams, and Jack and Rebecca affair—where are all the chairs?
watch the game at a bar while Why are Kate’s friends jerks?!—
fighting over whether they want but ends up a crucial turning
kids. They end up conceiving point: Rebecca meets Yvette, one
the Big Three in the bar bath- of the Black moms at the pool,
room. Problem solved! who teaches her that maybe she
does have something to learn
16. The Big Three are born; about parenting Randall.
Jack turns 36
In the midst of Jack’s annual 20. Jack’s dad, Stanley, dies
birthday dance from the missus A few years after Marilyn, Jack’s
on Aug. 31, 1980, Rebecca’s estranged father is on his death-
water breaks, and she has triplets bed. Jack refuses to see him, and
Kate, Kendall and Kyle, named in it’s Rebecca who goes—meeting
homage to Dr. Katowski (Gerald her father-in-law for the first time.
McRaney), their substitute (but
meant-to-be) ob. Kyle dies, and 21. William goes to see Randall
the Pearsons are traumatized, but doesn’t
but they still leave with three Not long after, another broken
babies, including William’s son, fatherly bond. William decides to
who’d been left at a fire station. visit Randall at the Pearsons’, but
when he sees three kids’ bikes in
17. Jack and Rebecca legally the driveway, he changes his mind.
adopt Randall
Judge Ernest Bradley (Delroy 22. Pilgrim Rick is born
Lindo), who’s overseeing the It’s Thanksgiving, and a flat tire
adoption of Randall into the saves the Pearsons from dinner
Pearson family, doesn’t think a with Grandma and Grandpa
Black child should be raised by Malone and instead gives them the
white parents. A heartfelt letter tradition of a 3.4-mile walk, Police
from Rebecca persuades him Academy 3 and Pilgrim Rick.
to recuse himself, and the new
judge grants the adoption. 23. Kate has an appendectomy
on Christmas Eve 1989
18. Jack’s mom, Marilyn, dies Another meant-to-be moment,
After he gets his mother out because Dr. K is also spending
of their abusive home and relo- Dec. 24, 1989, in the hospital,
cated to Ohio, their relationship though in much direr straits after
shrinks to a weekly phone call. a car accident. The Pearsons
When she dies in the mid-1980s, stick by him, as he stuck by them
Jack learns more about her life all those years ago, and he lives to
than he ever knew—and finds the see another day.
24. Kevin and Sophie 29. Randall has a panic attack → Clockwise 24
from top left
It’s the Big Three’s 10th birthday, He may no longer feel like a lone Kevin and
Aug. 31, 1990, and Jack and puzzle piece struggling to fit in, Sophie (Parker
Bates and
Rebecca pull out all the stops to but Randall is still Randall, and Sophia Coto)
give the kids three discrete par- that means he’s struggling with at his 10th-
birthday party;
ties at the house. Kate invites her nerves and anxiety. He has a Rebecca tells
Randall (Lonnie
friend Sophie, as in the Sophie. paper due on Hamlet, and Kevin Chavis) about
sees his brother in a desperate Kyle; Kevin and
Sophie (Logan
25. A sort of major Halloween state but does nothing to help. Shroyer and
Oct. 31, 1990, isn’t just any old (He’ll redeem himself later, but Amanda Leigh-
ton) after his
All Hallows’ Eve. Not only does still, total jerk in the moment.) injury; Rebecca
singing with
Kevin’s big-brother beauty shine Randall doesn’t know it yet, her band.
through—he bribes Kate’s crush but anxiety is something he
Billy Palmer to hold her hand in inherited from his birth dad,
the haunted house—Rebecca tells William, and will pass down to
Randall about the story of Kyle. his daughter Tess.
26. Jack and Nicky see each 30. Rebecca goes on tour
other for the last time And her band includes ex Ben
After loads of unanswered (Sam Trammell). On Feb. 14,
postcards from Nicky, Jack 1996, Jack gets hammered and
decides to finally go see his little drives to see his wife perform in
brother. (Remember, Jack Ohio. Things go predictably awry,
thinks Nicky purposely killed a and once Rebecca gets her drunk
Vietnamese child, and they husband home, she tells him, “I
are estranged.) It’s 1992, and have zero life, Jack! I am a freakin’ 30
after this visit Jack vows to never ghost!” Happy Valentine’s, guys.
see his brother again. He sticks
to his promise. 31. Jack and Rebecca
briefly separate
27. The Big Three go to their After their whopper of a fight,
first school dance Rebecca asks Jack for some air,
Jack and Rebecca chaperone so he decamps for newly single
this 1992 school rite of passage, Miguel’s (goodbye, Shelly, we
and Kevin and Sophie solidify hardly knew ye!), but these
their love with their very first kiss. two can’t stay apart for long.
(Randall would of course rather Rebecca collects him, and he
stay home, but his parents make starts going to AA.
him go with Kate’s friend Jessica.)
32. An injury ends Kevin’s
28. The Pearsons bury football dreams
the time capsule He needs a backup plan for foot-
What’s momentous enough to ball, which will turn out to be
freeze in time in 1993? If you’re acting. Meanwhile, Kate’s putting
Kevin, Kate and Randall, that all her eggs in the Berklee College
would be a photo of yourself with of Music basket, and Jack and
your girlfriend, a game of MASH Randall visit Howard University,
and a missing puzzle piece, which Randall likes but ultimately
respectively. When the kids later doesn’t choose. Good thing
dig it up as adults, they find Jack’s too, or there’d be no Bethany.
sketch for his dream cabin, which Speaking of Beth, her beloved
Kevin—and Big Three Construc- dad, Abe Clarke, dies the very
tion—will later build for his mom. same year, 1997.
1 9 9 0 –1 9 97
25
32
1 9 9 8–1 9 9 9
33 36
35
33. An innocent enough 34. Super Bowl Sunday ↖ Clockwise all the pieces are in place: Jack
from top left
trip to the mall Jan. 25, 1998, was always going to Rebecca and dies from cardiac arrest trig-
So much happens at the mall that be a momentous day for the foot- Kate at the mall; gered by smoke inhalation after
Randall and Jack
day—but not the one thing that ball-loving fam, because it’s the in the fire; Jack’s he safely gets everyone out of
should. We realize that Kate, thin- last one before the Big Three go off funeral; Randall the house—which is burning to the
meeting Beth
ner than ever, is struggling with to school. Instead it’s the last one at a Carnegie ground because of the malfunc-
Mellon freshman
disordered eating as she tries on ever. It’s a disappointment to begin mixer; family tioning Crock-Pot—then goes
winter-formal dresses; Jack and with—Kevin leaves the house angry dinner; Kate back in to rescue their dog Louie.
and Marc
Kevin run into a sour Miguel, to go to Sophie’s, Randall watches Even though he makes it out alive,
who’s just found out that Shelly is Titanic with Allison, and Kate’s work- it’s too late.
engaged; Randall goes to see his ing on her Berklee app. But the sad
crush, Allison, who works at the Super Bowl turns tragic when Jack 36. Rebecca takes the kids
mall; and the entire family forgets cleans up, and the temperamental to see Springsteen
the whole reason for the shop- Crock-Pot switches back on. When you’re celebrating the life
ping excursion in the first place: of someone as dedicated to grand
picking up batteries for the 35. Jack dies gestures as Jack Pearson, a sim-
smoke detector. We knew it was coming, and now ple memorial will not do. Before
38 39
40
his death, he’d bought tickets for Kate is still at home with her mom— 39. Life goes on
the family to see Bruce Spring- or at least in a house, since their Things are not happy per se, but
steen in concert, and instead of real home is gone—aimless and Rebecca makes a go of getting
sadly accepting condolences over stuck as her grief paralyzes her. her family—now including Sophie
plates of casserole, Rebecca and Beth—together for a home-
decides to make Jan. 31, 1998, 38. Randall asks out Beth cooked meal.
a day Jack Pearson would be With some help from his much
proud of: by taking her kids to smoother brother, Randall 40. Kate dates Marc
see the Boss. works up the nerve to ask Beth Things are looking up for Kate!
out (Rachel Hilson), and even She gets a job she likes at a
37. The Big Three graduate though their date goes misera- record store and dates her boss
May 1998. Randall is off to Carne- bly—and she asks him to never Marc (Austin Abrams), who
gie Mellon, which keeps him close contact her again—back at the seems nice at first. He quickly
to home (and his mom); Kevin dorm, Randall proclaims that become abusive, though, and
moves to New York, where she’s the woman he’s going after one very scary trip to the
Sophie’s attending NYU and he to marry. And oh yeah, Kevin cabin—and an abortion—Kate has
starts taking acting classes; and and Sophie elope. the courage to walk away.
20 0 5 –20 1 7
47 49
51 52
← Clockwise 41. Déjà Andrews is born Thanksgiving 2016 is a doozy. The
from top left
Kate and Toby Randall and Beth’s future daugh- melodramatic Olivia Maine (Janet
on a date; ter is born to teen mom Shauna Montgomery) shows up. Randall
Kevin about to
ditch opening (Joy Brunson) and raised primar- and Rebecca fight, and in happier
night of his ily by her great-grandma (Pam news Kevin finally lets Miguel be
show to come
to Randall’s Grier). Once GG dies, things go Pilgrim Rick?
side; Randall
and Déjà; downhill for Shauna, and Déjà
William and ends up in foster care. 49. Kevin abandons his play
Randall at seg-
regated water to be by Randall’s side
fountains on 42. Tess Pearson is born A grand gesture Jack Pearson
their road trip.
A few years later Beth gives birth would be proud of. It’s opening
to her first child. night of The Back of an Egg, but
Randall’s having a panic attack.
43. Annie Pearson is born Kevin abandons the production
The youngest of the Pearson girls at the exact moment the curtain
pops into the world, and surprise, goes up to sit on the floor of
Beth: Randall wants another one! Randall’s office with his brother.
44. Kevin starts filming 50. Toby collapses in

The Manny Randall’s home
Kevin gets his big break as a dumb, After surprising Kate on
hot, lovable nanny. The show brings Christmas Eve, Toby makes
him superstardom before becom- his first impression on the
ing the bane of his existence, then Pearsons unforgettable, collaps-
stable gig when he’s a dad. ing in the living room because of
cardiac arrhythmia. Kate, think-
45. Laurel dies ing he’s unconscious post-op
Long presumed dead (by William, (he’s not), tells him she loves
Randall and all viewers), Laurel him and says she wants to spend
actually passes in May 2015, back the rest of her life with him. “I’d
in New Orleans with Hai. marry the hell out of you, Kate
Pearson,” he replies.
46. The Big Three turn 36
Aug. 31, 2016: Where it all started. 51. Randall and William road-
Kevin, Randall and Kate are in var- trip to Memphis
ious states of crises, and their A first and last father-son trip
respective choices on their birth- back to William’s home town in
day—quit The Manny, connect 2017 before he dies. Randall
with William, go to a weight-loss meets his biological cousins and
meeting—set the show in motion. learns about William’s childhood
in the Jim Crow South.
47. Kate & Toby start dating
Though she is adamant about 52. Randall and Beth
not dating a fat person, Kate can- foster Déjà
not resist the charms of Toby Randall has not given up on his
Damon. The bond over a shared dream of having a third child,
hatred of fellow group member but Beth—wise, wonderful Beth—
Madison (hi, Madison!) causes says if they’re going to raise
Kate—despite her constant pro- another kid, why not choose one
testations—to fall in love. who already exists and needs
their help? The same year he
48. Randall confronts Rebecca loses William, Randall meets his
about knowing William third daughter, Déjà.
53. Kevin hits rock bottom 59. Tess comes out → Clockwise 53
from top left
An injury while filming the Ron She tells Kate and no one else. Kevin back at
Howard-directed, Sylvester Protective aunt Kate tells his high school;
Tess and Alex;
Stallone-starring 2018 film Hill Rebecca, so that someone on the Déjà and Malik;
400 sets Kevin down a path of same coast as Tess can look out Nicky buying a
camera for Sally;
addiction. A particularly low point for her. She eventually comes out Kate and Toby’s
wedding.
is when he returns to his high to her parents and starts seeing
school too drunk to be honored her classmate Alex.
and ends up sleeping with fellow
honoree Charlotte, a doctor, and 60. Jack Damon is born
steals her prescription pad. Baby Jack arrives three months
early—in March 2019—via
54. Kate gets pregnant, then emergency C-section. He’s later
miscarries diagnosed with retinopathy
A fall in the shower proves devas- and can see some light and some
tating for Toby and Kate. The only blurry shapes but nothing clearly.
silver lining is that it brings Kate
closer to her mom. 61. Déjà meets Malik
After Beth and Randall’s family
55. Randall and Beth buy relocates to Philly, Déjà meets
William’s building in Philly Malik (Asante Blackk) at a barbe-
The first step on his road to city cue, and the two fall in love.
council (and beyond)! 57
62. The Big Three turn 40

56. Super Bowl LII, August 2020, Kate, Kevin
Eagles vs. Patriots and Madison, Kevin’s pregnant
It’s 20 years after Jack’s death, fiancée, are at the family cabin.
and on Feb. 4, 2018, the Big Randall is not.
Three do some healing: Randall
throws a Super Bowl party for the 63. Nicholas and Frances
girls, Kevin visits the tree where are born
following Jack’s funeral they Kevin and Madison have twins
spread some of his ashes (and and name the boy after Jack’s
eats lasagna with Rebecca) and brother Nicky.
Toby fixes Kate’s damaged Berk-
lee audition tape. 64. Hailey Damon is born
After a fraught surrogacy experi-
57. Kate and Toby wed at the ence, Kate and Toby welcome
family cabin their daughter Hailey Rose.
The spring 2018 event is momen-
tous for lots of reasons beyond 65. Madison dumps Kevin on
the “I dos”: Kate scatters Jack’s their wedding day
ashes, Kevin meets Zoe (Melanie It’s what we’ve been dreading but
Liburd), and Déjà smashes the had to happen: They love each
car windshield with a baseball bat. other, but Kevin is not in love with
(We also get to spend time with Madison, and she knows it. The
Toby’s parents. Oy.) Big Three and Rebecca commis-
erate on the Adirondack chairs
58. Hill 400 is a critical success Nicky gifted the couple.
Even Terry Gross likes it,
and Kevin starts to wonder 66. Nicky finds Sally
what his father did during the Will you get a load of this extro-
Vietnam War. vert? Nicky, with Miguel and
201 7–20 2 2
59
61
66
20 2 2–2 0 4 0 s
70
Rebecca in tow, reconnects with little Jack suffers an injury that 70. The New Yorker covers
Sally (Dey Young), and though it’s results in a blowout fight between Randall as a “Rising Star”
not a love match, the trip does his parents. As his future wife, We get a blink-and-you’ll-
seem meant to be, as Nicky meets Lucy, describes it, the Big Green miss-it glimpse of the mag,
future wife Edie (Vanessa Bell Cal- Egg smoker Jack loves so much casually lying around at . . .
loway) on the plane ride home. We is the “literal symbol of the day
also get some of Rebecca’s rawest your mom and dad’s marriage 71. . . . Kate’s wedding to
thoughts on aging yet, in an illumi- blew up.” Also? “That day almost her boss?!
nating conversation with Sally. permanently deformed that near- He went from the arrogant prig
perfect face of yours.” Phillip Mean Jerk (Chris Geere)
67. Cassidy gets into a car to the slightly softer and clearly
accident . . . 69. Déjà runs away enamored just Phillip (no more
. . . and Kevin takes care of her. Despite her parents’ misgivings “mean jerk”) to her fiancé in
about the young lovers—especially what feels like a very short
68. Kate and Toby split because Malik has a daughter— amount of time! We weep for
After ups and downs, at Miguel Déjà leaves to be with him, and KaToby but have a semi-open
and Rebecca’s anniversary party Randall goes after her. mind about . . . Phate?
71 74
75
72. Tess is a social worker ↖ Clockwise pandemic; then a job at the stuffy (One life ends, another begins . . .
from left
who helps place children in Randall’s New City Ballet of Philadelphia—Beth you see what’s happening.)
loving foster homes Yorker article; finally realizes her dreams on her
Kate on her
She’s come a long way from being wedding day own terms. 75. Jack Damon is a super
that kid who was so nervous to Phillip; Kevin successful musician
at the cabin;
about her dad’s wanting a new Jack and Lucy. 74. The entire family gathers at He took what his mama (and
family (William, Déjà ) that she the new cabin to be with grandmama) gave him and ran
took the phone off the hook so Rebecca on her death bed. with it. Finally a Pearson makes
the social worker couldn’t call. The gang’s here, and not for a it in the music biz.
happy reason. In our only flash-
73. Beth is running her own forward of Rebecca in her 80s, 76. Hope Damon is born
dance academy the Pearsons congregate It’s the futuriest we’ve gotten,
After fits and starts—first as at the Big Three’s new cabin to be ca. the 2040s, when
a classically trained dancer with the matriarch in her final Kate’s granddaughter is born.
as an adolescent; then with her days. One happy reveal? Déjà is She’s surrounded by dad Jack,
own dance school, which utterly pregnant—and a medical intern mom Lucy and aunt Hailey,
shuttered because of the about to start her OB rotation! and she’s perfect.
DA N FO G E L M A N So after six seasons the
Pearson saga has come to a
The Man
close. Are you at peace with
how everything is ending?
Dan Fogelman I think I’m at
Behind It All
peace with all of it right now.
Hopefully, I’m speaking for
everyone who worked on it and
enjoyed working on it and was
There’s one thing that every actor and crew member fulfilled in their work. Creatively
on This Is Us agrees on: The show’s creator is the I’m at peace with it, where the
beating heart of the Pearson universe. By Keith Murphy show’s gone and where I’m at in
life. But it’s starting to become
clear how big of a hole is going to
If by some chance in the future you happen to spot Dan be left when [This Is Us] no lon-
Fogelman racing through Los Angeles’s Interstate 405 ger has new episodes.
highway in a wildly conspicuous European sports car, just
know that he’s going through some things. “I’m definitely preparing That’s pretty heavy.
my wife for my midlife crisis,” jokes the creator of This Is Us, who’s It really does leave a hole for the
coming to the sobering realization that his landmark NBC series is people who have spent six years,
coming to an end. “One of the weird parts of our business, especially maybe seven calendar years of
in television, is when you make these shows, they are really all-con- their lives making it.
suming. Your time, creative energy . . . it all just goes to one thing in an
abnormal way. And then suddenly, with a snap of a finger, it’s done.” How has This Is Us changed
Yes, Fogelman, 46, sounds like he has the Kleenex box on standby. your life?
But can you blame him? Since making its 2016 premiere, This Is Us My life personally has changed
crosses the finish line as the rare network TV phenomenon that night and day since the show was
after six seasons in the streaming era still has viewers enthralled. made. When I was first writing
The New Jersey native already had some writing triumphs on the this, I wasn’t engaged to my wife.
big screen (Cars; Tangled; Crazy, Stupid, Love), but it was after the I wasn’t married, and I wasn’t a
unceremonious cancellation of his critically acclaimed shows The father. I was just talking to
Neighbors (2012-2014) and Pitch (2016) that he set pen to paper on Mandy [Moore], Chrissy [Metz]
an 80-page movie script chronicling the lives of eight adults later and Chris [Sullivan] about this.
revealed to be octuplets. Flash-forward, the Big Eight became the When we won our first award,
Big Three, and the rest is Emmy-winning history. that was my first time putting on
a tuxedo since my high school
prom. Everything changed.
Speaking of your cast, Sterling

K. Brown joked to us that the
only time he was worried about
a scene was when Randall left
Beth that nasty message on her
voice mail.
I do remember that! One of the
tricky parts with this show is
these characters are all pretty
beloved. Even though they are all
flawed and make frustrating mis-
takes, nobody is evil. So there
← Fogelman and have always been instances on
wife Caitlin this show where characters have
Thompson, who
plays Madison. to misstep in a way that’s bigger
↑ “When the
show started and
got popular off
the bat,” says
Fogelman (above
with Sterling K.
Brown and Susan
Kelechi Watson),
“Sterling came
into my office
like, ‘Six seasons,
right?’ That’s
what we’re saying:
‘Yeah, it’s going to
be six seasons.’ ”
→ Executive pro-
ducer Ken Olin
(with Justin Hart-
ley and Fogelman)
says, “As a show,
we want this
to feel like we’re
just capturing
these moments
between people.
We don’t want it
to feel structured
and formal. That’s
really important
to Dan.”
Da n Foge l m a n
“I found my voice in my late

30s and into my 40s in this
show. I think I grew up”
DAN FOGELMAN
people?” But with the exception Having lived through all of Cait-
of one very formative, traumatic lin’s other things she’s done and
death of a parent, are we really watched her onstage, I’ve always
saying that the average Ameri- felt that she was so great. So we
can family that’s filled with kind of worked Madison into the
40-year-old grown children story line before there was even a
doesn’t have some level of plan for it. And as we kept getting
addiction issues? Or there more and more engaged with her
hasn’t been a death from cancer as Madison in the season where
or Alzheimer’s, grandparents Kevin was developing a bunch of
getting older? Are we saying love interests that could particu-
that a Black-and-white family larly be the mother of his children,
won’t deal with issues with she was somebody that the writ-
racism? I’ve never found what ers were all enjoying.
we’re doing that outlandish.
In this world of reboots and
When the show became a major revivals, have you ever thought
hit known for making audiences about what a reboot—or movie—
cry, how did you balance that would look like for This Is Us?
expectation—that viewers wanted There were conversations earlier
a catharsis when watching— in the year when we were starting
with not making the show a up for this season, but in this par-
complete bummer? ticular case, six seasons is very
When I was in the purgatory of six much what was planned and
months before I even knew the talked about from the very begin-
than a normal episodic misstep. show was going to make it on tele- ning. Right now I think people
But it was never Sterling saying, vision, I would show it to a couple have waived seven years of their
“Change this and make it better.” of my buddies after they’d come life to making this show. As sad as
It was more like, “Uh, Dan . . . peo- over to watch a football game, and we all are that it’s ending, I think
ple are not going to like this . . . ” a strange thing would start hap- we also want to end it the right
pening at the end: 40-year-old way and put our pencils down.
Over the years, you and your men excusing themselves and
writing team have tackled some weeping. It kind of just happened. Okay, we have to shoot our
pretty real subject matter— It’s been the DNA of the show shot: Do you know how the
racism, coming out, disordered without us necessarily chasing it. show ends?
eating, drug addiction, adoption, Right now, as we speak, I’m writ-
Alzheimer’s and depression. You once joked on Twitter that ing the 16th, 17th and 18th
Do you guys get any sleep—and you would never allow your episodes of the show. I’m editing
are you a happy man? wife, Caitlin, who plays Madi- the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th epi-
Ha! I think the operating belief son, to sleep with Kevin [Justin sodes of the show. I think I’m
of the show has always been that Hartley] on the show. Who going to take a long break. I think
if you talk to any regular person, blinked first? I’m going to allow myself to kind
everybody has s--- going. If It was more driven by the notion of celebrate and then mourn the
you want to be critical of the of my wife being a big part of the ending of this thing that has
show, at times people have said, show and having a relationship changed my life. It’s going to be
“How much can happen to these with the hunkiest guy of all time. hard to beat This Is Us.
BAC KSTAG E PA S S
Behind the Scenes

Take a peek behind the curtain to see how the sausage—or rather,
the tomato soup and hot dogs—gets made. By Carla Sosenko
← And . . . We’re Rolling . . .

. . . right out of the hospital and into the wonderful
world of the Pearsons, which includes Jack ↓ Pod People
(Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore). The notoriously tight cast (including
It’s hard to believe now, but creator Dan Fogel- Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz and
man says, “I completed the This Is Us pilot Justin Hartley) had to curtail their social-
and then had to sit on it for half a year until NBC izing, like all of us, because of COVID.
made their pilot announcements. . . . There Before, Hartley says, “we would have a
was no real strong sense that the show was night off and all go out and hang. The last
going to make it on television.” couple of years it’s been slim pickings.”
Be h i n d t h e S c e n e s
→ William Times Two

and Randall Too
Because of the structure and
conceit of the show—that there are
multiple timelines—certain actors
naturally never film scenes
together. Here, Jermel Nakia
(young William) and Ron Cephas
Jones (older William) make
a rare sandwich with their son
Randall (Brown).
↓ The Manny Gets Meta

In the Manny episodes, Hartley
the actor plays Kevin the actor on
a set with a live studio audience
actually made up of extras on This
Is Us. Did you get all that?
↑ Ups and Downs
Season 1’s “I Call Marriage” was
a roller coaster of emotion, cover-
ing everything from Rebecca and
Jack’s municipal court nuptials
(yay!) to Miguel and Shelley’s
divorce (oh no!) to Toby’s crashing
Kate’s self-improvement seminar
(why?) and Kevin’s unwillingness to
let Sophie go (cut it out, Kev!). It’s
nice to know the cast (including
Ventimiglia and Moore) at least
had fun behind the scenes!
← Dance Like No One

Is Watching
Directing is, according to Hartley,
“just getting the hell out of the
way and letting people do what
they do best. I mean . . . what am
I going to tell Chris Sullivan?” We
have some ideas! Here, for exam-
ple, you could tell him, “Pretend
you just found out you’re going to
be a dad and your wife gave you
permission to tell the barista.”
See? Easy-peasy.
→ A Family Affair
Multiple TIU stars have stepped
behind the lens. Of the episodes he
directed, Ventimiglia’s favorite was
his first, season 4’s “Storybook
Love,” in which Rebecca hosts a
dinner party after Jack’s death. “It
wasn’t trepidation, it was excite-
ment,” he says of the experience.
“I was working off a wonderful script
by David Windsor and Casey John-
son, [so] I was set up for success.”
↓ Three Little Words

“Directing is hard,” says Hartley.
“I’m good at giving streamlined
notes and putting ideas into peo-
ple’s heads. And then . . . you realize
the note that you gave . . . is not
even close to the magic the actor
is bringing to the scene. [Laughs]
I said just three words, and the
actors took those three words
into the most beautiful thing
I’ve ever seen.”
Behind the Scenes
↑ Masks Up, Shields

On, Can’t Lose
Jon Huertas (here with Eris
Baker, Lyric Ross and Faithe
Herman) directed season
6’s “Four Fathers,” in which
the show’s dads—Jack, Randall,
Kevin and Toby—struggle to
connect with their children.
← Listen to Your Mother!

“As an actor you show up and you’re
eating a pastrami sandwich,” says
Moore (here directing Metz). “But
as a director . . . there are seven
meetings about that sandwich.
What kind of bread is it on? Is it
typical for them to be eating a pas-
trami sandwich? There’s so much
detail that you really don’t think
about as an actor, that I have always
taken for granted and will never,
ever take for granted again.”
→ All for One

and One for All
Says executive producer Ken
Olin (right, with Ventimiglia and
Fogelman): “There’s a real sense of
ensemble among this group,” and in
the cast and crew as well. “It’s not
created with just words and acting.”
↓ Behind the Lens

Director of photography
Yasu Tanida has been with the
show since the beginning.
Says EP Olin—who likens their
relationship to that of an old
married couple: “When you
have Yasu Tanida there, you
don’t get in trouble.”
↑ Home Stretch!
Sullivan directed the final
season’s fifth episode, “Heart
and Soul,” in which Malik and
Déjà (Asante Blackk and Ross)
tell Randall and Beth their plans
for Déjà to move to Boston—and
also bring Cassidy (Jennifer
Morrison) back into the fold as a
romantic prospect for Kevin.
← A Rare Sighting
When you stop and think about it,
Hartley, Metz and Brown actually
have very few scenes with Ven-
timiglia, because his character
dies when theirs are teenagers.
(Jack sometimes comes in dreams
and fantasies but is usually
off-limits.) When a cast member
directs, we get otherwise impos-
sible pairings—like Hartley and
Ventimiglia, here—at least behind
the scenes.
REPORTING BY CAROLYN HINSEY

AND KEITH MURPHY
DIRECTOR KEN OLIN
A Love Letter
to Us
The This Is Us executive producer directed more
episodes of the series—32 of them, to be exact—than
anyone else. Here he reflects on the end of an era.
By Carla Sosenko
Nobody would blame you for hearing the name Ken Olin
and immediately thinking, “Thirtysomething.” The actor
was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1990 for his role on
the critical darling, but the bulk of his career—and where he’s most
comfortable—has been behind the camera. He’s directed everything
from Alias to Brothers & Sisters and is set to produce and direct TIU
star Justin Hartley’s new CBS series The Never Game. “Whatever
people fantasize,” Olin says of his time on the show, “that maybe it
really is as good as it seems to be among this group, it really is.
Maybe that’s cheesy, but it really is.”
ON FILMING THE LAST as we went into hiatus after the

TWO SEASONS fourth season [is that] COVID
“It’s an incredibly close group of was happening; there was so
people in terms of the amount of much civil unrest because of
respect and affection and just George Floyd, and the writers I
general lack of drama or conflict think brilliantly and coura-
and just such a sheer sense of geously decided, ‘We have to deal
decency and appreciation. This Is with this.’ ”
Us is coming to an end from a all directors now, so if I miss
story point of view at the right ON HIS PERSONAL STYLE them, I can hire them.”
time, but the weird thing is how “I like to create a very relaxed and
we’ve all been so separate because not-especially-so-serious envi- ON WORKING WITH OTHER
of COVID. The affection you feel ronment; humor comes from a DIRECTORS ON THE SHOW
when you watch the show, that’s certain trust. Creating a very “Most of the directors we use
one of the things people so gravi- casual atmosphere except when now, all of them are people that
tated toward at the beginning, the work required discipline and have directed the show or people
especially given the mood of the seriousness [made that] happen. from the show that are now
country, regardless of your politi- [Warmth] was really impor- directing this year for the first
cal affiliations. The mood of the tant. . . . I get in this sort of mentor time. I’ve spent time talking to
country was so fraught six years kind of position, but I also have them as they prep, and if one of
ago, and there was so much dis- t h is g ro up o f ac t ors tha t the actors is directing them-
sension, and there was so much are . . . from top to bottom . . . hum- selves, I’ll be there. I think early
kindness and respect and affec- ble and professional. They’re so on in the show I was more protec-
tion on the show, it transcended respectful of the writers, and they tive, but I was directing a third of
the medium. One of the things really all like to be directed. I’m the episodes, [and] in the first
the writers were confronted with very protective of them. They’re three years I could feel when I
Behind the Scenes
← Clockwise
from left The Right
Olin on-set;
with cinematog-
Direction
rapher Yasu SOME OF HOLLYWOOD’S
Tanida, of whom MOST IN-DEMAND ACTORS
he says, “We’re
like a married AND DIRECTORS HAVE
couple. We CALLED ‘ACTION’ ON
bicker and talk THE THIS IS US SET
to each other in
half sentences.
We communi-
cate now with
very few words”; Regina King
directing Mandy The Oscar,
Moore; the Golden Globe and
director prepar- Emmy winner
ing a scene.
helmed episode 6
of season 2, in
which Randall and Beth’s first
baby pops into the world and is
immediately named after a ceiling
fan. Happy birthday, Tess!
Catherine
Hardwicke
The Twilight direc-
tor is behind two
TIU eps: 2018’s
sweeping “Six
Thanksgivings” and 2020’s time-
capsule-focused “The Cabin.”
Timothy
Busfield
Ken Olin’s former
Thirtysomething
costar directed
season 1’s 11th
episode, back when Kevin was
Off-Broadway and Toby was
recovering in the hospital after
(literally) crashing Christmas Eve
at Randall and Beth’s.
Helen Hunt
The multi-award-
hadn’t directed for, let’s say, three I’d just as soon steal every one of winning actress
or four episodes. I would come in them and try to do stuff with them directed season
and could feel the way certain in the next few years.” 1’s “Last Christ-
things . . . there was a little bit of a mas,” which
featured (deep breath) Kate’s
lack of focus in terms of the act- ON DAN FOGELMAN
appendectomy, the story of
ing. It’s hard to direct through “Not only is he one of the really Hanukkah, Jessie’s first appear-
other people, and it’s not really brilliant writers in Hollywood, ance and Randall thankfully
fair. We’ve had really good direc- Dan Fogelman’s one of the really, stopping a coworker (Jimmi
Simpson) from jumping off a
tors, and Dan does all the editing, really decent human beings in building during a work party.
so there’s a consistency he’s able this business. That’s I think what
to see through.” was so amazing about this whole Joanna Kerns
Growing Pains’
experience: We got the opportu-
beloved mom has
O N A P O S S I B L E R E V I VA L nity to work with a really good had a prolific
“All I can imagine is Dan laughing human being who’s actually a career as a direc-
when he hears that question, better writer than he is a human tor, including
“Vegas, Baby,” season 2’s
because by the time we reboot being, and that is just unbeliev-
charmer about Toby’s bachelor
this, Ken probably won’t be able. [Pause] He’s going to owe party and bonding with the
around. Wheel me up to a monitor. me. [Laughs]” Pearson brothers.
1
R E B E C CA’S T I M E J U M P The first key to suc-

cessfully completing
The Old and

the laborious task of
aging your leading lady? “A very
patient, lovely Mandy Moore,”
the Beautiful
says Zoe Hay, who has been the
makeup department head for
This Is Us since episode 1.
Over the years Hay and her
How do you age a gorgeous thirtysomething team have streamlined the pro-
superstar into a woman twice her age and back cess for aging Rebecca, especially
again? Very carefully. By Carolyn Hinsey for her time as a septuagenarian,
and it now takes “only” three
hours for makeup and hair.
To make 37-year-old Moore
age-appropriate for the present-
day timeline, makeup artist
Behind the Scenes
2 3
Elizabeth Hoel-Chang applies 1. Mandy Moore appearance of the sort of crepey “She had to have an elegance.”
in full makeup
age spots to her hands, arms and as Rebecca in neck you get as you age.” For that, Hay turned to photos
neck while Hay does the same to her 70s. And it gets even crepier when of screen icon Audrey Hepburn,
2. A fresh-faced
her face. Then they apply an ager. Moore ready for Rebecca turns 84. who would no doubt have
“Essentially, you stretch the the three-hour “That application is about five approved of young Rebecca’s
transformation
skin all over the face, apply this process. and a half hours,” says Hay of our bell-bottoms and vests. “Audrey
3. Zoe Hay
product and blow it dry,” says starting to occasional glimpses of future Hepburn aged beautifully,”
Hay. “When you release the apply Moore’s Rebecca, “with full wrap-around says Hay.
older skin.
skin, those fine lines and wrin- 4. Team effort! neck appliances and appliances Alas, all things come to an end,
kles stay there.” Moore helps on her hands to give the appear- and as Hay looks back, she’s
dry while Hay
Next up? Prostheses. “Mandy and Co. stretch ance of arthritic knuckles,” grateful that she and her team
the skin over
wears 10 appliances, very small her face. Even as Rebecca is dying, the captured older Rebecca as well
and targeted, which we blend team wanted her to look as as they did the young matriarch.
into the ager,” says Hay. That beautiful as she had throughout “Originally I was told it would
includes eyes, nose, jowls, laugh her life on the show. “We didn’t only play a few times,” says Hay
lines and “a small piece down the want to make her look old and of the older years. “We estimate
front of her neck, which gives the haggy like a witch,” says Hay. we’ve done it over 100 times!”
THE FIRE
Burning Down
the House
When the Pearson house got destroyed, the cast
and crew had to pull off one of the most dangerous
and important episodes of the series.
When This Is Us finally sequence “was a really big deal

showed us how Jack for us,” says show creator Dan
Pearson left this world, Fogelman, who was admittedly
it went big. Not only did Rebecca new to pyrotechnics. “I just want
and the kids lose a beloved to write sweet dialogue.”
husband and father, they lost But his teleplay for that epi-
their home and virtually every- sode (directed by Glenn Ficarra
thing in it. Jack’s death—and the and John Requa, who also
ferocious fire that precipitated helmed the pilot) called for fire.
it—was one of TVs best-kept Even with all the advances in
secrets. “I still can’t believe I’m digitally created effects, it turns
allowed to talk about this!” says out the thing that looks most like
co-showrunner Elizabeth Berger. flames on a screen is . . . flames.
For six months, each shot of sea- “Yeah, the best thing you can do
son 2, episode 14—“Super Bowl is to make a real fire when it’s
Sunday”—was planned and story- appropriate and safe,” says cine-
boarded to deliver maximum matographer Yasu Tanida.
emotional impact, with the script “That’s what we did for a lot
under wraps even longer. The of the shots.”
→ “That was
one of the
most intense
stunts I’ve ever
done,” said Ven-
timiglia of the
rescue scenes.
“It was real
fire. We were
really close. It
was really big
and angry.”
← “Each angle in
the sequence
was planned out
on a storyboard.
A replica of the
exterior and sec-
ond floor of the
Pearson home
was built outside
of L.A. because
real fire wasn’t
allowed on the
studio set.”
→ “We were
struggling with
how to not make
the audience mad
at us with the
family on the lawn
for so long,” says
executive pro-
ducer Elizabeth
Berger. Adds
cinematographer
Yasu Tanida:
Zeke, who plays
But the soundstage where the blaze. After their characters the Pearson
pet, was never
show films its interiors has a strict escape—only to see Jack return near the fire:
no-fire rule. “They have a fire mar- for Louie—their faces, reacting in “No danger.”
shal come when we light a candle, horror and bathed in a fiery glow,
“says Tanida. So both safety and were shot at the Eagle Rock house
secrecy meant building a partial that is the usual Pearson home
replica of the Pearson residence exterior; the fire there was only a
(all three upstairs bedrooms, trick of lighting.
minus the roof, plus the front exte- Other tricks: To make the con-
rior) near rural Lake Piru, about 50 flagration believably deadly, the
miles from Paramount’s studios. effects crew pumped in additional
Then it was time to burn it down— smoke and turned up the flames
in a controlled way. Even with when the stunt double stepped in.
careful pre-filming walk-throughs They used long lenses to make the
choreographed with the effects actors appear closer to the fire,
team and the stunt coordinator, he and for tight shots—like when
says, “the first shot woke us up: Jack burns his hand—digital
‘This is gonna be really intense.’ ” flames were added in post-
Milo Ventimiglia saw the bulk production. The most dramatic
of the action over three days, and moments had the camera hold on
though he had a stunt double, the engulfed house after Jack dis-
Carl Paoli, he unquestionably was appears back inside. “In editing
acting amid real fire. When Kate they milked that sequence,” says
is waiting to be rescued, the cam- Tanida. “You see Rebecca, Kate
era is in her room looking toward and Randall in slow motion yell-
the door, when Jack appears with ing. That’s Dan’s creativity in
flames on the stairs behind him. writing. It was fun to shoot.” And,
Tanida was watching it on the says producer Berger, it was a fit-
monitor, and says, “I think Milo ting end for a man who always
really was like, ‘My God, this is went big: “This is a guy who in our
crazy!’ He was really amped up.” minds is an everyday superhero,
Although Hannah Zeile, who who will do absolutely anything
plays teen Kate, along with Niles for his family. We wanted to show
Fitch (teen Randall) and Mandy one more morsel of that.”
Moore were at the Piru set, they BY CAROLYN HINSEY AND
stayed a safe distance from the LISA RUSSELL
2
BEHIND THE SCENES
More Burning
Questions
Making a show this intricate ain’t easy. How
This Is Us made the deceptively difficult moments
look effortless—plus, mind-blowing trivia!
1. What happened to the terri- says Pavonetti. “I walked in like,

ble tiny towel Jack wears in ‘Guys, we’re making TV history
the pilot while Rebecca is doing today,’ and we did.”
her sexy birthday dance?
“I think the original is hanging in 3. Jack’s magic Florida T-shirt
Dan [Fogelman]’s office signed pops up a lot: He wears it in the
by all of us,” Milo Ventimiglia tells ’70s when he meets Rebecca,
EW, and no, it’s not something he then gives it to Kate in the ’80s.
has considered trying to liberate How do they age and un-age it
from the set: “Oh God,” he says, when they go back in time?
“I’ve got plenty of those.” “It’s not vintage,” says costume
designer Hala Bahmet. “We made
2. How did they get footage from about eight of them and hired a
the Feb. 4, 2018, Super Bowl professional ager to work on it.
into the postgame episode? What she does is make little holes
On the 20th anniversary of Jack’s that are all identical. So if there’s
death, the family watches the a hole by the collar, Jack’s will 3
2018 Super Bowl—Philadelphia have it and Kate’s will have it. We
Eagles vs. New England Patriots— even had the printer print some
which took place just hours of the [designs] at half strength
before the episode aired. Weeks so that it looked like it was many
earlier they “shot the show with times washed and faded.” But
green screens in the TV,” explains when they need to go back to
producer Nick Pavonetti. During Jack’s era, says Bahmet, “we have
the first of seven practice runs, new versions that are pristine.”
his crew spent four hours on just
one clip—double the time allotted. 4. The address on the Pearson ↗ Clockwise
from top
“It was just terrifying,” says home is different from the Kate (Chrissy
Metz), Toby
Pavonetti, who had a contingency house later built in its place on (Chris Sullivan)
plan to fake the footage. But the same lot. Why? and Jack’s ashes
celebrating the
practice paid off. “There was a “A conspiracy theory for the ages!” Eagles’ win over
great play—the interception right says Pavonetti of the switch from the Patriots; the
Pearson house,
before halftime—where the ball 1920 to 1646 on the house. “Even with its fluctuat-
ing address;
bounded all over the place, and my mom called me going, ‘Nick, the ubiquitous
it was really recognizable. It left what does it mean?’ I’m like, ‘Mom, Florida tee, here
given to Kate
no doubt that this was happen- it means that my department (Mackenzie
ing.” Also useful: “four shots of didn’t do its job right.’ ” No conspir- Hancsicsak) by
Jack as a pool-
espresso” and a positive attitude, acy, just a small continuity error! side cover-up.
4
6 7
5. Do the cast and crew ever find 6. How did they film future ↖ From left 7. How do the teen versions of
Jack Damon
themselves weeping at work? Jack Damon (Blake Stadnik) (Blake Stadnik) the Big Three look so much like
Yes! Many admit to sobbing performing in a packed concert at the Greek; their adult counterparts?
the teen Big
while reading a new script, even hall in season 4? Three (Hannah Contact lenses for Logan
before they’ve shot a frame. “I The band Chicago let the crew Zeile, Logan Shroyer (teen Kevin) to make his
Shroyer and
have cried on my acoustic guitar crash one of its gigs! According Niles Fitch); eyes brown, a bodysuit and pros-
Jack (Milo
at least once an episode,” says to Khosla, the iconic group was Ventimiglia) in thetics for teen Kate (Hannah
show composer Siddhartha performing at the Greek in L.A., Vietnam. Zeile), and simply very good cast-
Khosla, who watches episodes and TIU was able to shoot the ing and acting for all, including
in order to add the score. For scene during intermission. “So Niles Fitch (teen Randall). The
Pavonetti, the worst was when those were all people at a Chicago results? Positively uncanny.
William died. “I was mixing that concert,” says Khosla, “and by the
show crying. Bawling my eyes end of the song”—“Memorized,” 8. How did producers guar-
out and giving orders to people which was eventually nominated antee an authentic portrayal
crying at the same time was a for an Emmy—“everyone in the of the Vietnam War?
really weird experience.” audience was singing along!” They hired as a consultant and
Behind the Scenes
cowriter Vietnam veteran Tim Depends who you talk to! When the specifics, but I know the bare
O’Brien, whose 1990 collection we ask Ventimiglia if he knows bones of what happens. We have
of connected short stories The how the show ends, he says yes. shot some of the last episode.”
Things They Carried is widely When we follow up by asking, But Jon Huertas is still in the dark:
considered one of the best-ever “What can you tell us about that?” “Dan Fogelman keeps everything
books written on the subject. he says, “Nothing!” and laughs. so close to the vest. It gives him
“That was my great surprise once (He does elaborate a little bit, joy for us to read a script and be
I accepted the part,” says Griffin adding, “Dan has evolved and surprised.” Chris Sullivan says he
Dunne, whose character Nicky grown, so I imagine things grow “kind of ” knows—“broad strokes.
spent his formative years in the and change with him as well. What I honestly don’t really want to
war. As for location, the Vietnam may have felt like an appropriate know”—and Logan Shroyer had
scenes were all filmed in the des- ending a year or two ago, coming the most cryptic and hilarious
erts of California. up in April—[when] we’re shooting answer when we asked what he
the end—it’s probably going to be could tell us about the ending:
9. Do the actors know how the different. I’m looking forward to “Nothing I would dare say, or you
series will end? it.”) Says Moore: “I don’t know all might find me disappeared!”
S H OW P L AY L I ST
The Sound of Us
The soundtrack and score to This Is Us are so distinct,
they’re almost their own characters. Here a look
back at some of the show’s most meaningful musical
moments. By Carla Sosenko
Ask composer Siddhartha Khosla to describe the vibe of the

musical score for This Is Us, and all it takes is one word:
“timeless.” Khosla’s 1959 Silvertone acoustic guitar, which
he bought for 25 bucks in a Vermont thrift shop, is the main sound of
the show’s original compositions: “There’s something very raw and
visceral about it. When you listen to the score, my goal was that you
can never tell when it was made. It could be the ’60s or ’50s or today—
or maybe 30 years from now.” “Grounded,” “organic” and
“atmospheric” are other adjectives that come up , though the show
features some bops and jams too. Of course, getting songs cleared for
TV isn’t cheap, and there have been a few dream numbers that didn’t
make it into the show. Jokes creator Dan Fogelman: “Once I wanted
a Neil Young song, and it would have eaten up our entire music bud-
get.” Here are some of the show’s most memorable musical moments.
“Death With Dignity” show we were going to see was in

Sufjan Stevens (2015) that one song.”
“The choice to put Stevens in
the pilot to kick off the series was “Time After Time”
the most important song choice Cyndi Lauper (1983)
because it set the tone for every- The first time we see Kate shine—
thing,” says Khosla. “Had it been at a gig at an old-folks home,
a different song, I might have lovingly orchestrated by Toby—it’s
thought of the music differently.” her performing this emotional
track by ’80s queen Lauper. (The
“Watch Me” song also plays over a montage
Labi Siffre (1972) of Rebecca searching for young
The upbeat song that plays at William, aka Shakespeare.)
the end of the pilot is what brings Fogelman wanted music that
everything together, according would be “meaningful to Kate
to Khosla: “We’ve been watching and . . . thematically on point with-
people in seemingly discon- out being on the nose.”
nected stories, right? And then
the fireman turns to Jack after “You Can Call Me Al”
he and Rebecca have lost one of Paul Simon (1986)
→ Clockwise
the triplets, and it is such an “It’s such a happy song!” Khosla from top Milo
iconic song for me because we says of the resident Thanks- Ventimiglia and
Mandy Moore;
just got a big bombshell dropped giving-episode theme song, Paul Simon;
on us. That song was so joyous which we hear first in “Pilgrim Cyndi Lauper;
Labi Siffre;
but also melancholic. The entire Rick” and repeatedly throughout Sufjan Stevens.
S h ow P l ay l i s t
the series. “It was such a funny,

clever choice that we go back to
again this season. It just reminds
me of family tradition and why
we’re all here together.”
“Jack’s Theme
(Three Sentences)”
Siddhartha Khosla
“That’s when Kate is at weight-
loss camp pounding the sticks,”
says Khosla. “She has this sort
of out-of-body experience,
where she’s brought back to her
father’s funeral. It’s the first
time we’ve seen it too, and it was
such a haunting image. It was that
moment that I realized working
on the show was its own unique
experience, because Dan lost his
mom when he was young, tragically
and unexpectedly. It’s the experi-
ence and the grief and the trauma
and recovery from it, all of it.”
“We Can Always Come

Back to This”
Siddhartha Khosla and
Chris Pierce
The first time we hear this song is
in the episode “Memphis,” when
Randall and William go on an end-
of-life journey together, and their
cousin, guest star Bryan Tyree “Moonshadow” ↑ Clockwise and earned Khosla and Goldsmith
from top
Henry, provides the vocals in the Cat Stevens (1971) Siddhartha a Grammy nomination. “Dan was
club. Later, as William is lying “I’d been listening to Stevens Khosla, like, ‘This is going to be a hit song
Mandy Moore
on his deathbed with Randall by writing the initial script,” says and Taylor 30 years from now. Can you
his side, an acoustic version of Fogelman. “That was the tone in Goldsmith; write that please?’ ” The scene
Joni Mitchell;
the song, performed by Hannah my brain.” It was only after decid- K-Ci and JoJo; was shot in September 2019, with
Cat Stevens.
Miller, reprises. ing that Rebecca’s pendant from Taylor Stadnik (Jack) performing.
Jack would be a moon that he “Who would have known that
“Invisible Ink” worked backward and made five months later, the world was
Siddhartha Khosla and “Moonshadow” her signature song. about to change,” says Khosla.
Taylor Goldsmith
When Rebecca makes a demo “Memorized” “California”
and road-trips to California Siddhartha Khosla and Joni Mitchell (1971)
with Jack to try to become the Taylor Goldsmith Mitchell is Rebecca’s North Star
next Joni Mitchell, the song on When future baby Jack turns out and the epitome of that late-’60s,
her tape—performed by Mandy to be a famous musician playing early-’70s Laurel Canyon sound.
Moore—is one that was written to a sold-out crowd, the song that When Jack and Rebecca set out
by Khosla and Moore’s real-life brings down the house is “Memo- on their whirlwind, life-changing
husband, Taylor Goldsmith, front- rized,” which, in real life, climbed trip to the West Coast, this song
man of the band Dawes. to the top of the iTunes charts is her beacon. After a rough meet-
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
PRESIDENT, ENTERTAINMENT GROUP Leah Wyar
EDITOR Mary Margaret
DEPUTY EDITOR & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tim Leong
EXECUTIVE EDITORS Clarissa Cruz, Patrick Gomez
DEPUTY DESIGN DIRECTOR Faith Stafford
DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL OPERATIONS Alexandra Brez
THIS IS US
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Kostya Kennedy
EDITOR, PEOPLE + EW BOOKS Allison Adato
EDITION EDITOR Carla Sosenko
ART DIRECTOR Aaron Morales
PHOTO EDITOR Rachel Hatch
WRITERS Carolyn Hinsey, Keith Murphy, Lisa Russell
REPORTERS Gillian Aldrich, Daniel S. Levy
COPY DESK Joanann Scali (Chief), James Bradley (Deputy), Ellen Adamson,
Gabrielle Danchick, Richard Donnelly, Shakthi Jothianandan, Matt Weingarden
RESEARCH DIRECTOR Céline Wojtala
PREMEDIA TRAFFICKING SUPERVISOR Justin Atterberg
PREMEDIA IMAGING SPECIALIST Randy J. Manning
COLOR QUALITY ANALYST Pamela Powers
MEREDITH PREMIUM PUBLISHING

VICE PRESIDENT & GROUP PUBLISHER Scott Mortimer
VICE PRESIDENT, GROUP EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Stephen Orr
VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING Jeremy Biloon
DIRECTOR, BRAND MARKETING Jean Kennedy
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, BRAND MARKETING Bryan Christian
SENIOR BRAND MANAGER Katherine Barnet
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Kostya Kennedy

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Gary Stewart
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Christina Lieberman
EDITORIAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Jamie Roth Major
MANAGER, EDITORIAL OPERATIONS Gina Scauzillo
SPECIAL THANKS Brad Beatson, Samantha Lebofsky, Kate Roncinske
Copyright ©2022 Meredith Operations Corporation

225 Liberty Street • New York, NY 10281
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic
or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without
permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may
quote brief passages in a review. For syndication requests or international licensing
requests or reprint and reuse permission, email syndication@meredith.com.
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
CREDITS Pg 42 Joe Pugliese/NBC

Cover Joe Pugliese/NBC Pg 43-44 Ron Batzdorff/NBC (2)
Back cover (counter-clockwise from Pg 45 Maarten de Boer/NBC
ing at a record label, she’s left with top) Ron Batzdorff/NBC (2); Maarten Pg 46 Joe Pugliese/NBC
a new inspiration and direction: de Boer/NBC Pg 47-53 All photos by Ron Batzdorff/NBC
Pg 1-5 All photos by Ron Batzdorff/NBC Pg 54 (clockwise from top left) Ron
“Let’s go home,” she tells Jack, Pg 6-7 Paul Drinkwater/NBC Batzdorff/NBC (2); NBC
Pg 8 (from top) Ron Batzdorff/NBC (2); Pg 55-64 All photos by Ron Batzdorff/NBC
where it rains and things feel real.
Paul Drinkwater/NBC Pg 65 (from top) NBC; Ron Batzdorff/NBC (2)
Pg 9 (from top) Paul Drinkwater/NBC; Pg 66-67 Ron Batzdorff/NBC (4)
Ron Batzdorff/NBC Pg 68 AFF-USA/Shutterstock
“All My Life” Pg 10-11 Ron Batzdorff/NBC (4) Pg 69 Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe
K-Ci & JoJo (1998) Pg 12 (from top) Ron Batzdorff/NBC; NBC via Getty Images
Pg 13-14 Ron Batzdorff/NBC (5) Pg 70-76 All photos by Ron Batzdorff/NBC
This song might as well be called Pg 15 (from top) NBC; Yasu Tanida/NBC Pg 77 (from top) NBC; Ron Batzdorff/NBC
Pg 16-19 All photos by Ron Batzdorff/NBC Pg 78-81 All photos by Ron Batzdorff/NBC
“The Ballad of Randall and Beth.”
Pg 20-21 Joe Pugliese/NBC Pg 81 (sidebar, from top) David Livingston/
The first time we hear it, Randall Pg 22 Ron Batzdorff/NBC Getty Images; MediaPunch/Shutterstock;
Pg 23 Joe Pugliese/NBC Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage/Getty Images;
is salvaging an ill-advised date to Pg 24-25 Ron Batzdorff/NBC (3) Mike Pont/WireImage/Getty Images; Vivien
the ballet by playing it for Beth Pg 26 Joe Pugliese/NBC Killilea/Getty Images for The Rape Foundation
Pg 27 Ron Batzdorff/© 20th Century Fox/ Pg 82-91 All photos by Ron Batzdorff/NBC
in their dorm. We hear it again Courtesy Everett Collection Pg 92-93 (clockwise from top) Ron
Pg 28-29 Ron Batzdorff/NBC (3) Batzdorff/NBC; Penny Tweedie/Camera
when Beth is closing up her dance
Pg 30-31 Joe Pugliese/NBC Press/Redux; Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank/
studio because of COVID and Pg 32-33 Ron Batzdorff/NBC (3) Getty Images; United Archives/Hulton/Getty
Pg 34 Joe Pugliese/NBC Images; Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Randall comes to comfort her. Pg 35-38 All photos by Ron Batzdorff/NBC Pg 94-95 (clockwise from top left)
But that studio gets one last Pg 39 Joe Pugliese/NBC Rachel Luna/Getty Images; GAB Archive/
Pg 40 (clockwise from top left) Allstar Redferns/Getty Images; Paul Drinkwater/
dance, and it’s Beth and Randall Picture Library Ltd./Alamy; Ron Batzdorff/ NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images; Collection
NBC; NBC Christophel/Alamy
swaying to this power ballad
Pg 41 Ron Batzdorff/NBC (5); Pg 96 (clockwise from top) Ron Batzdorff/
before she locks up for good. (Madison) NBC NBC (4); Joe Pugliese/NBC
ST R A I G H T F RO M T H E S E T
Scene Stealers
This Is Us stole our hearts, and now the cast tells EW what they’re hoping to steal—
or, um, liberate—from the set to commemorate their time on the show.
By Carolyn Hinsey and Keith Murphy
“I’m planning to “I’M TAKING

take the most
expensive thing RANDALL’S CAR.
that is able to be [LAUGHS] THAT
put into a car. CAR MIGHT GO
[Laughs] So what-
ever that thing MISSING. THAT’S
is, I’m planning it A NICE CAR.
smart. I know
everyone else is
OR MAYBE I’LL
going to go for TAKE HOME
nostalgia. But I’m
“I’m definitely stealing the MY TRAILER.”
going to see what’s
worth the most.” moon necklace. I would love —Justin Hartley
—Susan Kelechi Watson to take both wedding rings,

Miguel’s and Jack’s, [and] some
set decorations like pictures of
Milo and me with the kids when
they were super little. I want the
things that are sentimental to
my character and special to me
that nobody else really wants.”
—Mandy Moore
“The watch I
wore as Mustache
Jack, which was
my own personal
watch. I wore
that particular
SEIKO WATCH
“I HAVE ASKED THE TRANSPORTATION DEPART- because that was
MENT IF I CAN PURCHASE THE WAGONEER. the kind of watch
I THINK I’VE GOT FIRST DIBS ON THAT UNLESS my dad wore when
ONE OF THE EXECS WANTS IT.” he was in Vietnam.”
—Chris Sullivan —Milo Ventimiglia
This Is Us: The End of an Era
EW Exclusive: The cast and creators of the history-making TV family share behind-the-scenes
intel, answer burning questions and cry along with fans as the Pearsons say goodbye

EW The Ultimate Guide To This Is Us 2022

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

EW The Ultimate Guide To This Is Us 2022

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO

They’re All Related and Have the Same

Kevin Always Loved Sophie

That’s Grown-Up Tess!

That’s Kate and Toby’s Daughter!

Kevin and Madison

Laurel Didn’t Die That Day

Kate Had an Abortion

Madison Dumps Kevin

Miguel Moved to Houston

I N 2016 S I N G E R M A N DY M O O R E WA S ST RU G G L I N G TO BO U N C E BAC K ON HOW THEY’RE FEELING

I remember walking into my Pearsons five to 10 years down

THERE’S A MOMENT IN THE FINAL SEASON OF THIS IS US THAT ENCAPSULATES

What can you say about

What was your favorite scene?

The chemistry between you,

You majored in theater at

What did you think of Nicky

Is that the most shocking scene

We first met the teenage washing machine episode, to the

“ To even be I could. That was some of the first

“I’m so proud of the growth all

44. Kevin starts filming 50. Toby collapses in

62. The Big Three turn 40

Speaking of your cast, Sterling

“I found my voice in my late

Behind the Scenes

← And . . . We’re Rolling . . .

→ William Times Two

↓ The Manny Gets Meta

← Dance Like No One

↓ Three Little Words

↑ Masks Up, Shields

← Listen to Your Mother!

→ All for One

↓ Behind the Lens

REPORTING BY CAROLYN HINSEY

ON FILMING THE LAST as we went into hiatus after the

R E B E C CA’S T I M E J U M P The first key to suc-

The Old and

When This Is Us finally sequence “was a really big deal

BEHIND THE SCENES

1. What happened to the terri- says Pavonetti. “I walked in like,

Ask composer Siddhartha Khosla to describe the vibe of the

“Death With Dignity” show we were going to see was in

the series. “It was such a funny,

“We Can Always Come

MEREDITH PREMIUM PUBLISHING

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Kostya Kennedy

Copyright ©2022 Meredith Operations Corporation

CREDITS Pg 42 Joe Pugliese/NBC

“I’m planning to “I’M TAKING

—Susan Kelechi Watson to take both wedding rings,

You might also like