That Was Us - Lyric Ross and Us | Deja Pearson

Episode Date: September 15, 2026

This week on That Was Us, we’re joined in studio by Lyric Ross, who grew up before our eyes as Deja Pearson on This Is Us. From booking the role at just thirteen to navigating life and her career as a young adult, Lyric reflects on her years on the show, the challenges that shaped her, and the person she’s becoming beyond Deja. In this episode, Lyric chats about: • Moving back to Los Angeles after returning to Chicago following This Is Us and what she hopes to find in this next chapter • Getting her start as an actor in Chicago and the childhood moment that first sparked her love of performing • Booking This Is Us at thirteen and Sterling’s memories of knowing she was the right person to play Deja • The work ethic her mother instilled in her and learning to trust herself as a performer • Cutting her hair for Deja and the complicated experience of navigating beauty, identity, and self-esteem as a young Black girl • Her journey from struggling with low self-esteem to seeing her own beauty and finding confidence through her faith • What it means to see herself as a child of God and how her faith has shaped her identity • Working with Joy Brunson and Asante Black and the challenges and rewards of some of Deja’s most emotional storylines • Why watching herself on screen is still one of the hardest parts of being an actor • The qualities she admires in Deja, including her boldness, bravery, and self-assurance • Navigating the transition from child actor to young adult and searching for more mature, challenging roles • Continuing to build her career beyond This Is Us, including her role in Ironheart on Disney+ And a friendly reminder, you can catch new episodes of That Was Us every Monday, a day early, exclusively on Hulu. Available on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts on Tuesdays like usual! That Was Us is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith. ------------------------- Support Our Sponsors: - Find the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to https://Quince.com/twu. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. - Explore viral bestsellers and products of healthier hair of ALL types from Bask and Lather. Go to https://baskandlatherco.com. - Go to https://MySkylight.com/THATWASUS for $30 off your 15 inch Calendar - Go to https://kachava.com and use code THATWASUS for 15% off your first order. ------------------------- 🍋 About the Show: The stars of This Is Us, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, and Chris Sullivan, dive back into the world of the Pearsons, reliving each episode and all the life lessons that came with it. Together, they dig in and dig deep, have the tough conversations, bring in very special and familiar guests, share never-before-heard behind-the-scenes moments, and feature listeners in highly anticipated fan segments. Join your favorite family back in the living room to examine our past, cherish our present, and look to the future with new episodes of That Was Us every Tuesday. Executive Producers: Natalie Holysz and Rob Holysz Creative Producer: Sam Skelton Production Coordinator: Andrew Rowley Video Editor: Todd Hughlett Mix & Master: Jason Richards About Headgum: Headgum is an LA & NY-based podcast network creating premium podcasts with the funniest, most engaging voices in comedy to achieve one goal: Making our audience and ourselves laugh. Listen to our shows at https://www.headgum.com. » SUBSCRIBE to Headgum: https://www.youtube.com/c/HeadGum?sub_confirmation=1 » FOLLOW us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/headgum » FOLLOW us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/headgum/ » FOLLOW us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headgum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a headgum podcast. Don't you wish you could just hit skip on the worst parts of your life? You know the same way you can skip an ad? I get it. I'm Siyya and I live in Ice Cove. I've made some questionable decisions that didn't end up the way I planned. And today I'm still figuring it out. Somehow things usually get worse before they get better.

Apparently, that's how I roll. So bundle up and come along for the bumpy ride. Stream a new episode of North of North Tuesdays on CBC Gem. New from Nespresso. Blend wellness into your coffee routine with a coffee plus range, infused with functional benefits. Choose the coffee you love with added B vitamins, like coffee plus B12 to help support immune function, and coffee plus B6 to keep your day moving. Or go with the flow and choose ginseng delight.

Our new double espresso with ginseng extract. Whatever lies ahead, don't change your morning. Let your morning change you. Discover Coffee Plus on Espresso.com Ladies and gentlemen, we have a wonderful guest today on That Was Us. You know her as the character of Dasia, starting in season two and coming with us throughout the rest of the journey. Like she was there from the beginning.

It's how seamlessly she fit in. She was a beautiful young actor. She was a young lady. Now she's grown. She's grown. She's going to be 23. Met her when she was 14. when she started the show.

Ladies and gentlemen, one of my favorite TV daughters ever, the wonderful, the incomparable lyric Nicole Ross. Hello. Hi. Thank you for joining us in the flesh. Yeah, thank you.

I'm glad to be in a room this time. Yeah, it's so different from Zoom. You just moved back to L.A.? I did. For what for? To come do the podcast? Pretty much. Yeah, that's about it.

You did not have to move. You could have just flown in for the day. I think that was the better idea. Yeah. Yeah. So for context, Elbug lives in Chicago, was living in Chicago when you wound up book in the show as well. It's where you began your acting career right at age five. Pretty much.

What was the first thing you ever did when you were five? Was it a commercial? Was it a TV? What was it? I think it was like a Jet magazine ad. Oh. Jet! Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. It doesn't even make that new one, did it? Yeah. It was a pretty ad. Yeah. Okay. Mm-hmm.

What was the first on-camera job you got? How old were you and you got it? Was I, like, nine? Okay. What was it? It was some commercial for, like, a future woman president that they had done, you know, on the news. Nice. Were you going to be the president?

I was one of them. Yeah. It was four of us, I think. Oh, wow. Yeah. What gave you, what were you inspired by as a young person that made you want to become an actor, a performer, be in the business at all? You're so lovely and like you have such a gentleness to you that like, do you know what I mean? Too lovely for this industry.

You know, I'm just so curious. Honestly, I've been wanting to do this since I can remember. Yeah. This story that my mom keeps telling about when I was like two years old and the Incredibles came out and I just got really obsessed with Frozone and this one monologue that he had and I started like trying to memorize it. Yeah. Really? Yeah. So it's like, okay, whatever this is, I want to do it.

Whatever is called acting, theatrical, whatever, like I'm going for it. Just memorizing stuff. Yes, it's been like that. since. So cute. I love the Incredibles too. Me too. Honey, where's my super suit? Thank you. Same right. You're locked into the pro zone. So then, okay, going back to Chris's question then, starting off in Chicago, going back to Chicago after the show was over, right? What ultimately brought you out here to L.A. right now? I can't say that I just, I was so eager to make this move. Sure.

It was a lot of prayer that went into it. I really wanted to make sure I was doing the best thing for me. And I think at the time that I moved back to Chicago, that was the best thing. To just be close to the family and just have some time to discover what is going on in here. And that season just kind of came to a close. And I was like, okay, let's see what the next step is. And I kept feeling that it was to come back here, but in a different way. I don't know what that means just yet, but I'm going to find out.

Still processing. I'm through you. It is interesting. Like, I will say this before we go any further, like L.A., sometimes you guys, let me know how you feel. Mandy, you've been famous your whole life. So I'm curious. Hold on. But here's the thing.

Be quiet. Be quiet. It is true. It is true. There's this feeling that, like, well, New York, L.A., you've done Chicago as well, so you can speak to that. When you're not working in one of those, like, mainly theatrical communities, you still feel very much connected to that community. And, like, even though there's a reading somewhere or there's a play that you go see and there's still a feeling of like, sometimes when you're not working in L.A., it just feels kind of lonely. Is that? Yeah.

Is that what you're feeling right now? Yeah, I miss my family bad. Oh, my goodness. And when I got introduced to LA, I got introduced to Hollywood. Okay. Which is like, it's already like, I don't like this at all. Yeah. So hopefully this is getting introduced to another part of LA that's a lot more genuine

and real people who are not so married to their jobs. I would love to explore that if possible. I feel you. It's out there. It is. It's really brave of you to come out here on your own and to like pray on it and to trust your gut that this is where you need to be in this season of your life. Because it is like, I'm sure it's incredibly challenging to step away from your family and your comfort zone.

And your community in Chicago. There is still so much art that's being made there. But to know that like for whatever reason, you're being called out here right now is, yeah, it's just, it's really brave. And I know you will find community out here, too. There are, there are good people. There's not just the industry. I think we all can attest to that. Like, it's what keeps us here in some ways, but like you stay because you find your people. Yeah. It's such a sprawling place. You can't, you can't point. Like, in New York, you can kind of see New York in Chicago. You're like, there it is. That's it. Right over there,

this neighborhood from here to here. And in L.A. it just seems to go on forever. Ever and ever and ever. And you're like, are we still in L.A.? And people are like, yeah. Yeah, still in L.A. We'm driving in a straight line for 90 minutes.

Still in L.A. Still Los Angeles. Where's Hollywood? Nobody knows. Nobody knows. They've already passed it. It's very true. Yeah.

It's very true. Yeah, there's the sign. That's not it, though. Yeah. That's not it. It's more ethereal than that. Here's, okay. So let me ask you this one, right?

You're 14 when you get this gig. 13. 13 when you get the gig. Oh, my. Please do the research. What did it feel like? What do you remember about the audition? I know we've asked you this before.

I'm just revisiting or whatnot because I ultimately want to get to like, what's it like growing up kind of on a show? Like, did you feel in the, the midst of it, were you missing home? Were you just excited for the opportunity? Was it all fulfilling? Was some of it hard? Like, I just want to know a little bit about how your experience was from 13 to 18, like, doing the whole thing. I think at that point, I had had enough of home. At 13. Yeah. We're good. I've had my...

I've done enough of this. I'd have grown you. It's only because, you know, I'm being put in a position that, like, I've... I have never done anything like this before. And this is beyond where I was taken in my dreams. So it was like, I don't know what to do in this moment other than, you know, give it as much as I possibly can. Because I was just a guest star at that point. So it's like, okay, you got two or three episodes guaranteed.

to knock out the park. How am I going to do it? I don't know, but I'm a try. And so that was it for me. I was like, okay, two, three episodes and I'm going home. I'm going to live my dream for like two weeks, and I'm going home. And after that, they just, I kept bringing me back. And I'm like, what is going on?

It literally felt like my life was shifting. And it was a lot for me to take in. First of all, all of the cutting of the hair and the shaving a plug in my head. It's like in the end, that didn't even matter because I wanted this so bad. So I was extremely excited, really happy. And, yes. So do you, as you were recalling that story, or do you actively remember being nervous?

And I ask you this question because, since you hit it really well, like we all know El Boogie is an old soul. Yes. And it's like from the first time you were on set, I was like, oh, she's been doing this for 40 years. Yeah. Right? And like clearly you're not 40.

But like nerves weren't one of the first things that I caught. And like you can usually clock when people are nervous, nervous, but like your ability to move through it, it didn't impede your artistry. And I don't know if you have any sort of thoughts about it, but like I'm curious because you do the job, like, and you do the job really, really well. And I'm wondering, like, what would you accredit that to

in terms of like either preparation, your practice, or even just like who you are as a person? I mean, I don't know, because I was shaking in my boots every, single day. I was on that set. But I did have a mother. I still have a mother. You still do. Shout out to Brandon. Yes. She has always believed in me more than I believed in myself. So when it came to work ethic and confidence, it mostly came from her. And, you know, the rehearsing every day, even when I didn't have. have auditions and kind of threatening to take certain things away.

It's like I'm paying all this gas money and you want to complain about going to an audition on a certain school day or whatever. You know, all of that, everything that built up to that specific moment, it was already instilled in me by her. I don't know. I can't really explain it other than that. It's just I had a good foundation. Yeah.

How do you lock into the work when you are on set, though? As Sterling said, because you just have, you're, you have such a gentle way. You're so calm. And it comes across as like, just so connected, so connected to who you are. And I'm just curious, like, how do you form that? How do you tap into that? It's so seamless. Like, you are Dajia.

There's no, like, right? Yeah. Oh, yeah. It's, so I'm just curious. I don't think it's much of a formula to that for me. I just, I love what I do so much. I love the creation, the imagination, the freedom to just do anything that comes up and let whatever is in me flow out. And when I feel like I am in a safe space to do so, which T.I.U. gave me that space. It's like I was so relaxed weirdly and still scared, still afraid of messing up.

There was so much peace on that set. And I was just like, yeah, let's go, especially with this one. Like, since what? The callback. I remember the way that you looked at me. It was almost like you, we were like, this right here is already set in stone. It was a callback. It was two other girls there.

But you looked at me like, this is what it's going to be for however. Yeah. Like it's a done deal. Let's get it. We'll be right back with more that was us. You gotta try breakfast at A&W.

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I can tell you this, me and Sue, after we're done with you and the other young ladies, we went to Dan immediately. Like, there's no, there's no thing. Like, the other young ladies were wonderful. Sure. They were delightful. But you talk about somebody who was just like, plant it, right?

I was like, there's no other choice, right? And Dan was like, yeah, you're right. And I was, me and Sue were like overjoyed. It was like, all right, he didn't mess it. He picked the one, right? And so when you got there, like, there's, you had, like, I make fun of you because I love you. But because, like, there's this, like, wonderful sense of awe that she,

she had coming on the set. Like she would just look at everything and be like, oh, look at that. Oh, we got real strawberries. Like, oh. I wasn't allowed to eat on the other sets, okay? This is a new world. We have the pigeons that having breakfast, like, can we eat these pears? Oh.

It was the best. It was the best. But then, like, because I don't think you yell in life. or like sort of get too high or whatnot. But when it's on set or whatnot, you don't meet too many young people that feel more mature than you. Yeah.

And that's what you feel like, right? And I remember it was a perfect dynamic for Randall and Dasia because there'd be times in which I wanted to give her something. And she's like, I already know that. I don't need that. You know what I'm saying? Totally.

And it was like, oh, yeah, that's probably how it is in life, too. Lyrics like, we're good. Thanks, Sterling. Bringing some of my experience to this as well. She's like, let me tell you something. But she would never do that because she's not that person. But she could. She'd be like, Sterling, like, I have a suggestion.

And I would be like, okay, whatever. Tell me. Yes. I wanted to help. Yes. That's crazy. You've been here before. Yes.

Like hands down. Well, I saw her, she came to visit me at Paradise the other day. And we had just got finished watching the episode where she goes to Boston, where Dacia goes to Boston to see Malik. And I was telling her. And we talked about this on the podcast. At the end of the episode where I said, like, you know, it's going to take me a while to catch up. I'm used to seeing the cute little girl who first came into my house and everything. So give me a moment to like, you know, appreciate the young lady who's in front of me right now.

That being said, you were not honest or whatnot, and it's going to be a while before you get a chance to see your boyfriend again. Yeah. And this young lady looked at me and said, that's going to be a problem. And I was like, I don't know who this broad thing is she talking to. Yep. But it was one of the strongest lines in the show. It was one of the strongest lines. Are her daddy?

Yeah. That's going to be a problem. Because it wasn't mean. As a matter of fact, it was, it was, it was chilling to do. I was like, can you say that? Yeah. Like that? Yes.

She just did. And she did. And you're like, well, that's going to necessitate a further conversation. And it was really brilliant. Like, you know what I mean? Yeah. We'll just have to talk about that. Because it wasn't the whiny teenager.

Like, Dad, what are you talking? No. It was just so adult. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, that's what you think. Yeah. And I think...

So this is interesting, too, because you can recognize this at this point in time, but if not, I'll just say it out loud. Because you were recurring on the first season or whatnot. And if it had gone terribly wrong, you probably would have done two or three episodes. But when writers look on the camera, they're looking at the dailies, and they're seeing what an actor is giving them, we're like, we're going to write more for her. Right? And you got a chance to carry episodes.

Yeah. Like, as a teenager. Yeah. What do, like, tell me, like, the episode where you, like, you, it's your grandmother's Pam Greer, you don't have too much to do with Pam Greer. Do you have any scenes with her before you? But, you know, there's, so there's the young girl, and then it's you and what's my girl who plays? Shauna. Shauna.

Joy. Joy, yes, Joy Brunson. Like, talk to us about, like, that episode and what you remember about, like, you. You put it on your back and you carried that, what it feel like? I was so scared. Sometimes I don't believe you. I was so scared.

I think he was ready. No. Well, she was clearly because you did it. It was great. Like, I thought they were doing way too much. And things were going so fast. Like, how am I supposed to do this? But it was a huge honor and I was so nervous that I would.

mess it up. Yeah. So it was kind of like, I don't know. I was afraid of everything, like every single wrong move. But everybody was so reassuring that, you know, I'm here for a reason. And I am doing this because of what the people have seen prior. Yeah. So it was kind of like, okay, I mean, y'all are crazy, but we, let's just,

Let's just do it. And this whole time you were going back and forth to Chicago, even after you became a regular in season three, right? Mm-hmm. Season three. You were going back and forth to Chicago. You were still in the same school, same group of people. Yeah.

What was it like kind of dipping in and out of that world socially? And then after those episodes come out, becoming like a recognizable person at such a young age. That was rough. Was it? Yeah. In my way. Because I am, if you couldn't tell, very reserved.

And just, you know, coming back home and having random people recognizing me from a specific show. Like I couldn't go to the grocery store without a line of people being in the back of me for some reason, trying to get a picture with me. It was ridiculous. And I had no idea that that was to come after I had made this appearance going, this is us. So it kind of just hit me out of nowhere. The parisocial relationships are odd enough as it is. But people forget, like, this is a child. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. You are a kid. This is a kid who's trying to go about her life. And, you know, it's one thing to follow a grown man around a grocery store and try to get a photo. Still weird. But even more so. But I do it, Sterling.

Whenever I see you, I saw you. I still do it. I saw you at the trader, Joe. That's all right. But yeah, what was it like in the school setting? Like, how did your friends react to you coming and going? Support, jealousy, mixture. It was a nice.

mixture. But I would say that coming back after I had cut my hair, ooh. Sure. Kids are extremely cruel. Yeah. What they say about the cute? Oh my God. It was

horrible. It was really bad. I have two daughters that had to cut their hair on the show. And neither one of them, they were like, ah, I didn't like it. Yeah. Like the whole time I was like, you're like, I'm not looking forward to this at all.

But honestly, you're doing that. to a young black girl. With most of us, our hair is everything. Speak on it. So it's like you're taking all of that. As someone who has struggled with low self-esteem, I used to use my long hair because it was pretty long. As kind of like, I don't know, a sense of protection.

I already didn't think that I was beautiful. without it. So you're taking away my beauty. Now what do I have? Now I got to come back as, as this. I'm not saying it in like a literal sense, but I do, I did think that I was hideous. Oh my gosh. It was, that was kind of the reality. And I didn't have people around me telling me otherwise, at least in that school. So that was something that I had to just live through for some time. How long did it feel like, like, before it, like, you felt covered again? Maybe until, like, a few years ago.

Oh, wow. Listen, I'm going to tell you guys something. And this is an important conversation. Like, I would talk to this young lady all the time and tell her how beautiful she was. And she's like, nope. I'm like, what do you mean? No. She's like, I'm not.

Like, you can say that, but I know I'm not. And I'm like, look at this smile. Oh, my gosh. The most dazzling smile. Look at the eyes. Look at the nose and the jaw. And she's, listen. It's a beautiful girl.

Yeah. Beautiful human. It was real tough. And it still is because I think, she still sort of works through it. Mm-hmm. Right? And I sort of insist on trying to be another voice because we all go through that.

I go through it easily. Like there's times in which I look at, like, kid pictures of me, and I was like, whoo, that's tough. Thank God for a beard to cover up all this face. I'm not being perfectly honest with you. When Xavier has to go back in the day and be like clean-shaven, ah, it's a lot of face. Give me a beard.

Let me cover some of this crap up. Like, I don't need to. So I say that to know, like, if I even have that voice in my own head or whatnot, I'm deeply appreciative when other people give me another voice to hear. And so I'm going to keep saying it, not because I'm trying to convince you, but every once in a while you'd be like, well, Sterling thinks this. Yeah. And Mandy and Chris.

There you go. And this entire podcast. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Are you able to think back now to that time and have a little more grace for yourself and recognize that maybe it wasn't quite as bad as? Yeah, I definitely, I look at myself a lot differently than I did. Sure. Then.

Thank goodness. There was a lot that had to happen in order for me to get to that point. But I am starting to see and appreciate the beauty that I carry, more so the inner beauty. Because I wasn't seeing any of it at one point. So it's like now things are just starting to come up. Like, oh, okay. I didn't even know that this was a part of me. Like this is something that I actually really loved in this particular person that I grew up with or that I was around.

And I share that same thing. So it's different stuff like that. And my relationship with God and how he looks at me, that has probably played the biggest part of turning around my own vision, my natural vision at least. Yeah. How does God see you? Oh, don't make me cry. I am a literal princess. Yeah.

I am royalty, which is crazy that that's coming out of my mouth, but it's true. Being a child of God and being made in his inn. image. There's so much beauty in that in itself. There's so much love that you walk with and that you have to share. And the light that you carry in the midst of darkness, that in itself is very powerful. and I'm starting to realize that he gave me that type of power to share with others and to change a couple of things around me. I answer your question without me. That's a good answer.

That's an acceptable answer, I think. I'm good with that. It's okay. It's all right. Did those moments of seeing how, you know, having to cut your hair or how people reacted to that or the difficulties, did that ever, did you ever waver on whether or not this was the right path for you? Or were you still steadfast in that? I think I'll waver for like two minutes. And then I was like, okay, I'm over it.

Because again, I wanted this so bad. Like, it's going to grow back somehow. Yes, of course. But I want this for the rest of my life. And if I let it slip just because they're trying to cut my hair, first of all, I thought it was going to be like into a cute little bob. So I was like, okay, that's. That's not too bad.

But you know, you had to, like you did, you did it, didn't you? I was very short. Yeah, they put it into like two pigtails and I went, got some scissors and started cutting. And Ken can't really piss me off with this one. He was just telling me, it's like, higher lyric, just just go a little bit higher, just keep going higher. I was like, oh, I'm about to throw something at this man right here. But it was after that where they had the hairstylist kind of, you know, give me a tapered look. I cannot think of a better or worse person to be giving you that direction.

Like, for those show who don't know, Ken, it's like, it's both perfect, and there could not be a more infuriating situation, I imagine, for you, especially being new to the show. This is my first impression of you. Who's this? gentleman. He's a vibe. I'm sorry, sir. Sorry, who are you?

What? 30 what? 30 something. What? Listen, I'm not from here. Higher. This is enough. This is enough, sir.

Okay, so your experience, we mentioned working with Joy Brunson. You guys did such exceptional work together. And she came back a lot on the show as well. So I'm just curious, like, what your relationship. was how, because you guys developed this sort of instant chemistry, especially in the one episode, which I'm blanking on the title of, Sam, the one that lyric carried that was an entire Deja century.

I think it's, I think it's season three. Because there's a whole thing of her, like the end of season two, she goes back with her mom. Yes, yes, right? And she's back and forth, back and forth. And there's us, like, sort of like, they're sleeping in the car. And that's what it sort of goes into season three, I believe. because Beth and I begins our problems

when we go to Vegas for your bachelor party or whatnot and she's calling me from there and she's like, why are you answering? Yeah, it's season three, I'm pretty sure. Oh, it's 2017. Okay. It's in the season two.

Yeah. We didn't even get out. You were not even a series regular. And they're like, get a girl an episode. But you're right, but to that effect, you're right, Sterling. It's like our writers were watching

daily's getting reports back from set from Dan and they were writing to that the fact that like how rare that is yeah and also like i think we've talked about this a lot like it speaks a lot to our audience too that are like we're invested cool you tell us where you're going we're going to follow you every single direction yeah you're telling us you're going to give us a whole episode about this young woman i bet you she's a very integral part of like the entirety of this series and this family like let's go yeah I love that. But your work with joy was so beautiful to watch throughout the entirety of the show. What was it like working with her? How did you find that chemistry with her so immediately?

She just kind of gave it to me. I don't know. It was already there. She was so much fun. She was so genuine and relaxed. She was just a cool. to work with and be around. And she, I mean, like, thank you for talking about the work that I did in that episode. But she was really the anchor, for me, at least. Like, I don't think that I would have done such a great job if it weren't for joy. She gave you a lot to work, right? Yeah.

She carried that for me. I love that. Is there a particular? And you, of course, did a lot of incredible work. with Asante. Yeah. Black. Yeah.

And is there a... He was supposed to be here. Yeah, look right in the camera and tell him where he's supposed to be. Yeah. You were supposed to be. Anyways, we'll talk to you later, Sate. Wait, wait. You can ask you a question, but you just made me...

Remember we did a talk back somewhere where Kenya Barris was, like, hosting it for an episode that you guys were sort of front and center on? And I was like, and you're like, I don't know how to talk to people. And I was like, you just open your mouth and say a little something. And so, Black, Black is like a little grown man. He loves talking to anybody, everything like that. And she's like, Assonte is 19.

And she knows how to talk to people and everything like, I'm only 17. And I was like, you're going to be fine. She's like, no, I'm not, stir. It's hilarious. I'm not. Not going to be fine. More that was us after these words from our sponsors. New from Nespresso.

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And what better way than with a delicious Pratt organic coffee? Starting with just $1 all day, every day now until December 31st. You gotta try breakfast. At participating A&W locations in Ontario. Is there a particular storyline in this? the show or a scene that you either found the most satisfying or the most challenging?

Like, what was the hardest stuff to work on? And what was the most enjoyable stuff to work on? I think when it comes to the hardest and most enjoyable, I think they kind of go hand-in-hand. Great. Okay. Because I love a good challenge. Yes, ma'am. And I like working with people.

working with people who I consider to be great or one of the greats. So anytime I worked with Sterling, anytime that I worked with Asante, I would say that those were the most challenging and the most enjoyable at the same time. Because I felt like we were not in competition, but yeah, in competition. It's you against me right now. But it's fun, it's playful. And like you throw something at me and I throw something back at you. Like it was really.

You have to raise your game with people like that. Yeah. It's exciting. I like to think of it like as it is a bit of a tennis match, but it's a match to see how long you can keep the volley going. It's not like you're trying to like knock it past somebody. You're not trying to get the point. You're not trying to get the point, but you try to come up with as many shots as you can on that bottom.

You know what I'm saying? Yeah. And just have some fun with it, for sure. We have a couple of questions from listeners here from Jess W. She said, in what ways did you surprise yourself the most playing Dacia? I think there are certain moments where I would see, I guess, the playback, whatever. Because I don't understand fully what I'm doing in the moment. I'm just in the moment sometimes.

So it's like when they say cut, it's like, hey, I don't know what I just did. Is that okay? Like I'm kind of freaking out. And then I'll see it or whatever. And I'm like, what did I just do with my eyes? Like, what was that little subtle movement right there? Like, what were those kinds of things?

Like, I didn't know that I could do that without, realizing or playing the end, being fully prepared or whatever. Sure. Like, you know, having a step-by-step plan. Yeah. So I would say that those are the moments where I surprised myself. Yeah. I'm sorry, you just made me think of something.

I always sort of looked at it like, okay, in my mind, I think I'm doing this. And then when I would watch it for me early in my career, I was closer to, to that. And for me, it took a while for what I think I'm doing and what I want to see to sort of sink up. Sure. But I feel like that synced up pretty fast for you. Do you have a tough time watching yourself? Absolutely. Well, you shouldn't. No, I'm just kidding. You get to feel however you want. You do have a tough time? Absolutely. Really? Absolutely. I don't like the different mannerisms that come out of me. My voice gets on my nerves. What? Yeah. Oh, gosh.

Yeah, it's really hard. You got to get used to it. Has it gotten any easier? Absolutely not. Copy that. inga. org on Instagram says, is there a trait about Deja

you wish you had yourself? I feel like a lot of the traits that Deja carries would have gotten me in trouble with my mom growing up. Well, that's going to be a problem. Yeah, yeah. That would have got me smack.

Could it get that would. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, softy rindle ain't going to do nothing. It was actually one of those times where we were watching an episode and I looked at my mom. I was like, if I said that to you, what would have happened? And she was like, I don't think you would be here today. You've ended your life.

But, I mean. Dacia is so brave and so sure of herself, she's not, she's not one to let somebody tell her about who she is. And that is something that I kind of, I grew up doing. You know, if that's what you think about me, then that's, that must be how I am. And I kind of just, I took it as the truth.

Interesting. But she is one of those people, which is crazy. Like you're 12. And you're like, no, I know me. And you can think whatever you believe, but this is what I want and this is what I'm going after. That's something that I'm still learning how to do today. So I'll take that with me. That's good answer.

Yeah. M. Spear 102. On IG said, did you ever get to meet Future Deja, the actor who played? Yeah, did you meet her? Briefly. Yeah, I was walking past her. I think she came out of the makeup trailer and I was going in. Is that me?

Is that me? First of all, she didn't sound anything like me in that moment. Yeah. So when I saw her in that first episode, I was like, This is so freaky. The casting is. My three daughters in the future look a lot like my three daughters.

I told you, Taylor was not watching, and he just happened to look up. He's like, oh, it's Tess, in Asia. Yeah. I was like, yeah. I mean, this is during the rewatch. But it was like, without, he wasn't watching along, but without skipping a beat,

he knew exactly what was happening. I was like, yep, nailed it. Yeah, that was, it's too much. That was a lot. I already don't like my own voice. So now you are like a copy and paste. I can't do too much. Sterling loves to do his impression of you.

Sterling makes me sound like a Southern bill. I don't know where he's getting that from. I don't know where he's getting that from me. Now he's all self-conscious. Now, I declare. I do not know where he is getting that. And of course, the last question we have from Shannon is, which cast member made you laugh the most,

but I think that's fairly obvious. Yeah, but what about... That it was me. Okay, okay. Come on, your sisters. Yeah. You and Eris laughed at the line. That's the thing.

Like, Eres is so unintentionally funny. She's uninterested. That's great. Especially when she was younger. Uh-huh. Because she was, you never knew whether she was serious or not. Right. You still don't.

She was her. She was her. She's the same. Yeah. Did you get to see her when you visited Paradise? Was she there? Yeah. Because she actually came on Aris' birthday.

So Aris just turned 21. Oh. This month. Yeah. Did you make Eris? I saw on Instagram. Did you make Aris get you a cup of coffee? I was like, you are grown.

I should have. You should have ordered something. Yeah. You didn't order anything from Aris? Oh, Aris, can I get a, I'll take a sandwich. I think you did the ordering for me. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. She should have to bring us food. Yeah. Yeah. And she was like.

I was surprised because I didn't tell her that she was coming to the set, and then they just hugged. It was very, very, very sweet. They laughed a lot. Eris, in the Pearson family, is a bit of an engine for merriment. Yes. She brought a lot of joy. And you can tell you mischief. She has a mischievous sparkle in her eye at all times.

Yeah. There's sweetness from faith. There's like deep introspection from Elvug. And then Aris was just like, Showtale. Yeah. Let's shake it up. When you look back on your time on our show.

I love you guys looking at the questions. I'm just like listening to it. No, no, no, no. I just want to, you know, make sure we're asking some things that people are curious about. What do you look back and are most proud of about that 13-year-old that came on the set and did the bravest thing ever? Just jumping in head first to this experience. Like, what are you most proud of? of that 13 year old for?

I think I'm proud of the fact that she went in and did the job like that was her last chance. Very proud of that without knowing anything about what the future held. Yeah. She went in and just did it regardless of her emotions and, and, you know, and. Any doubts running through her mind. She did it. Very proud about that. Yes.

You did, I mean, like, I'm hands down without a question. I could not have done that at 13. I would have been so in my head about so many different things, what have you, in terms of my worth or am I deserve this or blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. blah, that like when I saw you do it, Sue and I both, we were just like, are you watching this little guy? And I was like, yeah, I'm watching it.

I mean, we would just have like these little sidebar conversations and be like, this girl is not playing around. And she was like, you better step your game up, bro. I was like, hey, you bet that, Sue, you too. I ain't trying to get acted off the screen. Yeah. Like, we was having conversations like, we were watching something special.

Yeah. Like you're, I believe that you are special. And I think the world has only gotten a glimpse of what you are truly capable of. And so let me ask you this question. As we transition from child actor to a young adult now, what have you? Like, what are you finding, how are you categorizing that transnational? Is it an easy transition? Do people want you to play younger than what you are? Do you feel like you're getting age-appropriate role offers and auditions? Just talk to me a little bit about that transition. I think it's a little weird. Like with the way that I look already, I'm not necessarily

going after my age or a little older. But I guess I'm not necessarily going after my age or a little older. but I guess there's a demeanor that I carry that's like, well, maybe she should play her age or a little older. So it's like go back and forth. I'd rather not play younger because I've done it a few times and I've had enough. You like bringing a maturity to the things that you've done. Like, I have a life experience that I can lean on.

Yeah, yeah. And, I mean, if there is a younger role with just like a really cool story, yeah. I'm okay with the whole, the teeny bopperish thing. Like, that's for somebody. That's cool. Okay. Not hating?

Yeah, absolutely not. Absolutely not. I just, that's not. Yeah. That's not what I want to be a part of necessarily. You want to go deep. I would like to Yeah

Yeah I would like to I feel you Yeah Yeah It's been weird Because it is a transition And it's a long transition

Yeah Let me tell Before anything else happens I don't know People Put this girl to work Yeah Hello

Hello Yeah Hello Put this girl To work She is One of the best I have seen do it.

Talk to us, really. She, look, a professional. You know, this is funny. I remember one time, only one time. You remember you'd like been up late and you had like a couple of hours of sleep and you had the monologue outside of something and you were just like, I was like, you're all right?

She's like, I'm tired. And I was like, let's go into this room and we're going to run these lines. And you remember we just did it. Like over and over. We're just going to do it and do it. and do it. And I was like, how you feeling?

She's like, I'm still tired. I do believe I have a case of the vapors. All right. Okay. But she knocked it out, right? And this is, like, what you're talking to me about is something that we just heard in a letter on the last podcast where like, even through the tough times, the difficulties or whatnot, you were still intent to move forward. Like, when you talk about your nerves, Maybe you had them.

Maybe I caught a glimpse of them. But when they called action, yeah. In it. In it, man. So I'm saying, like, this is a young person who has been here before who's meant to do this job.

Give her and yourself the pleasure of watching her work. Period. Yeah. Period. Point blank. That's it. End of story.

Yeah. Should we do some fun ones? We'll say goodbye. You got a fun? A couple of fun questions. Give her fun. Yeah. Do you have a comfort movie,

Comfort TV show, something you'd go to to, like, hide away? Chronicles of Narnia. Oh. The movie or the book? The movie. The movie? Yeah.

Okay. And the book. I like that. Excellent choice. I've just introduced Bear to the Chronicles of Narnia. He's very into it. Oh, my goodness. Yeah.

He loves it. He loves it so much. Okay. What about something you're currently obsessed with right now? That has nothing to do with acting. Alone time. Oh. Well, you're getting some of it, right?

I cherish being by myself and not being bothered by anyone. Wow. Well, thanks for coming. Drive that phone on airplane mode and just tap out. Message received. Anyways, that was us. She's like alone time. You know what I love more than anything?

Not answering dumb these questions. I mean, we should, because this next question involves Sterling's first celebrity crush, so we should acknowledge the passing at the Great Dolly Parton. Yeah, I thought about you. Bro, that hit me. It really hit me because I was just on the phone and I got a times alert or whatnot, and I was just like, what? She was everybody's favorite person.

I don't think you could, like, have found. I didn't know just like the level of philanthropy that that one. Like, who donated over $500 million. Yeah, well, he was the same. Like, making sure that young people were reading because she grew up in a place where literacy was not the most readily encompassed thing. Like, she could have been a billionaire. And she's like, you know what, there's more important things. There's another way that I can circulate my wealth, my energy, my talent into the world that don't just benefit me, but benefit all of us.

Shout out to DP. Dolly pardon, let me give the full thing, because I don't want anybody misinterpreted it. me, Dolly partner, I love you. Dolly partner? Yeah. So, I mean, we've talked about it a lot on this podcast. Do you have a first celebrity crush? I don't.

Is that crazy? No. Not at all. Not at all. You asked me that before. Yeah. And you didn't believe me. So you started, like, looking people up.

I did. And many people probably, you sure wasn't this person? So, because here's the thing, too. Like, L. Book knows a lot of stuff that I would consider myself to be a contemporary of, like, like 90s, hip-hop. and R&B or what have you. So, like, would it even be anybody from that era? Oh, you know, I just got into the trial that just opened back up.

Tupac was fine. Tupac, that was a beautiful man. Yeah, he was beautiful. That's true. A beautiful man. This is true. Okay. That's a good, that's a good one.

That's one of the best. I know. I know. I know it was a good crush. But, I mean, that's, that one my celebrity crushed, though. I'm just acknowledging that the man was gorgeous. All right, so lyric What's the difference?

Your alone time is about to start. You're by yourself, are you listening to music? I am listening to music. What is the artist right now? Okay. That we should be listening to. Is there a particular artist? What was the last artist you listened to?

That you were like, this is the jam. I have an answer to that one. Oh, you do? Well, mine's different. Not for you. It's for me. I just want to answer the question real quick because as I was in Martha's Vineyard,

I was playing John Baptiste. His song American Symphony, I think is like one of the most beautiful things. Oh, I got to listen to it on the way home. I'll play it for you, like right after the podcast is over. Like it makes me feel things. And I'm like overcome with this idea. Like I have to put this in a film or a TV show.

And it has to like I have like images in my head that come to me. It's like it's just piano. Yeah. It's gorgeous. Wow. Yeah, he is so. He's amazing. Incredible.

Unbelievable talking. Anybody? Momon is playing. That's fine. It's okay. That's fine. No pressure. That was enough socializing for today.

Yeah. It's a long time. You've reached your limit. We're done now. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. That was an hour with Lyric Nicole Ross.

I love you. You're one of my favorite people on this planet. I'm so happy to be able to share the city with you. If and when you don't want a long time and you want a meal with me and Ryan, Michelle, and Michelle and two crazy boys. Come through to the crib, man. Don't be a stranger. Bring Brandy because Brandy's out here too.

And we get a chance to kick it. And again, just one last time. Put my girl to work, man. Let's do it. Go check out her work on Ironheart, which is on Disney Plus, where she kills, kills. And then if you need to come back and you've been watching the rewatch podcast,

so you already know what she's done on our show. Undeniable. Let us get more. We've seen the young woman. I want she grown now. Let her cook. Let her cook. That's all I got.

Do you want to look at your camera and say that was us? Ladies and gentlemen, that was us. She was us. That Was Us is filmed at Rabbit Grin Studios and produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith. Da da da da da da da-da-dum. That was us. That was a hate gum podcast.