The 27-year-old Stadnik who has Stargardt Disease and is legally blind has certainly arrived in his first Hollywood role.
Hes no stranger to acting, though.
Hes exceptionally talented,Fogelman told EW earlier this season.
Ron Batzdorff/NBC (2)
It was important to us to not cast a sighted actor here.
And he was one of those guys that was just never flustered by it.
Lets pull back the curtain and get to know thenewJack onThis Is Us.
Ron Batzdorff/NBC
Your immediate thought is…?BLAKE STADNIK:What???
My mind is blown.
[Laughs] My first thought was, I had to call my mom.
Ron Batzdorff/NBC
I was over-the-moon excited.
But now I definitely am.
And when Kate said that, that reminded me so much of my own mother.
What did you bring to the character that wasnt on the page?
My eyes are very sensitive to light.
Because they wanted to feature that.
We pick a book.
Its a really special, intimate time for us.
And I was glad to bring that to Jack and Lucy as well.
You described yourself on Instagram as an advocate for disabled artists.
Theres been a lack of representation on TV.
There were some characters that were blind, but they were being played by fully sighted actors.
So there definitely is progress being made.
I mean, its a fantastic song.
And then when we recorded it, it was stuck in my head the whole time.
Alcoholism has been an issue for generations of Pearsons.
Have you talked to Dan about that idea?
Is your understanding that this will be something he might struggle with?That hasnt come up yet.
Im sure its a possibility, but its nothing that weve put into solidity yet.
Its just to show that Jack and Lucy are continuing the traditions of Nicky [Michael Angarano/Griffin Dunne].
So you dont know either?I cant say.
When can viewers expect to see you return?
Itd be really fascinating to explore that.
You come from the theater and this is your first Hollywood credit.
But yeah, I think Ill always have a love of the stage as well as film.
They are both equally gratifying but in different ways.
It would have to be some dream or something like that.
But I do admire Milo and Mandy [Moore], and all the Big Three and spouses.
Theyre incredible actors and everyone has been the most welcoming on that set.
Theyve really made me feel like Im part of the family.
So if I got to do any scene with any of them, it would be a dream.
If my math is right, that would put adult Jack in the early 2040s.
What do you hope life is like then?
Because I cant drive and I love cars.
[Laughs] The irony there is astounding.
I would love to have my own self-driving Mustang that I could go around in.
[Laughs] I cant say anything about whether theres more singing to be had.
I can tell you that Sid and I loved collaborating on a song together.
We both spark inspiration in each other.
When we got into the recording studio, the creative juices started flowing.
I just think its beautiful.
