NBC’s This Is Us struck a chord from the start, with its trailer shared tens of millions of times within days of its release last spring. The time-jumping family drama by Dan Fogelman became the breakout new series of the 2016-17 season, a ratings hit and a rare critically acclaimed broadcast show.
During Deadline’s annual The Contenders Emmys event last month at the DGA theater, This Is Us stars Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia talked about the instant spark they felt during their first chemistry read together. “It was undeniable,” said Ventimiglia, who also shared some clues about the upcoming second season.
Also on the panel before a packed room of TV Academy and guild voters was production designer Gary Frutkoff, who described the challenges of juggling multiple time periods in one episode, shopping for authentic 1980s middle-class furniture and making Los Angeles look like New York and Pittsburgh in the winter. The series’ head of makeup, Zoe Hay (with assists from Ventimiglia and Moore, who share anecdotes), talked about what and how long it takes to age up Moore and change up Ventimiglia’s facial hair.
Meanwhile, editor Bjorn Myrholt revealed how his background as a professional jazz musician helps him as an editor and how it was working on This Is Us‘ music-fueled “Memphis” episode.
Check out our conversation above.
Must Read Stories
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.