Interview: Mandy Moore Talks Playing The Role Of A Lifetime On ‘This Is Us’

For the last six years, Mandy Moore has been playing the matriarch of the hit NBC series This Is Us. Fans were hooked on the Pearson family’s dynamic from the pilot episode. No one could anticipate the non-linear nature of the storytelling that would ultimately span decades of the characters’ lives.

Season after season Moore has consistently given the best performance of her career, having the honor of playing Rebecca Pearson from her early 20s to her mid-80s with a gravitas beyond her years. The atypical narrative asked the actress to stretch into uncharted territory year after year. “If someone had told me at the beginning of this process [and when I was] auditioning for the show that this [is] the scope that we’re telling, I don’t know that if I would be able to imagine myself in this position,” said Moore.

The flood of emotions fans would experience every week was so common that it became a sketch on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. That passionate fan response never died down, even after creator Dan Fogelman answered the big mystery around Jack’s death. That unique relationship Moore found herself in was undeniable. “It’s changed my life,” said Moore. “When you’re a part of something like this, that has this sort of reaction and groundswell of love and support at the beginning; there’s no going back.”

From the “Super Bowl Sunday” episode which saw Rebecca grapple with the death of her husband Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) — and that memorable candy bar scene — to standing strong as a sage 60-something lending an ear to her grown children, it has all looked seamless, and to Mandy Moore’s credit, effortless.

While the show kept fans on the edge of their seats about Jack’s death for nearly two seasons, much of what attracted viewers and drove the story was the stillness of the smaller moments. At the heart of that stillness is Rebecca. Moore explained, “The story ultimately is so much about mom — about this extraordinary, unsung, everyday heroine that there are tens of hundreds of millions around the world. Now being a mom, all of it is wrapped up in this beautiful package.”

Actress-singer Mandy Moore spoke to Awards Radar about wrapping up six seasons of This Is Us, her return to music with her new album, “In Real Life” and getting to play the role of a lifetime.

This Is Us series finale airs May 24th