Warning: This story contains spoilers for Tuesday’s episode ofThis Is Us, “The Guitar Man.”
Kevin Pearson has never been afraid of the deep end.
The shallow actor who couldn’t go deep.
Justin Hartley, Jennifer Morrison.Ron Batzdorff/NBC (2)
Or so they said.
And so he flew across the country with his twins (Look, ma!
(Nicky would then enter the room and step up with new levels of compassion.)
How much are you “acting” here?
JUSTIN HARTLEY:[Laughs] I’m better than Kevin.
Not at many things, but at acting and guitar playing, I think I’m better than Kevin.
Kevin has always been haunted by the shadow of his dad and living up to his sizable legacy.
What struck you about the writers' decision to have Kevin follow in his footsteps so directly?
I mean, he’s Jack’s son; it’s in the blood, right?
Maybe that wasn’t there.
Now he’s got this really great relationship with his mom and his sister and his brother.
His love life is kind of a s—show, but whatever, right?
I mean, he’ll figure that out.
[Laughs] But Kevin will come around, he’ll figure it out.
And there’s comfort in that.
And also in the idea that he can launch into something that is this nonprofit that helps other people.
His dad died at a very young age.
He probably could have done that.
He was a great man.
He didn’t get the opportunity."
So he’s carrying that on and that’s important to him as well.
How much of a family business, if at all, does this turn out to be?
And how much of a priority will this become for Kevin in the final run of episodes?
To start out with, he’s using his acting money to fund the whole thing.
And then he can raise money.
It’s a non-for-profit so he can raise money from private parties.
It becomes pretty clear that it’s his thing.
It’s not really a family thing… necessarily?
It’s what he focuses on his kids and his nonprofit.
That’s what he’s doing.
The kind of man that’s just there.
But how do you know if you are or you’re acting like you are?"
Kevin has often radiated a Jerry Maguire vibe, and it’s one of his favorite movies.
Did that cross your mind here?
Were you channeling some Tom Cruise?
Listen, I will tell you something about me, man.
I’m trying to channel Tom Cruise whenever I can.
I think that guy’s brilliant.
But yeah, Jerry McGuire is very much Kevin.
I don’t think he’s, uh, proud of it?
I mean, you remember Tom Cruise just crushed that role.
He was amazing in that role.
You complete me!"
So that is definitely what Kevin’s looking for.
I think he’s just truly a man who wants to do the right thing.
And quite honestly, he doesn’t know what to do, but he wants to do it!
He just he hasn’t figured it out.
I’m just here for my wife."
And that let him go, “Oh, f—!
Well, that’s what it’s possible for you to do then!
You don’t have to haveallof the answers.
Sometimes it’s possible for you to just wait for someone.”
Yeah, that’s tough.
I definitely didn’t see that coming.
I thought the show addressed that two years ago.
And then we kind of moved on [from] that.
That’s something that you carry with you for the rest of your life.
I just love that they’re doing that.
Which happens a lot.
I thought it was great.
He’s humbled by her struggle.
It’s very sobering, and it re-centers Kevin.
He doesn’t quite understand how dark her darkness gets.
He’s like, “No, I’ve been there.
I’ve had addiction issues.”
He doesn’t quite understand the desperate level that she’s at.
Nicky is the one attuned to what’s really going on with Cassidy and the accident.
How was that scene calibrated?
Well, first of all, she’s a wonderful actor and she was wonderful.
I think that was intentionally the design of that scene.
Because you look at it, you go, “What happened?”
“Well, I tried to kill myself because I didn’t want to live.”
It’s so, like you said, delicate and dangerous this thing that is sitting with her.
And she’s not exactly saying that.
What she’s saying is: “This is how I am all the time.
I am always on a knife’s edge.
And walking on eggshells.”
I mean, this is such a dangerous, anxiety-riddled situation.
If something like that happens in your life, you wouldn’t even know what to say.
That’s a tough one beautifully performed and wonderfully written as well.
Kevin and Cassidy both seemed content when their families were together playing board games.
Later on, she told him as much.
But I also think that, you know… [laughs] this is Kevin.
Which way the wind blows, you never know.
You are the one for me!"
So he’s struggling with that.
But I think he’s settling down into that idea that they’re friends.
And he’s comfortable with that.
There is that duality.
How close is he now to realizing his true self and finding his purpose?
He seems much closer to it by the end of the episode.
I would say much more.
Maybe he didn’t realize how close he was and those events kind of shaped that.
He doesn’t know anything about starting a construction company.
But he acknowledges that and maybe it’s coming from a healthy place.
That’s what he does, though.
And what does he say?
He says, “I want to be great at guitar.
I want to have the best lover in the world.
He’s not trying to tell everyone that he knows anything about construction.
He’s actually going in there going, “I want to do this.
I don’t know anything about it, but I just really want to do it.
Who can help me?”
And that’s the tool that he’s been lacking his whole life.
I think he finally has that.
Next up in the trilogy is Kate’s story.
What’s your cryptic tease?
I’ll turn it around: Where one door opens, another one closes.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
