50 Fun Facts About This is Us

Who created This Is Us?

He had already written Cars, Tangled and Crazy, Stupid, Love, and later created Paradise.

On which network did This Is Us air from 2016 to 2022?

Fox's studio made it but sold it to NBC, which promised to feed it viewers from The Voice and the Olympics.

What is the surname of the family at the centre of the show?

The show follows Jack, Rebecca and their three children across several decades.

Kevin and Kate are the surviving members of triplets. What was their stillborn brother's name?

The babies arrived six weeks premature on Jack's 36th birthday in 1980.

Where had Randall been abandoned before he was brought to the hospital and adopted by Jack and Rebecca?

His biological father, William Hill, left him there; Jack and Rebecca believed they were meant to have three children.

How old were the Big Three when Jack died?

He suffered a heart attack after a fire at the family home.

Whom does Rebecca marry after being widowed?

Miguel Rivas is played by Jon Huertas.

In which city are the Big Three born and raised?

As adults Kate lives in Los Angeles, Randall in New Jersey and later Philadelphia, and Kevin bounces between LA and New York.

What are the names of Randall and Beth's two biological daughters?

They later adopt an older girl, Deja.

What is Kevin's profession?

He is successful but struggles to be taken seriously.

Which career does Kate pursue after marrying Toby?

She also gets a degree and becomes a mother.

William Hill, Randall's biological father, has what nickname?

Ron Cephas Jones won two guest-actor Emmys for the role, in 2018 and 2020.

Griffin Dunne plays which relative of the family?

Michael Angarano plays Nicky as a young adult.

Who is the mother of Kevin's twins, Franny and Nick?

Madison Simons is Kate's best friend and Kevin's ex-fiancee; he ends up marrying childhood sweetheart Sophie.

Kate's second husband, Philip, is played by which English actor?

Philip is her co-worker; Chris Sullivan plays first husband Toby.

Where was This Is Us mainly filmed?

A few scenes were shot in New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and once in Memphis; one LA location was actress Alyson Hannigan's real home.

The creator's original 80-page movie script, which became the show, was about what?

He cut it to 45 pages and turned it into a series after moving to 20th Century Fox Television.

Which of these was NOT one of the rejected alternative titles for the show?

NBC's Jennifer Salke said 'the title didn't come easy'.

How many episodes did NBC order for the first full season?

In January 2017 it renewed the show for two more 18-episode seasons, and in May 2019 for three more.

How many seasons of This Is Us were made?

The final season premiered on January 4, 2022 and production wrapped that May.

The episode revealing Jack's death aired straight after which sporting event in February 2018?

It drew 26.97 million viewers, the show's biggest audience and the highest-rated scripted post-Super Bowl telecast since House in 2008.

In the fire, Jack goes back into the house to rescue what?

Among the mementos is the audition tape Kate later watches on the 20th anniversary of his death.

How exactly does Jack die after the fire?

Rebecca had stepped out of his room to handle logistics; she goes into denial until she sees his body.

What household appliance causes the family's house fire in 1998?

It was a gift from a neighbour who was moving away; the plot point caused a real-world PR headache for Crock-Pot.

Where was Kevin on the night of the fire?

Kate is the one who finds him and tells him their father is dead.

In the flash-forward at the end of 'Super Bowl Sunday', the adult Tess is revealed to be working as what?

An older Randall arrives to have dinner with her, keeping the promise he made when she was a child.

Milo Ventimiglia, who plays Jack, first broke through as brooding teen Jess Mariano on which series?

He went on to play Peter Petrelli in Heroes and Rocky's son in Rocky Balboa and Creed II.

Ventimiglia's slightly crooked mouth is the result of what?

The left side of his mouth is immobile, much like Sylvester Stallone, with whom he worked on Rocky Balboa.

Mandy Moore, who plays Rebecca, first found fame in 1999 with which debut single?

She later starred in A Walk to Remember and voiced Rapunzel in Tangled, a Fogelman-scripted film.

Which Disney princess did Mandy Moore voice?

Tangled (2010) was written by Dan Fogelman, six years before he cast her as Rebecca.

Sterling K. Brown won an Emmy the year before This Is Us for playing which real person?

That was in The People v. O.J. Simpson; his Randall Pearson win in 2017 was his second Emmy.

In 2018 Sterling K. Brown became the first African-American to win what?

He was also the first to win the SAG Award for male actor in a drama series.

Before This Is Us, Chrissy Metz played Ima Wiggles in which anthology series?

Metz grew up in Florida and says her first job was at a McDonald's in Gainesville.

Justin Hartley, who plays Kevin, played which DC hero on Smallville?

He had earlier been Fox Crane on the soap Passions and later starred in the CBS action series Tracker.

Susan Kelechi Watson, who plays Beth, had a recurring role on which comedian's FX series from 2012 to 2014?

She trained at Howard University and NYU Tisch, and co-wrote the final-season episode about Beth's past.

Chris Sullivan, who plays Toby, also played which alien villain in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2?

He was also Benny Hammond in Stranger Things and Tom Cleary in The Knick.

How many guest-actor Emmys did Ron Cephas Jones win for playing William?

He won in 2018 and 2020 from four consecutive nominations; his daughter is Hamilton actress Jasmine Cephas Jones.

Which Oscar-winning actress was among the black directors recruited to helm episodes?

The core writing staff was 30% black, against an industry standard of about 5%; George Tillman Jr. also directed.

Which relative of the show's creator was a consultant because her struggles inspired part of it?

Her experience with weight informed Kate's storyline.

Rotten Tomatoes said the first season would fill the void left by which recently ended family drama?

Season 1 was an AFI top-ten programme of 2016 and earned ten Emmy nominations.

Which streaming service acquired the exclusive on-demand rights to This Is Us in May 2017?

The show only reached Netflix in the US in January 2024.

Which of these did the show's creator NOT write or create?

He also wrote Tangled and created The Neighbors, Pitch and, in 2025, Paradise; Parenthood was Jason Katims's show.

On whose birthday were the Pearson triplets born in 1980?

Randall, abandoned at a fire station, arrived at the same hospital the same day and was adopted.

Which older girl do Randall and Beth adopt, giving Tess and Annie a sister?

Lyric Ross plays her; Deja's classmate-turned-boyfriend Malik is played by Asante Blackk.

Which two NBC events did the network promise to use as lead-ins to win This Is Us from Fox?

Fox's studio had made the show but sold it to NBC, betting it would succeed better there.

Besides Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco, which city hosted a single location shoot?

One Los Angeles location was the real home of actress Alyson Hannigan and her family.

What share of the show's core writing staff was Black, against an industry norm of about 5%?

Dan Fogelman deliberately hired writers Kay Oyegun and Jas Waters and directors including George Tillman Jr.

On what date was This Is Us added to Netflix in the United States?

Hulu had held exclusive US streaming rights since 2017; abroad the show is split between Disney+ and Prime Video.

In which timeslot did This Is Us regularly air on NBC?

A handful of episodes, including the series premiere, were shifted to 10 pm.

On what date did production on This Is Us wrap?

The finale aired three weeks later, on May 24, 2022.