Welcome to that was us. Today we will be discussing season one, episode one. Our pilot, Rebecca, goes into early labor. Randall finds his biological father, Kevin faces a personal and professional crisis. And Kate finds herself at a low point.

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Wow. 2016 I just got a little tingly. September 20 September 20, 2016 so let me say, first of all, fam.

Here we are.

How exciting is this?

Here we are.

That was us.

That was us. And we are here. And what a joy it is to be with you all, truly.

Likewise, truly. Yeah.

I want to say Chris was sort of like the dude who started this off in terms of wanting to do the podcast. So, sully, Matt, kudos to you all of this.

Thank you for agreeing to come and do it.

All you have to do is say yes. If they build it, they will come. I remember sitting in the table read and us all meeting each other for the first time. I was in a room with Mandy Moore. I'm like, omg. Omg. Yg. This is crazy. Big crush on Mandy Moore for a long time now. She my mama. But we were all sitting around and getting to the. And the vibe was just really excited. We were all at a particular age and had been in this career for a certain amount of time, that there was a level of appreciation for being there and the level of writing that we knew we had in front of us. You never know if it's gonna catch on with the zeitgeist or what have you, but it was like, this was a damn good podcast.

Every single person at that table, when they read that episode of television was like, this is the best episode of television I've ever read.

Yes. Yeah.

Hands down. Then we read it, and I was like, oh, everybody's really good.

You felt that table reads are always, like, a really tricky thing for me.

Really?

Because I think in this particular case, everybody brought their a game, but that's not always the case. Right? Like, haven't you been in situations where sometimes actors aren't able to be there and someone's, like, stepping in for them? And so it's like. It's a weird level of people that are trying. Trying too hard, not trying enough that, like, it's hard sometimes to gage if it works.

This was my first table read.

What?

Like, ever?

Ever?

No.

Wow.

What?

So I came in way too casual because I didn't understand the gravity of the situation. Like. Like, I didn't realize people got fired from table reading.

It's not the same thing as a comedy table read.

Okay, fair enough.

They get fired.

Really?

Yeah.

Because if you're not getting laughed, the joke's not popping.

They'll be like, yeah, but everybody.

Everybody felt so light, felt excited, felt confident. The relationships just clicked right away. I sat down next to Chrissy, and I was like, oh, okay.

Yeah, all right.

We speak the same language. You and.

You and sue and I went to grad school together at NYU. I was a couple years ahead of her at NYU, but we knew each other, sort of approached the work. The same way. And we're just excited to get a chance to play with each other.

I love that.

It's kind of awesome.

How many table reads had you done before that?

I mean, for different, like, pilots and projects and stuff like that. I mean, a decent amount. Enough to know, like, what are we supposed to bring to this? I mean, I figured because this was at NBC, it felt a little bit more official, and everyone was so sort of excited. The energy felt. It was palpable that I was like, okay, I think everyone's here to, like, do the work. And the script was just so extraordinary, but that's just not always. And, you know, quickly with our show, once it did get picked up, remember, we stopped doing table reads. There just wasn't enough time in the.

We did five table reads total.

You're right. After that fifth episode, then they were done, like, on the.

But after the fifth one, we're like, we are.

We know what we're doing.

We didn't have to prove anything to anybody anymore.

Yeah, it felt solid.

But how was the process? But the process of getting to the table read was very different.

Yeah. I want to hear each of your stories, how you got.

All right, I'll tell you. I was doing OJ.

Yep.

At the time. So I had an end with 20th century, the studio behind this is us. And I had done a movie with Glenn and John, our directors of the pilot. I did a movie called Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, starring Tina Fey. And so they knew me from that movie, and the studio knew me from people versus OJ. And I brought this football because I went into a meeting with Dan, and I just brought my football with me. I used to have it with me all the time. It's kind of like Linus. It's like Linus in his blanket, right? So I'm just carrying the football around. I was telling Dan how much I love crazy, stupid love, which I really, really do. And my wife and I would reference this movie all the time. So we had the meeting come in and say, like, I really enjoy your work, dude. This pilot is pretty awesome. And said, great, we'll have you come in a couple of weeks and read and da da da. So I had to do coming to see William.

Oh, wow.

That was the scene. And I think I also had to do Beth and Randall at the soccer game. Right. So do those two scenes. And I felt good because it was the first time that I got a chance to come into a room where I knew the studio was sort of a fan of mine, and the directors of the pilot were sort of a fan of mine, so I felt a friendly room. A friendly room, right? Like that thing that you search for your whole career, and you wonder, like, how does somebody get buzz? I felt like, oh, I got a little. I got a little buzz, right? So I came in, felt good about the scenes, and that's how I came to it. Who's next? Go.

I read the script and was like, yes, let me audition for this. And I think I was one of the first women because the feedback was. And it was just, like, at the studio, it wasn't with the directors or with Dan or anything, and it was very, like, they really liked it. And, you know, we're gonna read a bunch of girls in, like, New York and Chicago, and we'll come back to you. And as an actor, that's usually your indication of, like, let me wash my hands. See you later, and forget about it.

Okay. Thank you.

So, like, six weeks later, I got word that I had made it to, like, the final cut, and they were gonna bring a handful of women and a handful of men in to do, like, chemistry reads with Dan, with the directors. And six weeks, it was a long time. So much so that I was like, oh, that's.

I want to make that clear to everybody. Like, you'd normally hear things a little.

Bit quicker than that, I guess, because I was at the beginning of the process, and then they had to fan out and read a bunch of people. So there were three women and three men, and they were going to be mixing and matching during this chemistry read, and I had gone in and heard that Milo was the top choice. He was the candidate everyone was gunning for. And so one woman went in before me, and I think she read with each different guy. And then I was called in. Cause I guess I'd gone to the bathroom. I was supposed to be first or something.

That's a power move right there. You're supposed to be first, and then.

You'Re gonna want to go, I'll be back.

So they had me go in and only read with Milo, and I was like, maybe this is a good thing. We had to read the birthday scene with the cupcake, which, you know, is a little strange to just jump into, like, meeting a stranger and having them, like, nuzzle your neck. And then I had to do a scene by myself, which Dan wrote that ended up being in the second episode, the monolog about parenting. And Rebecca asked, wait, Jackson, wait until.

We get to episode.

What kind of, like, what kind of. How well do you think we're doing. So I did a whole. I had to do that whole monolog, too, by myself. But, yeah, it all ended up working out okay.

That's incredible.

Sulioni, what you got, bruh?

Again, I had had very little television experience, so I came at the whole thing far too casual. I was in Los Angeles filming a small part in a movie.

Okay.

And my agents sent me a thing that was like, they want you to put yourself on tape for this untitled Dan Fogelman project.

Yeah.

Now, whenever there's an untitled with a name attached, I knew that was something like, that's not nothing. I don't research that.

Okay.

Cause right away, I was like, I don't need to know who that is. So catchy. Not because he's unimportant, but because he's too important.

Understood. Okay.

And I don't need that. When I'm reading these scenes, if I need it for the audition, like, to inform myself of the style, or, like, then I'm like, okay, a little more research. But I left myself in the dark, and I said, where are they doing these auditions? Like, in LA. And I'm like, I'm in LA right now. And they said, oh, well, Ken, when are you leaving? I said, I'm going to the airport tomorrow at noon. I said, well, do you want to go by Fox on your way to the airport? And I was like. And I was like, sure, sure. And I had two scenes, and I prepped them that night and rolled up in an Uber on my way to the airport with my luggage. Yeah, I took my luggage to my audition.

It's such a baller move.

Toby move. Kind of 100% a Toby move. Like, is this where I audition for the network hit drama and didn't know anyone in the room? Did the scenes and got some laughs and went home. And no chemistry reads for me. No. Like, two weeks later. Like, you got it. I was like, oh, cool. I was like, this network tv stuff is easy.

Tell them this, though, right? It wasn't for series regular.

It was complicated because at the time, a tv show that I was on called the Nick had not officially been canceled yet.

Gotcha.

So, technically, they couldn't hire me as a series regular, so I was only contracted to the show for one season.

Got it.

Instead of the six or seven that everybody else had been contracted for.

Doing a little Soderbergh on the side. I understand.

Right. But also, like, we should talk to. We'll talk to Dan about this later, because I need confirmation about whether or not Toby was actually meant to stick around for as long as he did.

He was not.

He was not.

That's what I heard. He was not.

No, he was not.

You just. You're too damn lovable and good, Chris.

You so. Okay, so before we jump in, I want to say that I been rewatching the show in anticipation of our rewatch podcast. Cause that's what you're supposed to do. You all are extraordinary. We'll get to more specific things as we move through. But, like, my God, I am just so gobsmacked of the level of talent that we had on this dead gum show. And sometimes when it's happening and people come up to you like, oh, my God, I love this show. You're like, oh, thanks. With a little bit of space and coming back to it again, I loved it. Then I made love it more. Now.

I'm a huge fan.

I really may, because there's a certain level of objectivity that is hard to have when you're in the midst. Right? Then I pull it back, and I think I did a good job of just watching the show as a spectator. I'm not too hard on myself. And usually my point of focus is everybody else. I don't like to be all up in my own grill, but you guys are killers.

You're the sweetest.

And we're gonna get specific.

We gonna know. Watch it. Watch it. Remember, do you remember when we had a secret?

Yes, I do.

Yes.

We, as a cast, as a production, had a secret.

We did.

And it was this pilot episode.

Yes.

Of like.

And then it was the reveal. Jack.

Yeah, then it was Jack. And they kept.

And then how Jack died. Yes. Yes, it kept. It felt weirdly, like lost or something, where we had all of these weird. And I was like, that's not what this show is. But, yes, it was, because I was.

Watching this first episode.

Yeah.

And I forgot we had a secret.

And that we had to try to talk about this show without revealing what it really was.

I forgot the reveal was coming.

You did, like, ish.

Like, I was watching your story.

Right.

And when you give that monolog to William, I was like, oh, this is serious. This show is bringing serious. It's fucking bringing.

Yeah.

And then just to watch. And we'll get into it in the episodes coming. But to watch your character quickly, like, without over explaining it to the. To the audience by making you the center of this story, it was. It was just. I was in tears. I was in tears watching the pilot.

Yeah, me too.

Every time that song starts.

Who knows the song?

It's it's because he echoes it back.

At the end of the.

Watch me.

It's beautiful. Like, hits. First of all, it's. The song starts. Milo's booty comes on, right? Like, that's the. That's the first. Is that, like, what you see the boss?

No, you're. Oh, no, you're talking about the opening. Opening of the show. And that is the Sofia and Stevens song, which is incredible.

Okay, that's incredible.

I was talking about the reveal. I'm talking about the reveal at the end of the episode.

Yeah, I hear you.

Cause when that starts. Yeah, and you start. You finally start pulling back and seeing people.

Everybody's wearing seventies gear, etcetera.

When I watched it again for the first time in years, you get this flush over you of, like, oh, my God.

He lays it out, this guy Fogelman, and we'll have him. We'll get a chance to talk to him in person soon. But, like, the opening shot is, like, the box that says 1979.

Mm hmm.

And you don't even think anything mother.

Thing about it, right. It's just like, oh, yeah, they got.

Some old stuff, old boxes, old family era living.

My man's got a terrible towel.

He gives you the answer right there.

Right in the first shot, you know?

Yeah, genius.

It's friggin fantastic, man. And for me, it's in the fire. Like, it's the song, but it's also. The fireman handed him the cigarettes. I was like, yes, you in a hospital, sir, don't leave. Why are you smoking in this hospital? And then he pulls back, and everybody's got, like, butterfly collars and everything. I'm like. Like, the way that. That hit, because we kept it for such a long time. We were tweeting. That's what it was called at the time. I don't know if it's x ing now, but, like. And when people started to see that, they were like, are you blanking? Kidding me?

Yeah.

Like, you guys did that? Yeah, it was because the show was good. Like, the stories were good, the characters were good, but then you added that to it.

That element, that connection between everybody. Sure, I know.

I was. Randall's talking to William, and he's saying, yes, these are your parents, right? They're my adoptive parents. They're my parents. Right. They raised me since a firemen dropped me off, and they said it was meant to be, et cetera. And then you cut to the fireman talking to Jack. And, like, I'm wondering, like, different people start probably put it together at different moments. But by the time it was all over, they're like, I'll be doggone. Except for my mother, who said, wait, they're related. I was like, mommy, you better quit folding your laundry while you watch my show.

Yeah. Yeah, mom.

There were a few episodes where if you weren't paying attention, you would lose the whole plot.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

The show. The thing that I was so impressed with is that Dan, and obviously, I don't need to explain what an amazing writer Dan is, but, like, you find out who these characters are so quickly.

Yeah.

Because they show you who they are.

Yeah.

You don't have to tell the audience anything. You have to talk down to the audience. You don't have to over explain anything. They instantly show you.

Sure.

And it was just. It's something that I think I talked about a lot when we were doing press for the show and is kind of the reason why an audience, I think, ends up sticking with us for so long when the show can be really hard for them, like, really emotional for them, is that Dan and the writers had so much respect and care for the audience immediately. Immediately, yes. You knew that this was gonna be hard.

Yeah.

But that you were gonna be okay because the show was gonna take care of you. These people were gonna take care of you. Not only because the writers were very conscientious about creating the story, but because the characters within the story are taking such good care of each other.

Yes, that is very true. Yeah, that's a good.

It's really astounding because, like, we did, you've met fans that, like, had to bail after a certain amount of time because it was like, it's too much.

Yep.

I'm not ready to go through this.

Sure.

You can't make me, and that's totally understandable.

Very.

But, yeah, I was just. I was so struck by all of that, like, how gentle and how. But also how fierce that first episode of tv is.

I want to go with. So I'm gonna talk you guys through some of my things that I was watching for as I went. Milo's butt was the first one I was impressed with the squats. My man kept it high and tight.

Yeah.

Posterior chain was lit, as they say. Shout out to Gerald McCraney. Gerald McCraney plays Doctor K. And he bodies that pilot.

He really does.

He is so charming and so, you know, he uses the term folksy or whatever you call me. Doctor K. Whatnot. To be able to put a mother of triplets at ease when her normal doctors unavailable. Here's something for you. Let me jump to this. You have two children.

Yeah.

You didn't have any children when you shot this picture.

Yeah.

What's it like, the actual experience.

Yeah.

Versus how you thought, the way you played it.

Like, it's interesting because watching it back, I'm like, okay, that feels somewhat realistic for labor. I mean, you know, this is a network television show. You're not gonna show all of the, like, can't show it all, you know, nitty gritty of, you know, being on all fours, roaring like a tiger.

Yes, ma'am.

Yeah.

Or whatever. There will be a segment on this.

Podcast where we do that.

Little ayahuasca. Yeah, let's do it.

But I was. I was some. I'm sure as the show, as we delve deeper, having, you know, somewhat more of a point of view, being a parent now will sort of inform. I'll be able to look at some of what I've done and really shake my head about it. But so far, these first few episodes, I'm like, okay, okay, you're in the pocket. I guessed somewhat appropriately and accurately. I did as much research as I possibly could. But you're so right. I think that the key to those scenes is Gerald McCraney. Like, he is so extraordinary. And I think because he was such a special part of the show, and maybe until, you know, it was all on film and edited together, we didn't really know that. I'm so curious to ask Dan if he really thought that this was going to be a character who was reoccurring, because he came back several times throughout the run of the show and in the first season alone, I think he was there two or three more times.

Because he's in 102 as well.

He's in 102 or 103 and he comes back again. I believe there's like a checkup with the kids. It's somewhere down the line. And then obviously, when Jack passes away in the second season, he comes to the funeral.

Spoiler alert.

I know. Sorry. Geez. Sorry.

Bleep that out. If we are rewatching and you are watching for the first time.

If you're.

Watching, how dare I? He's one of six years, seven years after the fact.

Let me talk about Doctor K for a quick second.

Go ahead, please.

I will say this about not Doctor K, but Gerald McCraney.

Yeah.

And I realized, having started to rewatch the show, one of the very subtle things that this show does, and I don't know if it was intentional. Another question I have for Dan.

Yeah.

Gerald McCraney. Alan Thicke, even Milo Ventimiglia are characters in our tv history.

Interesting.

And they make us Katie Seagal, Katie Seagal, Brad Barrett Garrett. All of these guest stars are prominent figures in all of our collective tv history. And it makes the show feel familiar, like it's always been. Like it's always been interesting.

Interesting.

And I just had that realization watching these first few episodes.

That's a very interesting point. I mean, I know we know Dan loves tv.

Yes.

And I think we also know that Dan has a particular affection for network television in terms of trying to revitalize it and keep it relevant, et cetera. And so having the show have all these people that have been in the network tv maloo throughout our time probably adds to that.

And not just in the tv world, but parental figures. Yeah, in the world. Gerald McCraney, even Katie Seagal, even if. Even though it's married with children, like, like that's a very specific time in our tv viewing family. Yeah, it's very, it was interesting to me.

I like that more.

That was us after this short break.

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Kevin and the challenger. We meet my dear brother, Justin Hartley, who has now got picked up for season two of Tracker.

Tracker.

So congratulations to you, buddy. We love you. We miss you. He's up in Vancouver doing his thing. Justin is easily underestimated because he's a very handsome asgardian man and people want to dismiss him as just that. Justin is like a deep well of emotion and thought and consideration. Like he's one of the most. And the show did a very good job of exposing this over time that, like, you think he's surface, but he's actually very, very deep. Right. And so our introduction to Kevin is sort of an embodiment of that, of his sort of contemplation of the challenger. Yeah, right. Which we circle back to later in the show. But it's like he's dancing. He's got two beautiful women with him, scantily clad, who are looking to engage with him and something. He's like, I just turned 36.

He's having an existential crisis.

Totally. He was really figuring out what he's supposed to be doing with his life in the midst of sort of surrounded by all the Hollywood accoutrement that fame and fortune is supposed to bring you. He's like trying to figure out what else is going on. That's what jumping off point for. Just.

Yeah, I mean, I think what's so fascinating about Justin and you alluded to that is like right off the bat that I just like rewatching the show. I'm like, he is so fantastic, wonderful. Like he's spellbindening. You can't take your eyes off of him and you're already like, who is this character? Who is this person? I want to know more about him. What an interesting take on a character that we think we would know on the surface.

Yeah.

And we all had similarities to our. To our characters in certain ways, but he, like, had some eerie similarities. Right. As far as, like, his personal career in, like, daytime tv and then getting into there was, like, a superhero tv show. Yeah. It was fascinating. He was. He still makes me laugh probably more than anybody. I find. I find him so.

Trickle.

Subtle.

Yeah.

And so, like, precise.

Yes.

Yeah. He's incredible.

He does. He's a great impressionist, too.

He is.

He does an impression of Ken Olin.

I can't wait for the episode of this podcast where we get to have Ken Olin watching.

Oh, my God.

That's gonna be so sweet.

I'm already anticipating.

Oh, yeah. He's fantastic. Okay, that's a little bit just on him. I have waite and Kate is what I was saying. Then we had divine Joy Randolph and our pilot Academy award winner leading the group. And then there's Kate, and then there's the other Kate, as in Caitlin, Dan's wife playing Madison. Yes. Had the nerve to open up her mouth about her white concerns. And then Toby's just like.

This is the incredible thing about this one literal 42 minutes of television is that there are a million ways into it, a million ways to relate to it, a million ways to kind of find your way in through a different character.

And she is one of them.

Is one of them. You see this side character, quote unquote, at a weight loss recovery group meeting, and you think this is a perfectly written tv joke. Yeah, she's a joke.

Right.

And we will come to find out.

Not a joke.

You know, seasons and seasons later, one of the stars of the show, he plants seeds.

He plants seeds. Like, I think what it is for Dan is that, like, he doesn't necessarily know what he's doing at the moment, but I think he allows whatever it is that he's done to just germinate and be like, I can make. There's something there, right? Like, that's not frivolous. What have.

It will reveal itself.

Yeah. Yeah. He's. He's an onion in his writing. It just keeps peeling it back and.

Back like a parfait.

Yeah, there you go. I like to mix mine together.

Me too. I don't want to just, like, dip down into all the layers.

So Kate, we see her in her home. It's her 36th birthday. She's got all the things on the.

Food, all the post it notes.

All the post it notes about, please don't do this, don't do that. You know, not always, like, the most kindest language, but trying to do something that she considers to be effective. And then you see her on the scale, and it's such a powerful image and a vulnerable image of someone allowing themselves to be seen just to sort of figure out where they are in life and where they want to be. And I also want to highlight LA and the fact that this show takes place in LA, and we're talking about a plus size woman living in Los Angeles and how difficult it is to navigate this city, in particular, which projects thinness as health.

Yes.

And that's the one thing that I was thinking about, and my wife and I have many conversations about this, that we, as a society, are obsessed with weight, more so, even to the exclusion of health, because you'll see someone who is skinny and assume them to be a healthful individual.

Right.

And that is not necessarily.

Yeah.

The case.

Right.

So I just wanted to. If anybody wants to feed into that, that's a big thought that I. Yeah.

It was my participation in this storyline.

Yeah.

You know, when I shot the pilot, if you watch episode one, episode two is two. You can't really tell because I am wearing a suit. I can tell it's two very different people.

Yeah.

Because when I came to the pilot, I was probably close to 300 pounds.

Yeah.

Wow.

And. But I was also still wearing a suit.

Right.

Like, to the. To the. When I. When I auditioned, I read the sides and I called my agents. I'm like, I know that I'm a big guy, but I'm not. You know what I mean? Like, I was reading the description, I'm like, how is this gonna work?

Yeah.

And. And they said, don't worry about it. Just go read the scenes. Okay, great. So the things that you're talking about coming into this world, moving to LA.

Yeah.

Being a certain size, not fitting into, like, one group or the other. Kind of in the middle, having to wear this suit and discussing these issues. Chrissy. And I talked about it right away because I was like, I can talk about this a little bit, but I can't speak to this the same way that you can. I can't speak for you, especially when people ask me about it. And people had a lot of questions about the suit and whether that was right to be doing, but they were unaware of the future.

Right.

Storylines and the fact that they wanted to jump back to a time when Toby was not as heavy as he was and that he would be losing the weight quicker than Kate was going to be a storyline. So it was a really interesting and tricky thing for me to, a conversation for me to participate in.

Yeah.

But I also was, like you were saying, trying to find myself. And in between the pilot and the.

Second episode, when we got picked up.

And the second episode, I came back, when we got picked up, I came back 40 pounds lighter.

Wow.

When I walked into the room, Glenn Fochara and John Rick with the, I saw it in their faces. They were like, what is going on? You can't, like, you can't be, your face looks so different. And if you put them next to.

Each other, they really do well, because I got a chance to watch them back to back, and I was like, and the first thing they say in 102 we'll get to that is like, why are you losing the weight? Fasted.

Had to become a plot rider. You know, I think this is an interesting point to sort of, like, interject, just speaking broadly about the show. And I think what I'm curious what your thoughts are, like. Was it, people ask, what was it about this show that made it what it was? Was it the timing? Was it the fact that there is so many different ways in, as Chris alluded to, for everyone, it was such a specific, special moment in time. Right? This is 2016. This is before the world was changed in a political way. The world did look so, so intrinsically different. But I also feel like it was at a time where people really were looking for, and I think this only grew over the course of the show, for unity over division. They were looking for connection, for ways to come together, for ways to sort of see our commonalities with one another. And like Chris said, there is just something for everyone in this episode alone. Right? We're talking about weight, we're talking about depression, anxiety, addiction, like stillbirth. I mean, it's, like, endless. And I feel like every episode had that to a certain degree.

It would take those issues and switch them out for other things as the show sort of evolved. And I feel, I'm just curious what you guys think it was for the world. Like, why was it our show at this moment in time that became what it was?

I'm gonna respond, and I'll say that you're able to reach the universal through the specific.

Hmm.

Right? And so there's these moments that are happening, like Kate on the scale, taking off her earrings to see if that'll make a difference in terms of how much she weighs that people can relate to. I kick off my flip flops.

Sure.

Just to see. All right, I'll weigh myself with the flip flops and then take them off and be like, okay, that's cool. There's being a transracial adoptee. Right. And how. And how we're able to sort of excavate, like, what that journey is like for Randall going through. Like, it gets really great granular in an incredible way, I think in this time of bifurcation of the nation, of the world or whatnot. Like, there is the connective tissue of family and being like, you know what? Whether you're red state, blue state, purple state, whatever. Like, I love my family. I love my mama. Like, I want to be with my children and have a relationship that means something to me. Right. Like, I think that all of those things were massive because you're right. Like, we were sort of divided in 2016, and it's become a bit more exacerbated.

Sure.

In the eight years since.

Yeah.

But even when I was just over in London. Cause it kind of hit a little bit later in London than it did here in the states, I walked through thinking I was gonna be incog negro. And all of a sudden, like, people.

Is that trademarked?

That is. No, no. But I should.

Don't take it.

People will be like, oh, my God, I love you. I just had to tell you right quick. And, like, because they saw the show and they, like, family is universe. Sure. You know what I mean?

Like, to add on to these, because. Because of where I was in my life.

Yeah.

When I started this show, I. I viewed it in a certain way, and I was reminded of it when I watched the pilot. The thing that's interesting about all of these characters is that they are at the point in their life when they are entering the second half of their life, something is happening. That is, they've all developed themselves. They've developed their careers, their relationships, their egos, their whatever. And something is happening that is going to change everything. That is going to destroy the ego and rocket them into the second half of life.

That's a good point.

And that time in your life is very hard to navigate, especially if you don't have guidance, if you don't have spiritual guidance. Religion, friends, family, whatever. The thing is. So on top of relating to the show because of family, the show offered solutions.

Sure.

Yeah.

The show offered answers on. Because everyone looked at the Pearsons and was like, this is a perfect family. And I was like, what are you talking about?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

There's addiction. There's anxiety, there's weight issues. There's food, there's infighting. This is, on paper, the most imperfect family that ever was. But you relate to it.

Yeah.

Because something in it reminds you of your family. And, yes, your family is also imperfect. Yeah, but that's fine, but that's okay.

So it's not even, like, a solution, necessarily, but it's like, oh, they're kind of like us. I'm not.

This is jacked up.

You know what I'm saying? Yeah.

Is the response the audience has when they watch the show.

Yes.

They turn and they go, this is us. This is us.

This. This is us.

But something as specific as when I say solutions, you snap at Beth and instantly repair it.

Yep.

And I'm like, oh, that's how you do that?

That's one way.

Seriously, when I'm like, oh. So if I. Cause I snap sometimes and I know I shouldn't, and instead of not fixing it. Oh, that's how you fix it. With a little bit of love and humor and compassion and touch and, like, I'm like. I was literally learning relationship from the show.

Thank goodness.

From. From you talking to my, like, from the kit. Like, from everything.

Yeah.

So there was. There was solution in the show.

Yeah.

On how. Man, my brothers. My brother's a problem, too, and I have no idea how to deal with them. Well, I'll watch these two and see how they figure it out.

I'm gonna tell you something, but also.

Just to feel better about it. Oh, I'm not an anomaly.

Yes.

Other people feel this way. Other people have these same experiences.

We'll get into the. But, like, there are times in which Randall and Kevin have helped me and my brother.

This is what I'm saying.

Yes.

This is what I'm saying.

Yeah.

Randall and Beth and Sterling's notes and William. This is. Yes, they're Sterling's notes. Watching my kids play on the soccer field, that was our sort of introduction to our family. Susan Kalecki Watson, I love you to the moon and back so much. Randall gets a lot of shine. Beth is the rock. She is like, she's the rock that he can sort of like, I'm falling, and she's like, oh, baby, come on over here. Oh, sweet Jesus. Just come on. I got you. You know what I'm saying? And it was such a joy because I knew I could fall and that sue was just gonna be there to catch me wherever I was.

The chemistry between the two of you guys again, so immediately was just there was something so familiar about it, like, oh, yeah, these two people love each other. These two people are together. Like, it's extraordinary.

History.

Yes, we have history. And we also just have both people of deep, abiding faith and sort of like, people will ask, I don't know if you guys get asked this question, like, how did you guys get the chemistry so fast? Well, I ask questions and just sort of leave them open ended for people to share themselves with me. And I, in turn, tried to be as generous in sharing myself with people. So I feel like it's hard, not impossible, hard to replicate something in front of the camera that doesn't exist in some shape, form, or fashion off camera. So, like, even if the time is short, trying to just talk to somebody and get a chance to be like, yo, wasn't that crazy? Like, did you see this? And having some touchstone so that when you get in front of the camera, it doesn't feel fabricated.

Sure.

Right? Like, how do you guys.

I heard that this morning. I was listening to an interview with Brene Brown, and she was talking about conversation and about listening.

I love me some bb. Yeah.

And she was talking to Esther Perel.

I love me some ep, too.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

They were talking about relationship and conversations. Right. And she was saying that the listener informs the speaker the way that you listen. The space that you hold, the questions that you ask literally form the speaker before your eyes. So it's interesting not only the way that you develop intimacy with your acting partners, but that's also what Beth is, what Susan is so good at on the show. The way she listens to you and gives you the space forms this man right before your eyes. Yeah, yeah.

I think there's a lot of questions to be asked in terms of, like, trying to mine for chemistry with someone. Yes. But it comes down to really trusting them, being open. And I felt that immediately with Milo. And we were, I mean, in the chemistry read, he asked me right off the bat, like, is it okay, like, do I have permission to get close to you?

Nice?

And I was like, yes, of course. That's what the job requires.

But that it's always nice to be asked.

It is nice to be asked. And I do think that that should be required. We should both have.

I wish I was asked more. No, please.

I think that that is like, that opened the door for everything, and it opens the door for further discussions of, like, okay, is it all right if I get closer to you in bed when we're laying next to each other? Is it okay?

Because we're predating moments. Intimacy coordinators. We did not have an intimacy coordinator on this show.

I'm not sure if, like, our show in particular required that. I mean, maybe technically it was me.

Technically it was me, but I. But I. I was real loosey goosey.

You let things fly.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Come say, comes out.

They seem happy.

They seem fine.

There you go.

But, I mean, I think the confines of network television, like, there wasn't a ton that, like, would maybe necessitate that, but sure. And every situation is different. But, yeah, I felt that immediate, like, comfort and safety with Milo, and I think that kind of laid the groundwork for the rest of our time.

I'll say this in terms of observing the chemistry and milo as a man. Milo is a caretaker.

Yes, he is.

He likes to take care of people. Our hat here. Milo loves the gifts to the crew, and he's wonderful at coordinating them and making sure that everyone is taken care of.

Yeah.

We had to go do upfronts.

Yes.

In New York. Me, Mandy, and Milo Ventimiglia.

This is before the show.

This is right after it got picked up.

After the pilot. Yeah, right before it got picked up.

Sure.

So we knew we were doing, like, 13 episodes. Sure. Sorry.

Sure, sure. Okay, so wait, so Mandy. Mandy is happily married right now, but she had had a former relationship. Wasn't the best.

Yes.

And Milo was like, you know, do you need me to do something or what have you. And Mandy's like, thank you. That's really sweet. No, it's gonna be totally fine.

God, I forgot about this.

And then somebody had a string loose on my shoe. Remember something on Mandy's shoe. And she's like, I gotta cut something off of his shoe. And Milo pulled out like this John Rambo knife.

Yeah. Macgyvered my shoe somehow.

You know what I'm saying?

It was like, fixed blade.

Why are you carrying this around?

Cause it's New York City, you know? You never know. You never know.

But the dude was so ready to help and to be of service that I could see that that actually led to a certain level of trust as well.

Correct. I totally. I felt taken care of.

And you always knew he was armed, minute one. You always knew, no matter where you.

Went, we were really protected if need be.

I was like, this dude is off the chain.

Yeah. You're not wrong.

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I haven't really gotten a chance to talk about you, Tobias, which finally, finally.

This is what we've been waiting for.

I will say this is, side note, this was not in the script. I just started calling you Tobias.

That's right.

Because I have a thing in life about people adding whys to the ends of names that shouldn't be there or what have you. So, like, you know, people will call me Sterly. Like, this one friend of mine who goes, oh, Sterly. I'm like, mm hmm.

You're not friends anymore.

We're still friends or whatnot. But I think. But just on Facebook, I think that Randall, in terms of names, like, calling people by, like, their proper name or something, I felt like was just something I was going to adopt. And so I just started calling you Tobias.

And I didn't I try in an episode to call you Randy?

You did. You did try.

Did it make it into the cut?

It did make it into the cut.

I was like, okay, randy. And you're like, don't do that. I was like, okay, noted.

But you are such an imp in those first few scenes. Right? Like, you were just like, a delightful, like, I'm gonna poke a hole in everything that's happening around us because, like, his perspective is like, this is ridiculous, right? Like, we're here trying to conform ourselves to some. And again, I want to highlight, because I don't think he's ever saying something about not being healthy. But, like, in terms of my size, there's a certain comfort that Toby had with his size.

Mm hmm.

Right, sure.

Yeah.

But, like, the thing that happens is, like, so you go and you talk to Kate, and you start this flirtation, and you're just so charming, you don't get a chance to see the charming big dude that often.

Right?

Like, truly, like, you're usually, like, there's the butt of the joke to do anything, but, like, the dude who actually gets it. You're the first person to come with the grand romantic gesture. Like, you are this incredibly charismatic leading man. You know what I'm saying?

Yeah, Rizzo. Total risk.

Yes, total risk, you guys. That's what the kids say. Yeah, you guys, you have the line. Then she says, like, I can't fall for a big guy. Right?

Funny fat guy. Right?

Fat guy. He goes.

Then he goes, guess I'll lose the weight.

Guess I'll lose the mother weight. And just dropped that bar and, like, walked off, and I was like, oh, my jaws just got a little wet.

Yeah. The earnestness, for real, immediately. It's like, that told you so much about the character right then and there.

Yeah, on the page. All right, there on the page. It was all the delivery, other than having to wear the suit, it was all far too casual through the whole process. Just, I felt the character was written that way, and he was horny.

Really horny.

At one point, they're watching a video of a dolphin trying to have sex with a man. It's like, what kind of date is this? Like, when you look back, he's like, that's pretty funny. He's making handy jokes. This guy's a full blown.

You got away with some things that because you're you.

Well, I think it played.

Listen, it did play.

I tried to bring as much heart to it as possible.

I'm also curious if you guys knew, and maybe this is a little too inside baseball, but did you know during the pilot where the story was going and where your character was going? Because for someone, in your case, because you were already on another show, so you were in second position on our show. Did they give you any indication or maybe even, like, once the show got picked up, like, this is where things are going.

So once the show got picked up, I'm not sure what I knew at the end in the pilot, but once the show got picked up, like, dan told all of us, he would say, like, do you guys want to know where everything is going, or would you just want to do it, like, one episode at a time? I was like, I like to know the whole thing, right? So we knew about Jack, I knew about William, and that was really, like, the hardest one because, like, people were responding, and we should talk a little bit about that relationship as we go into real quick. But, like, people were responding to that relationship and what it meant to them. And I know Randall's gonna find something to work things out, and it's gonna be okay or whatnot. So I knew about those things, and I'm trying to think about the future. I think I knew it was just those things.

Sure.

What did you know?

I remember when I read the pilot, the idea was like, this character's not really in the pilot, but, like, trust us. Like, she's going to be a bigger part of the thread of the show. And I was like, I don't care. I will, like, be the caterer on set. Like, I just want to be a part of this energy. Like, this is such extraordinary writing. And I was like, yes, I trust where this is going. I obviously had no real idea. It wasn't until the show got picked up. And it's like, well, we are jumping eight years ahead in the second episode, and you will be playing this character in the present day. None of that was obviously apparent in the pilot.

Yeah, I guess, again, I didn't understand the television landscape. I didn't understand how many. How many questions I could ask. I didn't even know. I didn't even know the titles of everyone on set. Took me, like, a season and a half to figure out what everyone's job was, you know? And. And you did. And I learned from watching you, because you were in the writer's room.

Yeah.

You were in Dan's office. You were asking questions. You're not only asking questions. You were providing ideas, providing storylines, providing backstory on yourself and certain plot. And I was like, oh, I didn't know you could. I didn't know you could do that. And it was. It was a huge learning experience for me, but I. So I didn't even. I just knew what they told us, and I wasn't asking a lot of questions. And I. In between takes, I was sitting in.

That suit just, like, melting.

Let me say. Sully was not happy with the suit. Yeah, it was mad uncomfortable.

It was a lot for the first season.

It was toasty.

It was a lot for the first season. And. And so I didn't quite know. And I also. I guess I didn't know how much they knew. Like, I knew they had broad strokes, and I knew they had an end goal in mind.

If you go into the writer's room, they had, like, a chronology of the Pearson family. Up on the wall, around the cell.

Yeah, around the ceiling.

You know what I'm saying? So you could say, like, okay, because we're jumping through time. We, as adults, have to know what transpired in these kids youth so that we know what we're playing in present time. Right. Which is kind of brilliant.

I want to talk about the great Ron, Cephas Jones and, you know, the experience of him and this pilot, and. Cause I know that Dan always had intentions for this character, obviously, for his storyline to progress the way that it did, which was bittersweet for all of us because Ron was a favorite, and it was hard to know what the future had in store for his character because it just meant that he wasn't gonna be on set with us. But that's jumping ahead too far. Let's talk about, like, did you have any previous, like, relationship with Ron? Did you meet him for the first time working on the pilot?

We met in New York. We were doing a reading of something for Terrell Alvin McCraney, who's the Oscar winning screenwriter for the film moonlight. He was writing a play based on the book of Job and is called head of passes that ultimately wound up going to New York and starring Felicia Rashad. And so me and Ron got together to read excerpts of the Book of Job for Tyrell.

Wow.

And, like, his scripts. So Ron has, like, he highlights everything in his script. He has different highlighters, different pen marks or something. Like, you look, it's like, it looks like hieroglyphics when you're going through a script. And he's like, yeah, man, just so I can get different colors in there. You know what I'm saying? It's just like jazz, man. Like, sometimes I can say it like this, and then I flip it, and you don't do that. And I'm like, no, man, I don't do that.

I love that.

But he was so beautiful, and he's. There's no place that Ron would rather be than be on set or on stage to be at work. And he was sick when we started our show. His lungs were failing him, and sometimes you have to sit down and take a breath or whatnot and just relax for a little bit. And so I think for him to be playing a character who had stage four stomach cancer hit very close to home because I think he was very much considering his own mortality. Sure, right. And what the future had in store for him. He's such a. Just beautiful human being. Right? Like, every. Like, he just got a big smile and a big laugh and just joy in every fiber of his being.

Yeah.

So it's so interesting when you're playing Randall, who is so bitter towards William, but because Ron is who he is, when he says, do you want to come in? You're like, yeah, man, I want to come in.

You instantly become a little boy.

I want to be mad at you. But, like, okay, fine. And then he's, you know, like, I want to say all this other stuff to you, like, you want to meet your grandchildren. Cause you're just so. Why am I doing the thing? Because it's Ronald. Right. It's Ron playing William. It could have been somebody else. And they'll be like, oh, I don't know if I can make this work. But I was like, I want to be around this dude. I just want him to be around these people. Because when that synthesis of character and actor sort of just make it easy where you don't have to act.

Yeah.

Right. The script is just so good. It's like, no, wonderful.

You can't play William if you haven't figured a lot of this stuff out in your own life. Like, watching him, you're like, oh, this.

Man has lived a life, has figured.

A lot of these things.

He has history that he's bringing to this.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

And that. I mean, we'll get to this in 102. But, like, his conversation with Beth, I just want to. Just real quick. It's just beautiful. He's beautiful. He is missed. Just for the people who don't know, he ultimately did pass away. He had a double lung transplant, and it took. And he was gaining weight because you touched Ron in season one with the feather, you'd be afraid that you were gonna knock him over. And I remember he came back later and said, yes, darl, I got cheeks, man. I got cheeks here. And he's feeling full. And he got a chance to go to Broadway, and he got nominated for a Tony, and he's not with us anymore. But, like, he made the most out of his life.

Yes, he did.

As, I think, did William Hill, through his delineation, make the most of the remaining time that he had with his life and his character, I think, is a wonderful lesson that permeates throughout the show. Right. It's the things that you love the most that you miss. So it must have been worth something. You can be sad, but you can also celebrate that as well.

The three of us got to be in New York together at his memorial with Susan and John, and you spoke, and so did all some very important people in his life, his daughter, and a lot of his creative collaborators throughout his life and by. I had never met anybody who knew Ron as long as these people had known Ron. And one of the things that I learned from listening to people talk about him was one, what an incredible father he was. And again, solution. Because I am also a new father. I'm like, how do you raise children? How do you raise children effectively to become loving, open, creative human beings? And I learned a lot about how to do that by listening to his daughter speak, but also listening to you and listening to his creative collaborators, I realized that he may have been the most self realized person I've ever met.

Yeah.

Because the person I met is the same person that all of these people are talking about from back to when he was 21, 22.

Isn't that interesting? I took that away from the memorial as well.

Just an incredible human being.

He's beautiful. He is beautiful. May he rest in peace. I want to take it back to the show, not in a callous way, but I think somewhat organically, because one of the moments that people really responded to on the show is the conversation between Doctor K and Jack when he has to tell him that one of the triplets didn't make it.

Mm hmm.

And shout out to Milo Ventimiglia and what was going on in his soul and in his face, because as I was rewatching it, you just watching a man trying to figure out what the hell is going on, you know, and he takes that seat, and Doctor K sits next to him, and the most gentle and level, like you said, you see in our show, people taking care of each other. This is, like, the essential, the quintessential act of care. Like, can an old man offer you some words here? And he talks about how he lost his first child, and one of the reasons why he became a doctor said, hopefully, no, I can save more babies than what I lose. Right. And said, you walked in here with this intention of walking out with three kids. It may not look the way that you originally thought that it would, but it doesn't mean that that still can't be the case. And that's such an interesting one point, I think you, Rebecca as man Mandy, Rebecca says something about, or is it you or you quoting it? That until the day is over, it can always be known for something else.

Yeah.

You know what I'm talking about?

Something later in later seasons.

It's later seasons, but, like, it's sort of like the callback to it is like, in the pilot, they're like, this does not have to be the end of your story. Tragedy is a part of your story. It does not have to be the defining part of your story. Right. And I think. I think that's the. What the show is capable of, if you're able to stick with it and you're ready for it, is that while it takes you through something, it can unburden you. It can lighten your load if you sit with it. I think that's also something that. What people were responding to in real time is that it took them through so much, but they left it kind of.

Yeah. Lighter.

A little lighter.

Yeah. I mean, I think that's what catharsis is, right.

Yeah.

And people would often just associate our show with tears and crying. I'm like, but don't you feel better after that? I normally do. And it's for a reason. It's purposeful. It's not manipulative. It's just the reality of experiencing what these characters are going through and your relationship with it in your own life. You're right. It's a choice. Or it's a way of reframing it to feel like you are unburdening yourself from an experience or from grief or trauma or whatever it may be.

Yeah, we've got it. We've got it right here.

Is it ink frame? Can they see it?

There's no lemon so sour that you can't make something resembling lemonade.

Yeah, it's pretty good. Yeah, that's a bar. That's what they call in the streets. A bar.

A bar.

A bar. Because. And it's something.

It's become an etsy piece of art that we're able.

That's what.

That's where we are echoed throughout the. Because Kate mentions it to Kevin. What's that thing that dad used to always say or whatnot? And I think we see how it permeates, like other families later on in the show.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, man.

You can. Influence is widespread. Layer upon layer.

Layers on this joint, man.

The trailer for this episode had 80 million views online before the tv show even aired.

Yeah.

The first episode, all told, had something like 17.9 million viewers.

Wow.

So we. I. We. I think we should have enough episodes to speak to each and every one of those people. Right. And so, yeah, we want you to reach out to us. We've set up an email.

Yeah.

Where it's. That was us. Pod@gmail.com that was uspodmail.com. We want to hear how you related to the show, questions about the show, how the show brought you together with people.

Yeah. The impact. Send us a video, write us, I don't know, an essay.

Whatever you want, what have you, whatever.

You need to do. And who knows? You might end up on the show. Maybe we'll make some phone calls.

There we go.

I love that.

Maybe we reach out to some fans.

Yeah.

Anyways, the last segment on this podcast is always going to be interacting with the fans because as the show is titled, this is us.

And we also have an emotional support hotline.

Right. Because if people are going to start.

Rewatching this and they need a place to vent, they can call 412-501-3028 there you go. You'll notice that is a Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh area code. Just to keep it true to the Pearsons.

All day, baby.

Yeah.

Give us a ring.

Yeah. Give us a ring. Leave us a ring.

Give us a ring. Leave it on the line. You know, your feelings, what you're going through as you watch the episodes, your reactions.

It is. The best part of having done this show is the money. No, the best part. The best part of having done this show is the way that the fans interact with you when they see you. You know, they're a fan of the show. Instantly.

Yeah.

You know?

Yeah.

Like, instantly. They either call you by your character name.

They are the best fans to have.

They will ask for a hug, you know, like, the things that people have told me regarding how this show has impacted their lives, they move. It moves me. Because you want to make art that entertains people, right? That educates people about the world that they live and whatnot, but also provides some form of edification or desire to be a better version of yourself, to make the world a better place. Sure, we hit the sweet spot with this joint. Like, we really.

It echoes through time, because wherever we go, it is a small town filled with lovely people who want to connect.

In one way or another, and that never happens. It's a once and a career sort of opportunity, right. To be a part of something that means as much to all of us who are making it as it means to an audience out there. That connection, that correlation, like, it's just, it's such an impossible thing to distill down. And somehow we managed to find it with the show.

Six years. So please share. We look forward to hearing from you and communicating with you. So.

All right, let's do it. So like we said, our fans, you are going to be a big part of this podcast. And seeing as we're going to be digging into life together, getting into this new chapter, we thought that our first fan segment we would like to introduce you to. This is us fans and newlyweds, Chris and Joanne Laysan.

Welcome, guys.

How are you? And we actually, we have an engagement photo, I think.

Oh, my gosh. Hold on. Sorry. Look at these photos. So that the photo on the left is from your engagement and then obviously the photo Dominican Republic.

And he's a man who enjoys his legs. Ladies and gentlemen, we're talking about an engagement and wedding.

Work that hard on legs to not wear shorts.

You don't skip leg day. You gotta show em.

Also, a short sleeve shirt with the bowtie on your wedding day is clutch. I love it.

So you guys got engaged in the dominican republic and then where did you get married?

In Cyprus.

Oh, wow.

Yeah, yeah, I love it.

You guys are big world travelers, huh?

Yeah, we like to get around, don't we?

So for context, while we're talking today, Chris, I believe you sent in a DM to our, that was us podcast Instagram, and our producer Sarah found the DM, flagged it for all of us. But do you want to kind of give us a little bit more context to the story and the message that you sent and why this is us has been a part of your life together and the journey that you've been on?

Yeah, yeah. Obviously, we got engaged in Dominican Republic. That was a special day because it was a year since Joe had the all clear from cervical cancer. So we wanted to make it really special and got in touch with the show. Show was very relatable of what she's been through. Not just for that, but a few other things. And it's probably the first show we watched together. We were just both.

We actually both like, because we are very different, actually. Like, we were obsessed with this from, like, day one. And, yeah, usually he likes all like, the murder documentaries, the things that give me nightmares. I like to watch happy things where I can sleep peacefully.

That's like me and my wife. Yeah, perfect.

I feel that.

So this is the first thing that we were like, oh, my gosh, it's perfect. And we both love it. So, yeah, yeah.

It's quite strange that it's thanks to my sister because we were down in Cornwall. We were down there one day, my sister said, have you watched this show? This is us. And I was like, no, I've never heard of it. And we were sat there. The kids were sleeping because she's got a couple of kids. And we watched. I think she was on.

It was the last episode of season.

Four, so we skipped.

She said to us, look, it might be a bit confused. We watched it. We were just looking at each other like, oh, my God, this is amazing.

So we went back to once we watched it from the start, and we were just like. And at this point, obviously, when we watched the whole thing, Joe wasn't well. So we were both parked on the sofa and we've been. She had a box of tissues. She's already emotional what was going on, but it was like she had the box of tissues on the, you know, on the left hand side. I kept looking at it some episodes. She'd be crying and she'd be like, oh, God. And I'd be like, but then there's some really nice parts of it as well. So I think it's very relatable, obviously, because although Joe's doing really well, she's come out the other end of what was hell at the time. Because in the pan. The horrible pandemic.

Yes.

And obviously our hope is to have kids. That's what, you know, we love to have kids and. But we love to adopt as well. So there was a lot of things, like, it was like, it was so relatable to us. And we've always loved the show. We tell everyone about, have you seen this is us?

And.

And they all look at us and then they start watching and they were like, oh, my God. I watched the first series. It was amazing. And I think the whole workplace, which, believe it or not, is to do with cancers and MND. So that's where I work. So it's all quite weird because I worked in that sector.

Joe.

Joe's experience, you know, with it all was tough, but she's doing really well.

But I thought, I'm fine now.

No better way than to have Mandy Moore's song. And it was a real long shot, but I managed to get in touch and it was after messaging a million people. But, yeah, we got it.

And you asked if maybe Mandy could send a video message on the wedding.

Day because you guys, you implied that you wanted to walk down the aisle to the forever now, which is a song that my character sings at the very, very, very end of the series. It's such a touching idea to be a part of someone's big day. Like, that. I was really, really blown away. And I think we're all so honored that the show has really held such an important place in your life, especially taking you through a really, really challenging period. And we're so happy that, like, the good news of you in good health and celebrating such an exciting chapter of your life together. But we're just psyched that we've been a part of your journey as well. Like, what an honor.

We think we have a clip, right?

I just want to see this moment. I want to see Chris's legs.

Not the dress, Chris's legs.

It's not so much the gym. I think it's the rug. All the rugby games I played.

There you go. This is the video.

This is playing the video, yeah. Oh, gosh.

This is my reaction.

How are you? You are very, very thoughtful. Soon, he has been reached out because he said you were a fan, you loved the show, and, in fact, you were gonna be walking down the aisle very, very soon. To the forever now. I am so touched. Have a beautiful day. And just sending you guys both. How did this happen?

She's like, wait, what is that?

Look at that face. And by the way, I was giving your husband all the credit for the gams. This family is all legs.

I know this family.

Oh, gosh. Yeah. I think I was quite annoyed because it was the time I was trying to get into my dress, and my friends are like, sit down. Kristen's got a surprise for you. And I was like, but I'm gonna get dressed, and we're not doing presents. We said, we're not doing presents.

We.

Ben don't got me anything. And so they made me sit down, and I just. I got really, like, suspicious that, like, he'd got me something, and I, you know, we agreed not to get each other presents, and then I was like, oh, no, I really didn't get him presents. I suppose I was the president, but there you go.

Yeah.

And then I saw that video, and I was just, well, as you could see, there were no words. Yeah.

Can I ask, like, what was it about the song that made you decide, like, this is the song to walk down the aisle to?

The one job he had was choosing music. Because you're quite good with music, aren't you? And you didn't. I chose most of the rest. So he had music, and then he said, oh, what about this song? Because obviously, it's really special to us. But, like, the lyric, isn't it, like, we get. I get this moment with you forever now. It just seems like so perfect, you.

Guys, like, the first few times that she sang the song? Cause, like, I don't think I heard it until we were on set.

Oh, yeah.

And, like, you sang it for the first time, I thought something was wrong with me. Like, I couldn't stop. It was like a geyser and. Oh, goodness. So I can only imagine. You kind of have to, like, get your stuff together so that your photos look halfway decent.

Emotional training.

Cause you're already gonna be emotional walking down the aisle. Like, your wedding is, like, typifies all the things that you would be emotional about, so.

Yeah, absolutely.

Can we see them walk down the aisle?

Oh, wow.

I'm crying. I'm like, weddings always make me cry.

Wow.

That is so beautiful. Also, that has to be, like, the most incredible looking, like, guest wedding party. Geez Louise, you guys. Wow. What a special moment in a beautiful wedding. Your dress is gorgeous. Oh, my gosh.

I know.

Yeah, all the girly things.

One final question. You guys are such big. This is us fans. Can you tell us your. What's your dog's name?

Our dog's called Laurel, after Randall.

We got a greyhound, haven't we?

Yeah, she's a rescue greyhound. And when we got what we. Because, well, the way you guys say Laurel, were you just like, oh, that's so beautiful. Because it sounds. It sounds better than when we say it.

How do you say it, Laurel? What are you talking about.

When you say it?

So funny.

We were like, we're calling our first child Laurel. We were like, that's just decided now because we just loved it so much, and then we adopted our dog, and she's a she, so we were like, okay, what are we going to call her? We were like, there is only one name. Even though she's not, like, technically our baby, she is our baby.

She's a first person.

Absolutely. So, yeah, she got the name.

She got there first. I love it.

For her essay.

Yeah, that's Randall's birth mom's name on the show. For the people who don't know, you.

Guys are deep fans. Thank you.

You guys are beautiful people, inside and out. I look forward to however your family grows, because we know that it's going to grow, be it biologically, be it through adoption, be it a combination of the two. I'm excited for what life has to offer both of you guys. You're beautiful. Thank you for sharing your fandom with us and for allowing us to be a part of your lives. I'm truly touched. Yeah.

So touched.

Keep us updated.

Yeah, please keep us updated.

Guys, you have been our very first fan segment on this podcast.

On this podcast.

So thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you for having us. Also, we love you so much.

It goes both ways.

We love you too. Thank you so much for reaching out and taking the time to chat with us today too. It's been our pleasure.

Anytime.

Have a great day.

That was us is filmed at the Crow and produced by Rabid Grin Productions and Sarah Wareheim. Music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith.