Summary

• This Is Us featured a talented ensemble cast that continues to shine in various projects post-finale.
• Flashbacks play a key role in highlighting pivotal moments in the lives of the Pearson family.
• The cast like Susan Kelechi Watson and Ron Cephas Jones have ventured into voice acting and directing.

This Is Us is an acclaimed drama series that ran for six seasons and, following the finale, the series' main cast has gone on to work on other projects. This Is Us follows the Pearson family made up of three siblings, Kevin, Randall, and Kate, and their parents, Jack and Rebecca. The structure of the series utilizes flashbacks, highlighting important events in the families' lives.

During its run, the series received much praise from critics and audiences. This Is Us was also nominated for multiple awards for both the content of the series and the performances of the series' actors. The ensemble of characters is the heart of the show, as many of the series' tear-jerking moments revolve around the Pearson family. Since the finale in 2022, the cast has continued acting in other films and television series.

1 Ron Cephas Jones

ed Away In 2023

Actor Ron Cephas Jones portrayed Randall's biological father, William H. "Shakespeare" Hill. His relationship with Randall is one of the central plots of the series. Jones acts as a main character in the first two seasons and has a recurring role in the remainder of the series. Due to his performance on This is Us, Jones landed some other major roles in films like Dolemite is My Name and on stage in Clyde's, which earned him a Tony nomination.

In 2018 and 2020, Jones won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. In recent years, he also landed recurring parts in Law & Order: Organized Crime and FX's Better Things, though his longest-running post This is Us role was on Apple TV+'s Truth Be Told. In August 2023, it was announced Jones had ed away from a long-standing pulmonary issue

2 Susan Kelechi Watson

Worked In Voice Acting And Acted In Plays

The role of Randall's wife, Beth, was played by Susan Kelechi Watson. To this day, her work as Beth is among her most notable, but before This Is Us, Watson had recurring roles in series such as NCIS and The Blacklist. Since then, she's also starred alongside Tom Hanks in the 2019 film, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. In 2021, just before the finale of This is Us, Watson lent her voice to the animated children's series Ada Twist, Scientist as Mom Twist, which ran through 2023.

Outside of film and television work, Watson has performed in two notable plays, A Naked Girl on the Appian Way and, recently in 2022, Eureka Day. Most recently though, Watson appeared in the season 2 premiere of Will Trent, which seems to signal that she might be ready to return to the small screen.

3 Alexandra Breckenridge

Stars As Main Character In Virgin River

Alexandra Breckenridge portrayed Sophie Inman on This Is Us, connected to two of the Pearson siblings. Throughout their childhood, Sophie was friends with Kate and Kevin, marrying Kevin later on in life. Before This Is Us, Breckenridge starred in multiple series from the 2000s, such as Dawson's Creek, Freaks and Geeks, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

She also appeared on some supernatural series like the inaugural season of American Horror Story, HBO's True Blood, and eventually, a recurring role in The Walking Dead as Jessie Anderson. Since 2019, Breckenridge has also starred as the main character, Melinda Monroe in Netflix's Virgin River, a popular series that has now been extended through its sixth season. As far as her film career goes, Breckenridge hasn't appeared in a movie since 2016 but the majority of her career has seen her shine on television.

4 Jon Huertas

Directed Series Starring This Is Us Co-Star

Jon Huertas played Miguel Rivas, starting as a recurring character in season 1 before becoming a part of the main cast beginning in season 2 until the series finale. Miguel was the best friend of the character Jack and ended up being Rebecca's second husband, which was initially a controversial move for the character though he became beloved over time since his relationship with Rebecca was sincere.

Huertas is mostly known for his television work in series such as Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Castle, and more recently, The Rookie. He also appeared alongside Brian Cox and Kate Beckinsale in the film Prisoner's Daughter. In 2023, Huertas directed two episodes of television, The Rookie: Feds and The Company You Keep. The latter series was led by his This Is Us co-star, Milo Ventimiglia. Then in 2024, Huertas also helmed an installment of Tracker.

5 Chris Sullivan

Will Star In Steven Soderbergh's 2024 Film

The role of Kate's husband, Toby, was played by Chris Sullivan. Sullivan's career is wide-ranging, including film, television, and stage work. He acted in stage productions of Chicago and Hadestown. During This is Us' run, in 2017, Sullivan played the character of Taserface in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. Many fans of the show were likely unaware of the role because Sullivan was unrecognizable beneath the makeup needed for the character.

He actually returned as Taserface in 2021, voicing him for the animated series What If...? Other television work in Sullivan's filmography includes minor roles in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Stranger Things. In 2024, Sullivan is set to star in Steven Soderbergh's Presence alongside Lucy Liu and Julia Fox. He also landed a voice role in Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate, which landed on Peacock.

6 Justin Hartley

Leads The 2024 Series Tracker

Justin Hartley played Kevin, one of the Pearson's biological children and brother to Kate and Randall, making him a member of the "Big Three." Before starring as Kevin, Hartley made appearances in Castle, Hart of Dixie, and The Young and the Restless. Following the series finale of This Is Us, Hartley starred in the series Quantum Leap and as the lead in Netflix's Christmas film, The Noel Diary. He also showed up in another Netflix project, Senior Year.

In February of 2024, Hartley landed his biggest post-This is Us role as the star in the action drama series, Tracker. The show is presented as a big deal, debuting after the Super Bowl. Hartley is also an executive producer on the series and re-teamed with This is Us castmate Jon Huertas when the latter directed an episode.

7 Chrissy Metz

Recently Starred In Horror Film

Kate Pearson, Jack and Rebecca's biological daughter, and sister to Kevin and Randall, was played by Chrissy Metz. For her performance as Kate, Metz was awarded with Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, which was par for the course with her talented ensemble. Metz's most recognizable work comes from This Is Us, but she also starred in minor roles for the series Entourage, Superstore, and more.

Metz saw her career blossom because of This is Us though, landing film roles in the comedic Sierra Burgess in a Loser, the scary Stay Awake, and the emotional Breakthrough. Metz also voiced the character of Mei Mei in the animated series Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny. In 2023, Metz starred as Faith in the horror film A Creature Was Stirring. On top of that, Metz is slated to appear in the new Starz series The Hunting Wives alongside Brittany Snow, Malin Akerman, and more.

8 Sterling K. Brown

Starring In 2023 Comedy-Drama, American Fiction

Sterling K. Brown played Randall Pearson, Jack and Rebecca's adopted son. Brown's been highly acclaimed for portraying Randall, winning an Emmy, Golden Globe, and multiple SAG awards for his performance. On top of his many accolades for This is Us, Brown also was Emmy nominated for his guest appearances in both Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Of the entire cast, Brown seemed to have the biggest breakout, popping up in everything from Black Panther to Frozen II. Brown has also done voice acting throughout his career, most recently as Angstrom Levy in Invincible. In 2023, Brown starred in Cord Jefferson's Best Picture nominee, American Fiction as Clifford Ellison. He has several major roles lined up including in a series called Washington Black and films titled Atlas, The Psalm of Howard Thurman, and The Defender.

9 Milo Ventimiglia

Starred In And Produced The Company You Keep

Milo Ventimiglia played the character of Jack Pearson, father to Kate, Kevin, and Randall. Though his character dies early on in his children's lives, due to the flashback structure of the series, Ventimiglia is a main character throughout the series' six seasons. Ventimiglia's first appearance on-screen was in a minor part in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, credited as Party Guest #1.

Since then, Ventimiglia has appeared in multiple series, including Gilmore Girls, Gotham, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Alongside the aforementioned Gilmore Girls, his biggest role was as Peter Petrelli in NBC's Heroes. Ventimiglia's most recent television series appearance was in 2023 as the lead in The Company You Keep, also acting as the series' executive producer. On the big screen, he also appeared alongside Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth in Land of Bad in early 2024.

10 Mandy Moore

Starred In Season 2 Of Dr. Death

Married to Jack and the mother to the three Pearson siblings, Rebecca Pearson is played by Mandy Moore. She received multiple nominations for her performance in This Is Us with the series being the most notable among her television work. Before This Is Us, Moore was mostly known for her music career, especially her debut single "Candy," though her work in films such as A Walk to and Tangled helped her blossom as an actor.

Moore has continued voicing Rapunzel in animated series and video games, as well as Disney's acclaimed Once Upon a Studio short. More recently, in 2023, Moore played Benita Alexander in the true crime anthology series, Dr. Death. Moore is also set to voice a recurring character on #1 Happy Family, an animated series focusing on a Muslim-American family in the early 200s.