‘This Is Us’: Mandy Moore Reminded Milo Ventimiglia of the ‘Importance of the Show’
This Is Us was a hit from the moment the pilot episode aired in 2016. Although the shocking, time-jumping twist at the end of the hour was what hooked fans, it was the show’s heart that made them gravitate toward the series in the first place. And Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore were constantly reminded of how important This Is Us was while on the set.
Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore played Jack and Rebecca Pearson in ‘This Is Us’
If we pinpointed which This Is Us couple was most beloved by fans, it would probably be Jack and Rebecca Pearson, played by Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore.
Although Jack died in the late ’90s, his and Rebecca’s relationship was one to aspire to for viewers. After he returned from the Vietnam War, Jack met his future wife while she was singing at a bar. They locked eyes, and that was it. They quickly fell in love despite Rebecca’s parents’ initial hesitance toward their relationship.
Jack and Rebecca married at City Hall, and later she got pregnant with triplets. Sadly, one of their children died during childbirth, and Rebecca also came close to death. Jack and Rebecca named their surviving children Kevin and Kate. They later adopted an abandoned baby born the same day and called him Randall.
The couple went through a series of ups and downs, but their love for one another and their family got them through tough days. Jack and Rebecca were true partners in This Is Us, as were Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore off-screen.
Milo Ventimiglia explains how he is reminded of the show’s meaning
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, the This Is Us cast, including Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore, shared their thoughts on the heart of the show.
“Specific and also incredibly simple,” Ventimiglia started. “Mandy and I just shot a scene where we are sitting on a couch. The only reminder I need about the importance of the show is to look Mandy in the eyes and deliver a scene about this married couple, who has had their struggles and who has had their glory, and it’s incredibly simple.”
It’s easy to admire Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore’s dedication to This Is Us and to each other.
The co-stars share their audition story
Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore instantly connected when they met during the This Is Us auditions. And from the moment they did a chemistry read together, the producers knew they had found their Jack and Rebecca.
“In the process of casting Jack and Rebecca, I read with a couple different girls, and I remember Mandy Moore walking in,” Ventimiglia told The Hollywood Reporter. “We had just met, and here I am about to be nuzzled into this stranger’s neck and play this dynamic married couple’s scene. I remember asking, ‘Is it OK if I’m in your neck?'”
“He was so gentlemanly,” Moore added. “I’m like, ‘Yes, handsome stranger, get on in there!'” Ventimiglia said, “Then when it was done, she got up and said, ‘OK. Thanks a lot!’ And she just bailed.”
“I hate auditions. I was so nervous!” she explained. “I auditioned early on in the process, and I remember hearing, ‘They liked you, but they’re going to read women in New York and Chicago.’ I sort of forgot about it. And six weeks later, I got word they wanted to bring me in for a chemistry read. I remember Milo was the guy to beat; they loved Milo. Then I went in and read with him and thought it was either a good thing or a terrible thing that they only had me read with this one gentleman.”
Ventimiglia then revealed, “I remember turning and looking at [executive producers] John [Requa] and Glenn [Ficarra], who are smiling, and it’s like Christmas morning for [creator] Dan [Fogelman]. It was meant to be.”
This Is Us, starring Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore, is available to stream on Peacock.
