Image Source: Getty / Ron Batzdorff / NBCU Photo Bank / NBCUniversal
I remember my mom begging me to watch "This Is Us" back when it first hit the air in 2016, and as soon as I tuned in, I became forever intertwined with the story of the Pearson family. Part of what makes this show so heartwarmingly unique is the family's diversity and the wide range of challenges the characters endure throughout the series. It provides a viewing experience where anyone and everyone watching can find a character to relate to in one way or another. The show's wholesome nature and endless parallels between the Pearsons' story and any family were what made it so special. After six years of captivating hearts nationwide, the emotional series finale of "This Is Us" aired on May 24 and left me with a reminder of exactly why I connected so deeply with this make-believe family from the very beginning.
I remember my mom begging me to watch "This Is Us" back when it first hit the air in 2016, and as soon as I tuned in, I became forever intertwined with the story of the Pearson family. Part of what makes this show so heartwarmingly unique is the family's diversity and the wide range of challenges the characters endure throughout the series. It provides a viewing experience where anyone and everyone watching can find a character to relate to in one way or another. The show's wholesome nature and endless parallels between the Pearsons' story and any family were what made it so special. After six years of captivating hearts nationwide, the emotional series finale of "This Is Us" aired on May 24 and left me with a reminder of exactly why I connected so deeply with this make-believe family from the very beginning.
- 6/3/2022
- by Jada Welch Olson
- Popsugar.com
It’s been 15 years since one of the big four broadcast networks won Best Drama Series at the Emmys, which means babies born that year are now almost legal to drive. Does that make you feel old? Action drama “24” was the last such series to prevail in 2006, but now NBC’s “This Is Us” is hoping to take up the mantle for all broadcasters and claim gold when the 2021 Emmy Awards are handed in September. Its rival nominees for Best Drama Series are “The Boys,” “Bridgerton,” “The Crown,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Lovecraft Country,” “The Mandalorian” and “Pose.”
SEENo broadcast shutout this year as ‘This Is Us’ returns to the Best Drama Series Emmy lineup
Now having completed five seasons, “This Is Us” has contended for the top prize every year except for 2020. And it’s taken home four Emmys through the years, all for acting: Ron Cephas Jones in...
SEENo broadcast shutout this year as ‘This Is Us’ returns to the Best Drama Series Emmy lineup
Now having completed five seasons, “This Is Us” has contended for the top prize every year except for 2020. And it’s taken home four Emmys through the years, all for acting: Ron Cephas Jones in...
- 7/27/2021
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Through the years, “This Is Us” has welcomed countless big-name guest stars to its ever-growing family, with a whopping six being nominated at the Emmys: Ron Cephas Jones, Gerald McRaney, Brian Tyree Henry, Denis O’Hare, Michael Angarano and Phylicia Rashad. Jones and McRaney are the only two guest stars to take home trophies, but now Angarano is hoping to follow in their Emmy-winning footsteps.
Angarano first joined NBC’s family drama in 2018 as Nick Pearson, the estranged brother of Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia). In flashbacks we see Nick’s early life with Jack and their service in Vietnam, while in the present-day story he’s known as Uncle Nicky (Griffin Dunne) and lives a mostly solitary life in his trailer. In the most recent fifth season, Angarano returned in the “One Small Step” episode in which fans saw Nick fall in love for the first time with his co-worker Sally at the animal clinic.
Angarano first joined NBC’s family drama in 2018 as Nick Pearson, the estranged brother of Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia). In flashbacks we see Nick’s early life with Jack and their service in Vietnam, while in the present-day story he’s known as Uncle Nicky (Griffin Dunne) and lives a mostly solitary life in his trailer. In the most recent fifth season, Angarano returned in the “One Small Step” episode in which fans saw Nick fall in love for the first time with his co-worker Sally at the animal clinic.
- 7/7/2021
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
“This Is Us” has one of the biggest and most diverse casts on all of television, and now 17 of them are eligible for consideration at the upcoming 2021 Emmys.
Season 5 of NBC’s family drama wrapped up in May, with the three Pearson kids gathering for Kevin’s wedding to Madison (Caitlin Thompson). A flash-forward twist then revealed that Kate and Toby (Chris Sullivan) are no longer married, setting the stage for an epic sixth and final season full of Omg and Wtf moments.
SEEMilo Ventimiglia (‘This is Us’) on Jack ‘opening up’ about his father and directing ‘Jerry 2.0’ episode
Brown is the only main cast member to win an Emmy for his role, prevailing for Best Drama Actor in 2017. This year, he’s earning major awards buzz thanks to the heralded “Birth Mother” episode, in which Randall finally learns the truth about Laurel, played by Jennifer C. Holmes and Calah Lane...
Season 5 of NBC’s family drama wrapped up in May, with the three Pearson kids gathering for Kevin’s wedding to Madison (Caitlin Thompson). A flash-forward twist then revealed that Kate and Toby (Chris Sullivan) are no longer married, setting the stage for an epic sixth and final season full of Omg and Wtf moments.
SEEMilo Ventimiglia (‘This is Us’) on Jack ‘opening up’ about his father and directing ‘Jerry 2.0’ episode
Brown is the only main cast member to win an Emmy for his role, prevailing for Best Drama Actor in 2017. This year, he’s earning major awards buzz thanks to the heralded “Birth Mother” episode, in which Randall finally learns the truth about Laurel, played by Jennifer C. Holmes and Calah Lane...
- 7/4/2021
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
In the first season of This Is Us, Sterling K. Brown’s Randall Pearson went on a road trip with his newly discovered birth father, William (Ron Cephas Jones), to learn more about his roots. The episode, “Memphis,” won Brown his first lead actor Emmy. In the seasons since, Randall has struggled with his identity as a father, as a son and as a Black man raised in a white family. But he was always missing a piece of the puzzle: What about his birth mother, Laurel (Jennifer C. Holmes), whom he thought died during his childbirth?
He finally got ...
He finally got ...
- 6/10/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
In the first season of This Is Us, Sterling K. Brown’s Randall Pearson went on a road trip with his newly discovered birth father, William (Ron Cephas Jones), to learn more about his roots. The episode, “Memphis,” won Brown his first lead actor Emmy. In the seasons since, Randall has struggled with his identity as a father, as a son and as a Black man raised in a white family. But he was always missing a piece of the puzzle: What about his birth mother, Laurel (Jennifer C. Holmes), whom he thought died during his childbirth?
He finally got ...
He finally got ...
- 6/10/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When the 2021 Emmys nominations are announced on July 13, don’t be surprised when Sterling K. Brown receives his fifth consecutive bid for “This Is Us” (and his eighth overall). Brown has been an Emmy magnet ever since he broke onto the awards scene with 2016’s limited series “The People v. O.J. Simpson.” He won that supporting race, then took home a lead Emmy the following year for playing Randall Pearson on NBC’s family drama. Skb earned two additional bids for his comedy stylings in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”. It was recently announced that “This Is Us” is ending in 2022 with Season 6.
SEEGood news, ‘Ted Lasso’: Emmys love first-year comedies
Brown has been earning major awards buzz thanks to “This Is Us'” heralded “Birth Mother” episode, which aired January 12 as a part of the current Covid-19-impacted fifth season. Written by Eboni Freeman & Kay Oyegun and directed by Oyegun,...
SEEGood news, ‘Ted Lasso’: Emmys love first-year comedies
Brown has been earning major awards buzz thanks to “This Is Us'” heralded “Birth Mother” episode, which aired January 12 as a part of the current Covid-19-impacted fifth season. Written by Eboni Freeman & Kay Oyegun and directed by Oyegun,...
- 5/14/2021
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
The next episode of “This Is Us,” which was originally scheduled to air Jan. 19 and then pushed to Feb. 2 due to coronavirus-related production delays, has been rescheduled again, TheWrap has learned.
Episode 507, titled “There,” which is the seventh episode of the NBC drama’s fifth season, will now air next Tuesday, Feb. 9. A rerun of “This Is Us” will play tomorrow night in its 9 p.m. time slot.
“No new episode of #ThisIsUs tonight – Covid-related production delays in LA have forced us to delay a few weeks,” series creator Dan Fogelman tweeted Jan. 19, when announcing the initial delay. “But the next few are big ones, and we are close, so we hope you’ll hang in there with us. Sorry!”
“This Is Us” studio 20th Television is one of multiple studios that extended its holiday production hiatuses on Los Angeles-based shows in early January amid spikes in coronavirus cases. “This Is Us...
Episode 507, titled “There,” which is the seventh episode of the NBC drama’s fifth season, will now air next Tuesday, Feb. 9. A rerun of “This Is Us” will play tomorrow night in its 9 p.m. time slot.
“No new episode of #ThisIsUs tonight – Covid-related production delays in LA have forced us to delay a few weeks,” series creator Dan Fogelman tweeted Jan. 19, when announcing the initial delay. “But the next few are big ones, and we are close, so we hope you’ll hang in there with us. Sorry!”
“This Is Us” studio 20th Television is one of multiple studios that extended its holiday production hiatuses on Los Angeles-based shows in early January amid spikes in coronavirus cases. “This Is Us...
- 2/1/2021
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
When making your Screen Actors Guild Awards predictions at Gold Derby, there’s always one thing to keep in mind: these voters love what they love. Sterling K. Brown definitely fits that bill — he’s never missed out on a Best TV Drama Actor nomination for “This Is Us,” and he’ll most likely be recognized again for the current fifth season of NBC’s hit family drama. As if there was ever any doubt, Skb’s performance in the heralded “Birth Mother” episode brought him squarely back into the awards conversation at the perfect time, right as guild voters are preparing to mark their 2021 ballots.
SEEHow ‘This Is Us’ can pull off a big SAG Awards comeback
Written by Eboni Freeman & Kay Oyegun and directed by Oyegun, the episode aired January 12 on NBC. It was a culmination of an entire season’s worth of set-up, as Randall (Brown) finally...
SEEHow ‘This Is Us’ can pull off a big SAG Awards comeback
Written by Eboni Freeman & Kay Oyegun and directed by Oyegun, the episode aired January 12 on NBC. It was a culmination of an entire season’s worth of set-up, as Randall (Brown) finally...
- 1/21/2021
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Tonight’s “This Is Us” has been pushed due to “Covid-related production delays,” according to series creator Dan Fogelman.
“No new episode of #ThisIsUs tonight – Covid-related production delays in LA have forced us to delay a few weeks,” Fogelman tweeted Tuesday. “But the next few are big ones, and we are close, so we hope you’ll hang in there with us. Sorry!”
Tuesday’s episode of “This Is Us,” which is the seventh of Season 5 and was scheduled for 9 p.m. tonight, is now expected to air Feb. 2.
Representatives for NBC and “This Is Us” studio 20th Television declined TheWrap’s request for comment.
20th Television is one of multiple studios that extended its holiday production hiatuses on Los Angeles-based shows earlier this month amid spikes in coronavirus cases.”This Is Us” was one of the series affected by the studio’s expanded hiatus, and its broadcast schedule has been affected as a result.
“No new episode of #ThisIsUs tonight – Covid-related production delays in LA have forced us to delay a few weeks,” Fogelman tweeted Tuesday. “But the next few are big ones, and we are close, so we hope you’ll hang in there with us. Sorry!”
Tuesday’s episode of “This Is Us,” which is the seventh of Season 5 and was scheduled for 9 p.m. tonight, is now expected to air Feb. 2.
Representatives for NBC and “This Is Us” studio 20th Television declined TheWrap’s request for comment.
20th Television is one of multiple studios that extended its holiday production hiatuses on Los Angeles-based shows earlier this month amid spikes in coronavirus cases.”This Is Us” was one of the series affected by the studio’s expanded hiatus, and its broadcast schedule has been affected as a result.
- 1/19/2021
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
Jennifer C. Holmes may not be a name or face you’re familiar with just yet, but after her recent performance in the hit show This Is Us, there are lots of people who want to see more of her. Jennifer’s portrayal of Randall’s birth mother, Laurel, was beautiful and heartbreaking all rolled into one. Through the role, she was able to provide Randall and viewers with the backstory they’ve been looking for. Jennifer doesn’t have any new projects in the works at the moment, but hopefully that won’t be the case for much longer. Additionally, there’s always a chance she
10 Things You Didn’t Know about Jennifer C. Holmes...
10 Things You Didn’t Know about Jennifer C. Holmes...
- 1/16/2021
- by Camille Moore
- TVovermind.com
If you don't know Jennifer C. Holmes's name, you will very soon. During season five of This Is Us, the actress appears as Randall's birth mother Laurel, and her performance is blowing away audiences. In the Jan. 12 episode, Holmes really shines on screen as we learn even more about Laurel's life and story. While This Is Us isn't Holmes's first acting gig - she previously appeared on shows like The Bold and the Beautiful and CSI: Miami - it's sure to become her breakout role.
Just as she's winning fans over with her performance, it appears she made a similar impact on the show's writers. During the episode, creator Dan Fogelman gave fans a little backstory on how Laurel's big story arc came to be. "About this time last year, the @ThisIsUsWriters started discussing an episode focusing on Randall's birth mother. It was something we had contemplated before, but...
Just as she's winning fans over with her performance, it appears she made a similar impact on the show's writers. During the episode, creator Dan Fogelman gave fans a little backstory on how Laurel's big story arc came to be. "About this time last year, the @ThisIsUsWriters started discussing an episode focusing on Randall's birth mother. It was something we had contemplated before, but...
- 1/13/2021
- by Kelsie Gibson
- Popsugar.com
(Warning: This post contains spoilers for Tuesday’s “This Is Us.”)
After hearing the life story of his birth mother, Laurel Dubois, on tonight’s episode of “This Is Us,” Randall Pearson (Sterling K. Brown) had a cathartic experience screaming in the middle of a lake in New Orleans — something fans had just learned Laurel herself did when she was overcome with emotion. And during Randall’s very loud night swimming session, he came face to face with his biological mother in a scene Brown thinks wasn’t just in Randall’s mind — or absinthe-induced, even though Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) kept joking about the alcohol all day — but an actual spiritual moment.
“I choose to see it as a miracle,” Brown told TheWrap. “In a line that got cut, Hai [played by Vien Hong] asks Randall if he’s a spiritual person. And Randall says, ‘If I can’t see it,...
After hearing the life story of his birth mother, Laurel Dubois, on tonight’s episode of “This Is Us,” Randall Pearson (Sterling K. Brown) had a cathartic experience screaming in the middle of a lake in New Orleans — something fans had just learned Laurel herself did when she was overcome with emotion. And during Randall’s very loud night swimming session, he came face to face with his biological mother in a scene Brown thinks wasn’t just in Randall’s mind — or absinthe-induced, even though Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) kept joking about the alcohol all day — but an actual spiritual moment.
“I choose to see it as a miracle,” Brown told TheWrap. “In a line that got cut, Hai [played by Vien Hong] asks Randall if he’s a spiritual person. And Randall says, ‘If I can’t see it,...
- 1/13/2021
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
(Warning: This post contains spoilers for Tuesday’s “This Is Us.”)
If there is one thing Randall Pearson knows with complete certainty after Tuesday night’s episode of “This Is Us” it’s that his biological mother, Laurel Dubois, loved him. And though Randall (Sterling K. Brown) was only able to hear of his late birth mother’s love through the words of her dear friend and partner, Hai (played by Vien Hong), fans actually saw through flashbacks just how heartbreaking it was for Laurel to be unable to ever see her son again due to everything that happened after she made one terrible decision.
And Jennifer C. Holmes, who plays young Laurel, hopes that now that viewers know Laurel’s backstory, they can understand why Randall’s mother couldn’t find him or his father William after miraculously coming back to life following her post-labor overdose on heroin in the Season 5 premiere.
If there is one thing Randall Pearson knows with complete certainty after Tuesday night’s episode of “This Is Us” it’s that his biological mother, Laurel Dubois, loved him. And though Randall (Sterling K. Brown) was only able to hear of his late birth mother’s love through the words of her dear friend and partner, Hai (played by Vien Hong), fans actually saw through flashbacks just how heartbreaking it was for Laurel to be unable to ever see her son again due to everything that happened after she made one terrible decision.
And Jennifer C. Holmes, who plays young Laurel, hopes that now that viewers know Laurel’s backstory, they can understand why Randall’s mother couldn’t find him or his father William after miraculously coming back to life following her post-labor overdose on heroin in the Season 5 premiere.
- 1/13/2021
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
This Is Us is known for its surprising twists, but few compare to the twist about Randall's birth mother Laurel, played by actress Jennifer C. Holmes. While we were originally led to believe that she died of a drug overdose shortly after Randall was born, the season five premiere reveals that she actually survived.
During the premiere, we learn a little bit more about Randall's backstory before he gets adopted by Jack and Rebecca. In the episode, we see William and Laurel meet, fall in love, and eventually plan their lives together when they find out that they are expecting. Both recovering addicts, the two bond over the hope of creating a better life for their son. However, when Laurel gives birth in their home, she has a relapse and takes heroin to cope with the pain of childbirth. When she is unresponsive, William calls for help.
In a heartbreaking scene,...
During the premiere, we learn a little bit more about Randall's backstory before he gets adopted by Jack and Rebecca. In the episode, we see William and Laurel meet, fall in love, and eventually plan their lives together when they find out that they are expecting. Both recovering addicts, the two bond over the hope of creating a better life for their son. However, when Laurel gives birth in their home, she has a relapse and takes heroin to cope with the pain of childbirth. When she is unresponsive, William calls for help.
In a heartbreaking scene,...
- 1/6/2021
- by Kelsie Gibson
- Popsugar.com
Spoiler Alert: This story includes details about “Honestly”, Season 5, Episode 4 of NBC’s This Is Us.
Tuesday night’s episode “Honestly” may have been your last dose of This Is Us until the new year, but it certainly served up enough Pearson family revelations to keep us going during the break.
Amid the backdrop of a young Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore)’s clashing parenting styles, we learned more about the evolution of Kevin (Justin Hartley)’s issues, which loomed larger than ever in the present day as he battled criticism at work. Meanwhile, adult Randall (Sterling K. Brown) gave Deja (Lyric Ross)’s keen but exhausted boyfriend Malik (Asante Blackk) a shot at shadowing him at work for the day—what could possibly go wrong? And Kate (Chrissy Metz) unexpectedly revealed a long-buried secret.
Tuesday night’s episode “Honestly” may have been your last dose of This Is Us until the new year, but it certainly served up enough Pearson family revelations to keep us going during the break.
Amid the backdrop of a young Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore)’s clashing parenting styles, we learned more about the evolution of Kevin (Justin Hartley)’s issues, which loomed larger than ever in the present day as he battled criticism at work. Meanwhile, adult Randall (Sterling K. Brown) gave Deja (Lyric Ross)’s keen but exhausted boyfriend Malik (Asante Blackk) a shot at shadowing him at work for the day—what could possibly go wrong? And Kate (Chrissy Metz) unexpectedly revealed a long-buried secret.
- 11/18/2020
- by Antonia Blyth
- Deadline Film + TV
The following contains the very biggest spoiler from the Oct. 27 season premiere of NBC’s This Is Us.
At the very close of its Season 5 premiere, NBC’s This Is Us uncorked the mother of all twists, by revealing that Randall’s birth mother did not die 40 years ago, shortly after childbirth — though his father William had split from the scene believing full well she did.
More from TVLineThis Is Us EP: Answers About That Randall-Related Reveal Come QuicklyQuotes of the Week From This Is Us and MoreThe Voice Recap: Which Nine -- Well, Technically, 11 -- Singers Became the Last...
At the very close of its Season 5 premiere, NBC’s This Is Us uncorked the mother of all twists, by revealing that Randall’s birth mother did not die 40 years ago, shortly after childbirth — though his father William had split from the scene believing full well she did.
More from TVLineThis Is Us EP: Answers About That Randall-Related Reveal Come QuicklyQuotes of the Week From This Is Us and MoreThe Voice Recap: Which Nine -- Well, Technically, 11 -- Singers Became the Last...
- 11/2/2020
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
(Warning: This post contains major spoilers for Tuesday’s Season 5 premiere of “This Is Us.”)
The Big Three experienced a lot of big moments on the Season 5 premiere of “This Is Us,” but by far the biggest was a shocking scene that didn’t involve any member of the Pearson family: The reveal that Randall’s mother, Laurel (played by Jennifer C. Holmes) did not die in child birth, something Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and fans have believed to be true since the series began.
The two-hour episode saw Randall’s father, William (Jermel Nakia), calling paramedics for help, believing Laurel had died from a drug overdose after the former addict requested he get her heroin for the pain she experienced while giving birth at home. He awoke hours later to find her unresponsive and after the first-responders arrived and were calling her death, Randall’s father William hurried the...
The Big Three experienced a lot of big moments on the Season 5 premiere of “This Is Us,” but by far the biggest was a shocking scene that didn’t involve any member of the Pearson family: The reveal that Randall’s mother, Laurel (played by Jennifer C. Holmes) did not die in child birth, something Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and fans have believed to be true since the series began.
The two-hour episode saw Randall’s father, William (Jermel Nakia), calling paramedics for help, believing Laurel had died from a drug overdose after the former addict requested he get her heroin for the pain she experienced while giving birth at home. He awoke hours later to find her unresponsive and after the first-responders arrived and were calling her death, Randall’s father William hurried the...
- 10/28/2020
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
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