-Our first guests tonight are the talented
and award-winning actors who also star
as the Pearson big three in the hit series
"This Is Us."
The sixth and final season
premiers Tuesday, January 4th, right here on NBC.
Please welcome back to the show Sterling K. Brown,
Justin Hartley, and Chrissy Metz, everybody.
[ Cheers and applause ]
-Hello. -Welcome.
-Hi! -Thank you.
-Now, I want to start by saying
happy New Year to all three of you.
I mean, I think a lot of us had maybe grander plans for
New Year's this year before things maybe turned
a little south in regards to COVID.
But what did you guys manage to do?
Chrissy, I know -- Did you end up doing the Rose Parade?
-I did. I hosted with Mario Lopez.
And I had to be up at 2:00 a.m., y'all.
So went to bed at 7:00 p.m.
I was like, "I don't even know which way is up."
But, yeah, it was a great time. Wild but great.
-Why do you have to wake up at 2:00 a.m. for a parade?
-Well, "A," it starts super-early, right?
There were people -- I'm not kidding --
camped out in air mattresses, y'all.
They were sleeping on the road on air mattresses.
But hair and makeup -- women take a little long --
You know.
-Yeah. -Yeah. Alright.
Well, worth every second, I'm sure.
And, guys, as much as I want you here in person,
I'm happy that we're taking the safer path forward,
because you're precious cargo right now.
You're filming the last season of a beloved show.
And I have to ask this question.
Did you know -- Did the three of you have any sense
when you filmed the pilot that this would be the hit
that it has turned out to be?
-No, I think -- I mean, I'll speak for myself,
but I think everybody would agree.
I don't think you can anticipate something like this.
I knew that -- And I've said before,
I knew that, you know, when I read the script,
when I read the pilot, I knew that it was great.
And then when we shot it, it felt wonderful.
And then I saw it, and it was the best thing I'd ever seen.
But that doesn't -- that doesn't necessarily guarantee
that you're going to captivate an audience, you know?
So -- And, by the way, this thing, you know,
became a smash hit, you know, ratings-wise
and things like that, but the way that it impacts people
in their everyday life is just something, I think,
beyond anything anyone could have possibly imagined.
-Yeah, I mean, I read it right
after I finished with my Jacksonville condom.
I didn't know that was the name for it,
but then now that I know...
So, I finished with that and I read it and I was like,
"This is really good," right?
[ Laughs ]
It was awesome. I was doing "O.J." at the time.
I read it.
This is the best network-television pilot
I've ever read.
I looked at Paulson, I said,
"I think I know what I want my next job to be."
She was like, "Go get that [bleep]
And it happened.
It worked out in such a beautiful way.
We all met each other. I remember the first table read.
And I was sitting at the table and I was like,
"I think we got something."
I remember seeing Chrissy, Justin, Mandy, Milo,
like, everybody, and I was like, "This feels right."
And the world said, "We're here with you."
-How soon into the first season did you start hearing
from friends and family about how much
this show was resonating with them?
-No, just out of the gate, really.
I mean, first and second episode,
they were like, "What is this?"
You know?
-People were like -- people were like, "Can I borrow money?"
Things like that.
That's when you know that you're on a successful show.
-Yeah, that's a good sign.
When people start asking for money, you're like,
"I think we got something here."
-I had a cousin text me after Episode 4,
which I think is the pool,
first episode with the kids at the pool.
And she said, "Sterling" --
She goes, "I know you had a really good show
with this last thing, but this show right now
is like church and therapy and entertaining and healing,
like, all in one."
And she said, "I think I see myself
in your sister, in your brother, in you."
Like, when she hit me with this --
and it was like a four-minute message --
that I knew it was touching people
in a way that we hoped that it would.
-Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
-Do you feel like you've come to terms with
the fact that it's ending?
-No.
-Yeah. [ Laughter ]
-No.
-We're all a little different.
We're all a little different.
I always say, you know, I'm trying to,
and how I kind of wrap my brain around it
and prepare myself for it is just to remind myself
of the privilege of having something come into your life
that you will miss beyond belief.
A lot of people don't get that. And we're all very lucky.
-Well, yeah, this was my first job,
like, my first real job.
I'm like, "Wait, this is great."
-They're not all like this, Chrissy.
-They're not all like this.
So what the hell am I going to do now?
[ Laughter ]
-Yeah, it was an endless tour of guest spots
for your boy before not too long ago.
I think that I'm happy to be going out in a time
where people will still be missing us rather than like,
"Oh, is that crap still on the air?"
Like, I think that's the thing that I feel good about.
I will miss it. I will miss the people.
I will miss the story.
But on a bigger level, all good things must come to an end.
And I feel like it's still a good thing,
and that makes me happy.
-Yes.
-Now, of course, your goodbye will happen, you know,
a few months before we see the final episode.
Do you have a sense -- Who do you think
amongst the three of you will cry the hardest
when you film your last scene together?
Sterling, it looks like you're pointing at me.
-I know. -It's you, Seth. It's you.
-I'm pointing at Seth.
I think Chrissy Metz.
Like, everybody always acts like it will be me.
And maybe there's debate to be had,
because we have -- My sister and I both have loose ducts.
-We do.
-But it's probably going to be my sister.
That's what I would say. -I mean, here's the thing.
My emotions are always right here.
They're ready. They're ready.
-Yeah. -That's good.
You're a great actor.
You know, it might actually be you, Seth,
because a lot of people may not remember --
Well, maybe they do.
You know, it's the big four right here.
-Yeah. -That's right.
-All four of us are "This Is Us" cast members.
-Season 1 right there. -Season 1.
I had a cameo Season 1.
And I think it speaks to the fact that no one knew
how big a hit the show was going to be,
because if they had known,
you would have gotten a far bigger star.
[ Laughter ]
You couldn't even get the 11:30 NBC host.
-Dude, you were perfect.
Look, all of the work that you've been doing
at impression camp is really paying off.
-Thank you. -I'm so impressed.
-I just wish we could have used it before, yeah.
-I will say, you know, again, that's like
five years ago now that I did that cameo in that show,
and it's led to no other work.
[ Laughter ]
-I think you're doing alright.
I think you're doing alright. -That's true.
I'm very busy, Chrissy. -That's right.
I have so much more to ask you guys.
We'll be right back with more from Sterling K. Brown,
Justin Hartley, and Chrissy Metz.