It’s hard to believe that heart-wrenching NBC drama This Is Us is coming to an end next year after six seasons. With the series taking place in the past, present, and future, there have been many storylines correlating with one another, and plenty of real-looking prosthetics for the characters over the years. Mandy Moore, who portrays Rebecca Pearson, recalled what Mama Pearson was originally going to look like in her old age, and she was terrified.
The cast of This Is Us did a cover story with E! News talking all about their time on the NBC series and what fans can expect when the show heads into its sixth and final season. When asked about what she initially thought of playing young and old Rebecca, Mandy Moore revealed she was “terrified” about some alternate looks for her character:
Yeah, I was terrified. About a month before we started production I got an email from Dan informing me that there was this collective agreement it would be best if I could try to portray this character at 65-plus, and we were going to go through the rigmarole of fittings and prosthetics to see if it would work. We have so many crazy funny photos I will have to put out—maybe once the show is done—of what Rebecca could have looked like. Some were terrifying. I remember the first hair and makeup test. I had a mask on over my lips, over my eyebrows, like they put fake eyebrows on me. I had this really long gray wig. They made her look like she was in her late 90s.
While fans haven't seen these aforementioned looks (though we've seen an older Rebecca at this point), I honestly feel the Rebecca Pearson that everyone knows and loves is definitely the right fit. Mandy Moore ages gracefully and the makeup work could fool anyone about her age. With the series continuing to go more into the future as well, much of the cast has had to go through the prosthetics stage and the choices the show has made seem to be working just fine.
Rebecca’s future on This Is Us has been a bit up in the air following some of the flash forwards. It’s been confirmed that her time has come in the future, and it will be heartbreaking when fans likely see this storyline happen in the final chapter. There are plenty of stories left to tell in the final episodes that will surely bring fans on an emotional roller coaster for the NBC drama's final run.
Mandy Moore and her on-screen first husband, played by Milo Ventimiglia, were “incredibly devastated" to find out how This Is Us ends. The finale has been six seasons in the making and it will be interesting to see how the story wraps up. Best bring your tissues because you are going to need it.
I’m excited and nervous for the final chapter of This Is Us, which premieres on Tuesday, January 4 on NBC! Check out what other shows to look forward to in the new year with our 2022 winter and spring schedule.
