-There's one thing I just learned about you.
-What? -I didn't know that
you could beatbox. -Okay.
[ Cheers and applause ] Okay.
Okay. Let's be very clear.
My sister and my brother, they were very influenced
by hip-hop, and they're older than I am.
So I'm like, ooh, I want to make these noises with my mouth.
I'm not saying I'm amazing, folks.
Let's be very clear. I'm not saying I'm amazing,
but the irony is that Topher Grace had me
on his podcast, right,
and he always has somebody who's, like, a professional.
They teach you something.
And I'm like, "Great, this is going to be exciting."
And he was like, "It's a beatboxer."
And I'm like, "Ha-ha. I know a little something."
And he's like, "How do you know how to beatbox?!
How can you do everything?"
-How do you even teach someone how to beatbox?
-So, the gentleman says, we're going to start with
just boots and cats.
Right? So...
-Do you know what that is?
-Boots and cats, boo-tss and ca-tss.
[ Beatboxing ]
Right? So that's what eventually it evolves to.
-Never heard of boots and cats in my life.
Yeah, boots and cats. So, here's Topher.
He's like, "Boots and cats."
And I'm like, "Yeah, keep it up."
It was very fun.
-Boo-tss and ca-tss. -Right. You did it!
-Well, I just said the words "boots and cats."
-But you did it! But you did it! [ Cheers and applause ]
-No, no, no, no. Stop! Don't do that!
-Yes! -That makes it like it's
a big deal. Stop it.
Please, I didn't do anything.
That's sort of the foundation of it, I guess,
is just making these explosive noises,
sounds through your mouth.
-Could you give us maybe a little taste?
-You want to do a little rap?
-Do you want me to freestyle? -You gonna do a little improv?
-I'm not the best freestyler. Tariq can freestyle.
-Okay. -If you gave him a little beat.
-I'm not saying I'm great, folks, just for a disclaimer.
However, you ready? -Yeah.
-Can I cover my mouth? Can I do it?
-Yeah. -Ready?
[ Beatboxing ]
-Okay. Okay.
-♪ We're just some men that's on the mic ♪
♪ And we'll be rocking on the mic, we rock the mic ♪
♪ For all of y'all, keep it going here ♪
♪ Just to see ya smile and enjoy yourself ♪
♪ 'Cause it's cool when you cause the cozy condition ♪
♪ That we create, 'cause that's our mission ♪
♪ So listen to what we say ♪
♪ Because this boots and cats happens every day ♪
[ Cheers and applause ] -Oh! Come on now, baby!
♪♪
Oh, come on.
-Whoo! [ Laughs ]
-The pressure is on for both of you!
That's amazing! -Yeah!
-That's what you get on this show! Come on!
-That was such an honor. Thank you.
That's what you get on "The Tonight Show,"
a little variety. Come on, that's unbelievable.
-A little something different. -Thank you so much.
-My pleasure.
-I know people are probably coming up to you
and they're probably checking your socials about "This Is Us."
The season finale, it was last week?
-Yeah. -Andy wow-y wow,
it did not disappoint. -No, no.
-No spoilers. -Right, of course.
-I just hope that you're not dead.
[ Laughter ]
-That's the general consensus.
Dan has assured me everything is okay.
-Okay. -And here's the thing --
should she have passed away, Jack has passed away.
You know what I'm saying?
'Cause it's not linear. -Okay.
-So, we really don't need answers, folks.
-No, no, no, no, no, no. -We just want to enjoy --
-That was some things, and I'm trying to put pieces together.
-I know, it's a little puzzle.
-Yeah. You must laugh on the set, as well?
-Yeah. You have to. -It's so sad,
you have to balance it out.
-Especially with Chris Sullivan,
who is probably one of the funniest guys I know.
And he's always trying to throw in, like, a little,
"This is us." Right?
So, I'm, like, with baby Jack in the NICU,
and he's like, "This is you, this is me, and this is us."
I'm like -- -You can't.
You can't say the title of the show in the show.
-But he tries to do it every single take.
He's come very, very close. -Hey, guys, this is us, right?
-This is us. Yeah.
-Were you in the parking lot, like, "Where's our car?
Oh, this is us." -No, it's always the elevator.
The elevator. "Oh, this is us."
-[ Laughs ] -It's very cute.
-I got to see him try to do that.
-Yeah, please. -Let's talk about your movie,
if you don't mind, "Breakthrough."
-Yes.
-How did you get involved with this story?
-The universe just conspired.
I went in for a general meeting with DeVon Franklin
and the executives.
And, of course, DeVon's our executive producer.
I was chatting, and of course, as I do.
Sometimes I don't land the plane.
I'm just talking and talking.
-Don't land the plane. -I don't sometimes.
And I sort of talk about my mom. She had a medical emergency.
She went through a stroke, and I said,
to my mother's doctors, "You don't know my mom.
You might think you know, you can give a prognosis,
you're a doctor, and you practice, right?"
And he was like, "Oh," and I said,
"We have to only think positive thoughts."
And almost verbatim is the character I play, Joyce,
a real life mother who said that to her son's doctors.
And I thought, "Okay, there's no coincidence here with that."
I read the script.
This is a true story. It's undeniable.
It's absolutely undeniable that this happened.
And it's so powerful.
And the through lines are so beautiful that I was gifted
this role.
-The boy falls through the ice. -Yeah.
Submerged for 15 minutes,
and is airlifted and has no brain activity for 45 minutes.
-Oh, man. -And literally
on the medical record, it says patient died,
mother prayed, the patient came back to life.
The doctors are like, we don't understand it.
Yeah, it's pretty incredible.