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This Is Us Premiered 8 Years Ago — Look Back at the Cast Who Started It All
The debut cast of This Is Us was responsible for making audiences fall in love with the Pearson family.
NBC's smash tearjerker This Is Us captivated viewers for six seasons with its deeply emotional storytelling and vivid snapshots of family life.
The series premiered in 2016 and quickly became a hit thanks to its complex narrative structure, weaving together moments from the past, present, and future lives of the Pearson family. With the help of its spectacular cast, the show follows Jack and Rebecca Pearson along with their unique set of triplets — endearingly known as "The Big Three" — as they navigate life's biggest hurdles and greatest joys. From tough topics like mental health and addiction to happier moments centered around childhood euphoria and resilience, This Is Us consistently drew praise for its honest, heartfelt portrayal of family dynamics. Whether it was tears of joy or despair, fans were grabbing tissues while following along with the Pearsons on This Is Us.
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Spanning six seasons and several decades of family memories and experiences, it's wild to consider that it all began with Season 1 of This Is Us, when fans hadn't yet fallen in love with the Pearson family.
Who was in the Season 1 cast of This Is Us?
The Season 1 cast of This Is Us boasted the dynamite lineup of Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Justin Hartley, Chrissy Metz, Sterling K. Brown, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Sullivan, and Ron Cephas Jones.
In flashbacks from the Pearson family's early childhood, the "Big Three" were played by several young stars, including Lonnie Chavis, Niles Fitch, Mackenzie Hancsicsak, Hannah Zeile, Parker Bates, and Logan Shroyer.
Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson
The beating heart of This Is Us was Mandy Moore, who played the Pearson family matriarch, Rebecca. Mandy Moore's career spans decades; aside from her starring roles in projects like A Walk to Remember, Because I Said So, and The Princess Diaries, Moore has led a successful music career. Boasting beloved original singles like "Candy" and "I Wanna Be With You" and serving as a dazzling voice of Rapunzel in Tangled, Moore also lent her angelic vocals to This Is Us. Moore performed several ballads as Rebecca throughout the six-season run, such as the Emmy-nominated song "The Forever Now."
Moore's performance on This Is Us was a career highlight, as she spent hours in the makeup chair to portray Rebecca from her mid-20s to mid-80s. From her young single years to becoming a grandmother, Moore delivered a captivating performance as the Pearson mother. Moore's performance as Rebecca earned her various accolades, including a Golden Globe nomination and a Primetime Emmy nomination. Along with the entire This Is Us cast, Moore scored two consecutive Screen Actor Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2018 and 2019.
Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson
While This Is Us fans know and love Ventimiglia for the endless charm and love he brought to the series as Jack Pearson, he stole hearts decades before his Pearson family antics. After making his television debut in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and guest-starring in a beloved lineup of sitcoms in the 1990s, Ventimiglia scored his breakout role in 2001 as Jess Mariano on Gilmore Girls. After skyrocketing in popularity, Ventimiglia would land dozens of notable television projects, such as his role as Peter Petrelli on Heroes, Ned Stax in Mob City, and Captain Sean Bennigan in The Whispers.
After solidifying himself as a scene stealer as the Pearson family patriarch, Ventimiglia scored three consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series from 2017 to 2019. Since This Is Us, Ventimiglia has played recurring roles in The Company You Keep and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Justin Hartley as Kevin Pearson
Where would This Is Us be without the Big Three? First up in the triplet lineup is Justin Hartley as Kevin Pearson, the charming eldest son of the Pearson children.
Hartley earned fame as a soap star before starring in all six seasons of This Is Us, landing dynamite roles as Fox Crane on the NBC soap opera Passions from 2002 to 2006 and as Adam Newman on The Young and the Restless. Hartley also made waves as Oliver Queen on the action series Smallville and stole the show in projects like Revenge and Mistresses.
Since This Is Us, Hartley has appeared in various projects, including his starring role as Colter Shaw in the 2024 action series Tracker, where he serves as executive producer.
Chrissy Metz as Kate Pearson
Metz starred in This Is Us as Kate Pearson, the second child of the "Big Three." As the Pearson family's sole daughter, Kate stole the show, forming strong bonds with her entire family unit and becoming the anchor of the crew over time. Years before joining the This Is Us ensemble, Metz made her television debut in a 2005 episode of Entourage, later making a guest appearance in My Name Is Earl. Following a dynamite recurring role as Ima Wiggles in American Horror Story: Freak Show, Metz landed her beloved role as Kate Pearson on This Is Us in 2016. Like many of her This Is Us co-stars, Metz's performance was widely applauded, leading her to earn a Primetime Emmy Award nomination and two Golden Globe nominations.
Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson
Last but certainly not least within the "Big Three" is Sterling K. Brown's Randall Pearson, the adopted brother of the Pearson trio. A film, stage, and television star, Brown came to This Is Us after skyrocketing to notoriety as Roland Burton in the hit drama series Army Wives. The same year he joined the This Is Us ensemble, Brown was applauded for his Emmy-winning performance as prosecutor Christopher Darden in the limited series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
After becoming a This Is Us fan favorite — scoring another Emmy Award in 2017 for his role on the show — Brown has starred in a bursting portfolio of screen projects. He scored Emmy nominations for his 2018 guest appearance on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and his recurring role as Reggie in Season 3 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. As for the big screen, Brown has starred in beloved films like Black Panther, Waves, and Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. Brown earned a 2024 Academy Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in the 2023 dramedy American Fiction.
Lonnie Chavis as young Randall Pearson
Let's dive into flashback cast members! As we know, This Is Us isn't just one snapshot of the Pearson family — it's a kaleidoscope of their biggest moments, leading the "Big Three" to reflect on various stages of their childhood throughout Season 1 and beyond. Lonnie Chavis played Randall in flashbacks from early childhood, starring in 76 episodes across the series' run. After This Is Us, Chavis landed prominent guest roles in series like Magic Camp and Supergirl.
Niles Fitch as teenage Randall Pearson
Continuing the trend of flashback stars from This Is Us, Niles Filch played Randall during flashbacks to his teenage years. Fitch made his television debut in Tyler Perry's House of Payne, and in a comic coincidence, later guest starred in Army Wives alongside his elder counterpart, Brown. After guest starring in a 2015 episode of Law & Order: SVU, Fitch made his film debut in St. Vincent and later landed a prominent role in the 2019 drama Roman J. Israel, Esq.
RELATED: Milo Ventimiglia Attended Young Randall's Graduation: See Their Sweet Pic
After rising to notoriety on This Is Us, Fitch continues to land television and film projects, recently starring in the 2021 drama The Fallout as Quinton Hasland.
Mackenzie Hancsicsak as young Kate Pearson
Hancsicsak got her big break in This Is Us while playing Kate Pearson in flashbacks from her young childhood. Appearing in 81 episodes across This Is Us, Hancsicsak also lent her voice in the 2017 animated series Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure.
RELATED: Chris Sullivan Is Reuniting With a This Is Us Co-Star for a Terrifying New Show
Hannah Zeile as teenage Kate Pearson
Hannah Zeile starred in the Season 1 cast of This Is Us in flashbacks of Kate Pearson during her rebellious teen years. The daughter of former professional baseball player Todd Zeile and former Olympic gymnast Julianne McNamara, Zeile appeared in 93 episodes across six seasons of This Is Us. Before playing the teenage Kate Pearson, Zeile made her television debut in a 2012 episode of Anger Management, and later guest starred in a 2018 episode of The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale.
Parker Bates as young Kevin Pearson
Joining the flashback crew is Parker Bates as the child-age version of Kevin in flashbacks from his preteen years. Appearing in 81 episodes across six seasons, Bates has also made guest appearances in the children's series Magic Max, the animated series Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, and a 2017 episode of Teachers.
RELATED: This Is Us Stars Reunite for Mystery "That Was Us" Project
Logan Shroyer as teenage Kevin Pearson
While starring in Season 1 of This Is Us, Logan Shroyer appeared in Pearson family flashbacks as Kevin during his teen years. Aside from his role as the boyishly charming Kevin Pearson, Shroyer has appeared in Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street, Speechless, and guest starred in a 2024 episode of Grey's Anatomy. Shroyer appeared in 92 episodes across six seasons of This Is Us.
Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth Pearson
Contributing to This Is Us' success was watching the Pearson family tree branch out over time, and making her way to the family after marrying Randall was Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth Pearson. Starring in 106 episodes of This Is Us, Watson earned two Critics Choice Award nominations for her captivating role on the NBC tearjerker. Before joining the Pearson family as Randall's devoted wife, Watson delivered dynamite guest appearances in the Law & Order universe and appeared in television projects like NCIS, The Good Wife, and The Blacklist. While starring in This Is Us, Watson stole hearts alongside Tom Hanks as Andrea Vogel in 2019's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
Chris Sullivan as Toby Damon
Another plus one to the Pearson family was Chris Sullivan's Toby Damon, the charming longtime partner of Metz's Kate Pearson. Sullivan earned fame as a television and stage actor, making several memorable guest appearances in series like Elementary, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and The Americans. In 2016 — the same year he made his debut on This Is Us — Sullivan appeared in two episodes of Stranger Things. As for the big screen, Sullivan starred in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as Taserface and lent his voice to Behemoth for the 2024 sequel Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate.
Ron Cephas Jones as William H. "Shakespeare" Hill
Another dynamite member of the debut This Is Us cast was the late Ron Cephas Jones as Randall's biological father, William H. "Shakespeare" Hill. Fans adored watching Randall get to know his dad later in life, with Jones and Brown delivering some of the most unforgettable scenes in the series. Before his award-winning run on This Is Us, Jones made his television debut in a 1996 episode of Law & Order, later appearing in smash series like The Blacklist, Mr. Robot, Luke Cage, and The Get Down.
RELATED: The This Is Us Cast Reunites After Ron Cephas Jones' Death
Jones also had prominent film roles in Half Nelson, Across the Universe, and Dog Days. Jones' portrayal of the enigmatic William Hill earned him four consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations; he won twice after scoring Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2018 and 2020.
Watch This Is Us episodes on NBC.
