That Was Us - RE-RELEASE - Jon Huertas and Us | Miguel Rivas

Episode Date: January 7, 2025

RE-RELEASE episode! Before we get back to new episodes, we're continuing with our special re-releases for anyone who may have missed out on these fan-favorite episodes! This week, Jon Huertas, AKA Miguel Rivas, is with us! That's right, Jack's best friend and Rebecca's second husband. Jon chats about his audition process for the role of Miguel, the epic way he found out Miguel married Rebecca, how he handled negative comments about Miguel’s character, the prosthetics process, what Jon felt as an actor during emotional scenes, and so much more! That Was Us is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Follow That Was Us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, and X! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey, everybody, Chris Sullivan here with another re-release episode for our holiday break here on That Was Us. Today, we are listening back to one of my favorite episodes, our interview with our favorite person, John Huertes, who played Miguel on the show. We also refer to him as the most interesting man in the world. You'll soon learn why. He is a man of many talents. We get into him studying musical theater while he was in the Air Force. That right there would be enough for anybody to be the most interesting person in the world. We also talked to him about an interesting audition experience where he later realizes that Norman Lear was sitting over there. He finds out from hair and makeup that he's married to Rebecca in the future and many, many other stories. It's one of my favorite interviews that we've done.

It came out early on. So here is a chance to listen again. Hope you're all having a good holiday. We will be back with new episodes on January 21st, 2025. Welcome to a very special episode of that was us. We have a very special guest in the house today. everybody's favorite stepdad slash caretaker

slash dad's best friend slash just all around homie ladies and gentlemen we're talking about John Huerta's welcome to the show thanks guys thanks for having me thank you for being here man I want to start off with with something that I was asking we were talking to episode 108 and we were talking how early on in the show

like the public perception of Miguel was not the most positive, shall we say? We could say that. They didn't have the information they needed. They didn't have the information they needed. I was like, if they could flash forward to Zoom 6 and see that Miguel episode. Slow burn. The first question I have to Wirtis as the actor, was that sort of like dislike from the

public of the character internalized in any shape, form, or fashion? Did you have any feeling about it as you were going through it and people were like, no dude that ain't right you shouldn't the guy with your best friends my you know what did you have any feelings you know i think uh you know first of all when the audience reacts the way that they react um it's something that we as actors uh can sometimes take personally uh sure sure absolutely and you know you learn when you study uh acting you learn that you know you studied i did a little bit i did a little bit um how dare you first of all how very dare you but you want people to You want people like your character, even if you're the villain.

Like, you know, you want to, you know, love to hate you or whatever. And so, you know, that reaction was something that was a little bit jarring. But at the same time, as an actor, you like to be challenged, too. Sure. So I wanted to take on the challenge of saying, all right, you guys don't like this character now. Yeah. Can we get them back? Watch this.

Exactly. Did you, okay, let's take it back to the very, very beginning. What was your experience? like being cast on the show. What was, did you read the script? Did you just meet with Dan? Like, what was, how did you go down? Good one.

So I was, um, uh, I was on a show before that. What was the name of that show? Oh, that show. Oh, okay. Okay. Okay. I'm acting all incognito, we know what the show is. That's where I met you.

I know. I did an episode of Castle when we got a chance to kick it. That's right, it's right. So, um, that show had gone down and I was like, oh shit. And I needed a job. And so, uh, You know, I call started coming in and I was doing this chemistry read with Justine Makado for... Love Justin.

Yeah, she's great. For one day at a time for Netflix. So same casting director as This Is Us. Yeah. So you guys shot the pilot. I was still doing Castle, whatever. And so I didn't know what the show was. But I kept doing this.

I did two chemistry reads. And Norman Lear, who I think we're going to bring up later, I didn't realize he was in the room when I was doing a I just thought it was bring your grandpa to work day I swear it was an old dude sitting over there with a hat on and I was like doing my thing with Justina by the way i know justina for like he got a chance to audition for lauren lear yes he's like who's this old dude in the corner anyway i did i was like yeah i was looking who's this dude so i'm talking to just and suddenly the old dude was like john can you do it again but i want you why is he talking to me right now.

Directors here, showrunners here. So I'm looking at this. Again, a little insight into our industry. You walk into these rooms, nobody tells you anything that's going on. They're just like, go in there and act. Right. And it's, and it's lit, it's like a set. So it's me and her on set.

So it's lit and it's kind of dark like this. At no point, just so you know, Norman Lear is in there. No, of course. Nobody told me a legend. I'm trying to audition. I know. I was like, I got it, bro. I got it, bro. Thanks, man.

But he said out, he goes, and by the way, it's a sitcom, a multi-cam sitcom, double-spaced words. You know, that's like, there's a certain style of acting for that. Right. And so he was like, I want to feel like you're trying to rip her head off her body. That was the note. Intense. That was the Norman Leandro. Okay.

And so I did it again. And I wouldn't, so I didn't do his, no, I didn't do his note. You didn't do his note. So I just did my thing. I'll do it my life. You know what I mean? I'm making my choices, bro. If you don't like it, cool.

Brass ones. So then I... Brass ones. But I didn't know it was him. So, because everybody else is liking my shit. So then I leave. And they... I get a call and they're like, yeah, John, they want you to come back and do it again because,

you know, everyone loved what you were doing except Norman Lear thought that you just weren't getting to where he wanted. I was like, who? Norman, what? That was the old man? Because I thought Norman Lear was like, he was 94 when you were sitting in that room. That hat's the giveaway. Yeah. If you see it, oh, man, in a hat.

That's the signature. It was either him or Woody Allen. Yeah, exactly. Signature. And he's canceled, so I know he wasn't. He wouldn't be in the room. Right. But yeah, so I was like, that was Norman Lear.

Oh my God. So then I go back, but I still didn't want to, because I didn't want to play a Latin X character. I hear you. That was, you know, an abuser. I didn't want to, like, portray that type of character at that time of my career. So I did it the second time, the exact same way.

Same way. Norman was there again. This time I knew who he was. I was like, yes, Mr. Lear, man. And he gave me the note. Yeah. He was like, I just don't feel like you want to, you know, kill her. Because it's not on the page, man. Like, it's comedy. So wait, I'm curious. Like, did you say that? Or did you just say? I didn't. Okay. I just said, I'll give it a go. Yeah. And then I did it my way again. And then as I left and I was like, I don't care. Like, I really don't. Like, I'm not going to play an abuser. And so. Yeah. As I'm leaving, I'm driving. I'm driving. I'm driving. I'm driving. I'm way, my agent's call and they say, hey, can you get to Paramount in 45 minutes? They're trying to add this new character to this show, This Is Us. Are you kidding me? Yeah. So I was like, and I don't like to go in for anything unprepared.

Yeah. I was like, but it was, you know, it tells you. I was like, you know, their office and I love them. So they were like, they think you could do this. And so I drove up there to Paramount. And they were having meetings with other guys. Where was the Norman layer audition? Where was the one day?

Sony. But I was driving back to Venice and then I got the calls and turn around and go back. Okay, got you. And so they were seeing people. L.A. Geography. Yeah. They were seeing people and I walked in and I hadn't, you know, I was like, is there any material? Do I need to read?

They were like, yeah, yeah. And I see other guys there. Now, all the other guys are like 45 to 50, salt and pepper hair and white. And I was like, oh, they want to make sure they see it. sure do you see at least one. So they could say, we tried, babe. We looked at it. That's what I thought it was.

I literally did. And they're all looking at their side. And you have no sides. So you're like, oh, I'm unprepared. I have nothing to read. Right. And so I go to, I go like down the hall asking somebody. So is there sides for me?

I mean, they were like, yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll go get you something real quick. And then all the other guys are like. Yeah, just four pages. So they literally handed me some sides. and I was like... This is not fair. And like 10 minutes, I'm going into the room.

And I go into the room and it's John and Glenn, Ken. And Norman Lear. In Norman Lear. And Dan Fogerman. He has nothing you do with this, this is that. How do you get hair fetching? So all those guys were in there, and I walked in, and then they just started, like, talking to me. And we started laughing.

Dan Fulgman was like, my dad's a huge fan of yours. He loves Castle. It was this whole thing. And they were like, do you want to read? And I was like, well, not really. And so I just got this stuff. They were like, they were like, yeah, don't worry about it. Amazing.

Yeah. And then I left. The world's easiest to audition. Do you want to? No, thanks. No, I'm good. God, I wish that were opposed to me every audition. I'd be like, yeah, I'm good.

I don't want to. This is it. No, and then I left. This is what you're asking for. I left. I got a call. They're like, yeah, man, you're the one. They're going to put you on the show.

And then I was like, so then I was chilling for a couple of weeks. You're like, God, this, Travis, so easy. Right? I've been trying too hard. That's the problem. And then I get a call. They want you to go up to the valley, Deep Valley, to this makeup, special effects makeup house. And they're going to do a life cast.

I was like, this is Star Trek. This is, this is, this is us. I watched the trailer. What's happening? I was one of the 50 million people that watched the trailer. Yeah. There's no, there's no, I'm not an alien. And so I go up there and I'm like, I'm asking them when I get there, I'm like, why are you doing a lifecast?

And they're like, oh, but for the old age makeup. And I was old. age makeup. They're like, yeah, for you, you know, you're married to Rebecca in the future. And I'm like, they think I'm Milo. No, I'm, I don't play Jack. I play Mike. Mike. I play Mike. That was his name initially. Michael. That was it. Michael with the salt and pepper hair. And they were like, they were like, no, no, no, no. You're married to Rebecca in the future. What? I didn't even know. So then they. That's how it was broken to you. Yes, I broke it to me. While I'm getting stuff slathered on my face. You probably knew before.

a lot of others you knew before I did that's for sure oh really yeah yeah clearly so that's all I got on the show this is that's the story I see you guys later that's that's all we wanted thank you are you serious you never read no he didn't need to because I didn't have any time to prepare well no no no I was gonna look like an asshole but but but the vibe like hit did you know anybody else in the room before did you know John and Glenn did you know Dan did you know Ken no you knew nobody you just knew the castes but you just charmed the hell out yeah Did you know that you'd just done 12 seasons of a hit TV show?

They knew that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Eight seasons. Eight seasons. Eight seasons, eight seasons of the show. Don't worry, I know how to do this. But I will say this, like, John is kind of that dude. Like, John is, anywhere you go, you'll be like, oh, you know where it's this?

You know my boy, where it's like, John is that connector wherever you are. You are the mayor of this town and this industry. It's true. It's true. I can attest we all pick it. during the SAG strike last year together quite a bit and you couldn't we couldn't walk five feet without somebody being like John and like any of any event I go to I'm just like John will probably be there yeah like that or you meet someone oh that's

right oh there's John someone will come up to me they'll be like I'm really good friends with somebody somebody that you worked with I'm like John Martez yeah yeah you're just that guy you are an affable kind genuinely curious human being so I'm saying like you being in that room, of all people not to have to read, I get it. It makes sense. And a man with a constitution who could handle the first season or two of the Miguel unveiling. Brunt.

So it was, like, you guys were saying he probably just left it off, but you're saying, like, no, you felt it a little bit. I mean, I felt it, but I loved, I wanted to embrace that challenge. Like, it's like, yeah, let's turn them around. Let's figure it out. Like, it's going to be fun. And was there any solace provided to you by Dan or the writer's, of like this is where the story is going,

like be patient or just like stick it out. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, Dan, I would have a sit down with him at the beginning of every season and Isaac and Elizabeth as well once they took over. And we would just talk about, like, you know, they would assure me like we're going to turn people around.

It's such an interesting position to be in because the audience response at first is literally because of nothing that is circumstantial. just because of the circumstance that they see every time we hear you speak every time you interact you're a great

you're this wonderful guy and then you're putting this like fast forward position of like wait what the fuck is happening here what is happening here yeah there was that conspiracy floating around for a while

I'm sorry that people think that oh yeah I mean people thought a lot I kept saying it on red carpet because I got tired of and asking you're like what's going on with me I'm like, well, Miguel clearly killed Jack.

And they would, they would be like, really? I'm like, no. No, guys, guys, no. Stop. And I go like this. Wink. They'd say wink and then I would wink and yeah. You, so this is interesting.

You along with Mandy are like the only people that really got a chance to span timelines. I would ask Mandy this question sometimes in terms of like, what's the difference in vibe between past and present or whatnot. Let me ask you the same thing. When you guys are back in the day, is it a completely different vibe than when you're working with like the adult Pearson's or whatnot? Or like, is it similar? How would you describe differences, similarities? I don't think it's, I don't think we approached it that differently. Yeah. Not the approach, but the vibe. Oh, the vibe was definitely different. Yeah, the vibe was definitely. Yeah, I think it was definitely. That's what I'm asking. How would you describe the difference? I don't know. Well, do you remember when we first were in our

old age makeup. And we were like, all right, how do we play old people? Older people. And we kind of didn't, because, you know, there's the Saturday Night Live version where it's like, hey, come here. We're not. We didn't do that, but we talked about it. And we did. And I think we like, I would just stare at Steve Beers. I can't. And just soak it in. So get it. Just watch him move. Watch the way he eats. Who's Steve Beers?

Steve Beers has been working in television since 1932. He is a legendary television producer. He is legendary. He worked with a lot of people that I worked with before, but he, like, worked on the 18-1 character study. He worked on the 18. He talks about that a lot. At 70s, I mean, that's like...

21 Jump Street. So he was the elder on our set. Like, he, if anybody was going to be a model for me, Yeah, it was going to be him. I didn't ever know that, John. Yeah, I would, that's why you guys didn't see me always talking to him. You just hanging out in the production office, just like looking in his office. Hey, I did.

Yeah. But also, I think we talked about it. We were like, if we could just take our time, like, we know that people who are older take their time with everything. When they speak, before they answered, they would just, so I think that was like the vibe. It's like we just won't pick it up. Let's go. I will say my experience was we were, we didn't have too, I mean, over the years, I guess we definitely had like some time where we were together as like younger people. It was Jack and Rebecca and then obviously you were with Shelly.

Yeah, wild times at Froggies. Yeah, totally. But there wasn't a ton of that, like when we work together, it usually was present day. Yeah. But I feel like the set. with Milo and the kids and stuff was always a little bit more like, let's get down to brass tacks, let's do the work. It was way more of a party.

I always felt, I was like, oh, we're with everybody, we're present day, even feeling encumbered with the makeup and the process and being there so much earlier and all of that came along with it. It was always like, oh, I'm gonna be with John and Justin, and Sterling and Chris, and it's gonna be a laugh a minute. Like we're all gonna like really- And you were trying to keep your face wrinkles glued up.

try to, like, not laugh so much because I was... Which was a real insult, which really got John going. It would make me try harder? Yeah, yeah. Like, stop making me laugh. Or smile. I'm going to pop those prosthetics. Who's process is longer?

Mine. How long did you... You'd started at what, and he ultimately got it down to what? It started at, like... Six for me. Yeah, yeah, same. It was like five or something. And it ultimately got down to, like, three and a half.

Five hours? Mine was three. John's was a little bit quicker. You started at five hours? Mine started six hours because they were acting like fools. Was it the hair or was it the prosthetic? It was everything. The hair, the prosthetics was all like a, the whole process was long.

It became a well-oiled machine. Yeah, it finally became. You did request those full body prosthetics just to get you in the character. I wanted my knees to be bolus and stuff. Yeah. Just your knees. Yeah. I don't care if the audience can't see it. Bunyan.

I feel it. It's my character. I got to feel. I could be in him. Bunyons in your shoes. Yeah. But yeah, I think they put a lot, like at the beginning I had a lot of prosthetics on. I had like a full long jaw thing.

So they light and everything. You had the waddle. I remember the waddle. Yeah. But I came in once at like two in the morning to start my process. Two. Yeah, like first season or second season. I went to, crew call was at seven.

I went to lunch. Because sag after. I had to go to lunch after six hours. Yeah. That's why everybody's at breakfast. And then at work, John was on trial, we only have them for three hours today.

You had a two o'clock call? It was like, you know, two or it was three. I remember. You had a three something. Was it? Nope. Two three. Um,

when we shot the therapy scene in season two, it was a two 30 call. Two 30. Me, it was two 30. Two 30 because of light. Daylight hour. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember that.

That's the earliest I've ever been called. I don't complain again. It is what it is, but. I don't. But like, anytime I think to do it, I was like maybe and two and two 30. John, John was my, you were my comrade in this, like, crazy. I mean, we did this for six seasons.

And John, I mean, you guys got a little flavor of it at the end, but like, this was our every day. And John always had the best attitude. But also, I love that John, you were like, rip it off. At the end of the day, you were like, I just, I don't care. I'm like, I have to protect my skin, and you were like, I don't care. She wanted to do, like, a spa day at the end of the day. I'm like, I've been in shit for 12 hours.

Like what chemicals do you have? I want that one. Yeah, yeah. That one's got the skull. Is that lie? Is that lie to get it on? Yeah. Put the lie on my face.

Remember, I would get out of there in like 10 minutes and she'd be like, where's it going? I was like he's done? Like half an eyebrow missing. Javel, he's like, hey man, I got like crow with feet. I ain't got no crow lines or whatnot. I was like, what the fuck is this makeup doing in my face, man? I don't know what's going on. Oh, it ruined me.

Same. You guys look fantastic. Oh, you're kind. Nothing is ruined. The money is perfect. All we could talk about, like, we're going to get CO2 laser treatment. It's going to be on the production.

We never got it. Never happened. Resurfacing. CO2 resurfacing. Yeah, you'd fix my skin for this. Yeah. Didn't happen. It did not happen.

Didn't happen. More that was us after this short break. Reading, playing, learning. Stellist lenses do more than just correct your child's vision. They slow down the progression of myopia. So your child can continue to discover all the world has to offer through their own eyes. Light the path to a brighter future with stellar lenses for myopia control.

Learn more at slur.com. And ask your family eye care professional for SLOR Stellist lenses at your child's next visit. I want to fast forward a little bit. So for fans who are only just like watching along and they've gotten up to like 109 or what have you, I'm going to fast forward because I want to talk about Miguel and sort of like the arc of his character and everything that he went through and where he ultimately ended in terms of fan appreciation as well, because I honestly do think, did you feel

the love in the end? Absolutely. Yeah, I got so much. you know, love after the Miguel episode, I mean, so many people reached out and was, and they saw like themselves in the character's story, especially when it comes to the, you know, the caretaker storyline, but then also the being Afro Latino and like, you know, some, you know, finally telling a story that was pretty complete around that kind of identity. Can I speak to it a little bit just for a second, if I may, because we all watched that episode

together. He did. We did. I mean, we should come back and do a whole other episode just to talk to you about that episode. Oh, we will. Absolutely. When we get there, for sure. But we were at, what resort did he have?

Sanchez Ranch. Yeah. We were at the ranch, whatever. I can only come up for the day, for some reason or not, but I'm so happy that I did. Because we all watched, we watched two episodes together. And the first was 615, is that is Miguel's episode. was, tell me how you got the director, because this was pretty cool story,

because it was our girl, Zetna. Zetna, who had directed like a couple of episodes before. And I think you saw her at the Paramount lot. And it's like, yo, we got this episode coming up, like you should direct, and she being Latina as well, I think it was like a perfect sort of symbiosis there. Yeah, but she wasn't directing, she was taking a break from doing episodic.

She was trying to just do pilots and features. She was like, yeah, my agents don't really want me. And then I'd said, this is an, episode that speaks to who you and I are. It's a lot of Afri-Latino elements in this and it's all Puerto Rico all the time. And she was like, what? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And she said, let me talk to my people.

And then I told Dan and Jess, I was like, hey, I saw Zetna and they're like, we can't get her. We've been trying to get her back. And I was like, she's coming back, y'all. Because she talked to the man. She talked to the mayor. The dude who does not have to read when they thought he had to read for the shows. That episode, I mean, the capturing of an immigrant experience in terms of like what America means to then, seeing sort of like the sort of divide between where you came from

and where you are and how to sort of like meld those things together. Because at a certain point, they don't go together seamlessly. It's like, am I going to be like a capitalist sort of like seize the day sort of American person or from a cultural thing? Like it's more a community-based sort of thing. And those two things are at odds with one another. And to see your character sort of go through that and sort of become estranged from his family to a certain extent. And then also be like, why did you bring me here?

Like you can't, you brought us here so that we could have, take advantage of everything that this country has to offer. And now it seems like you're sort of resenting that part. You want to speak to it a little bit? Yeah, I mean, I love, first of all, Johnny, who wrote that episode, did such a great job. You know, we, we, you know, in the writer's room broke the episode, broke. the story. And I remember just talking about all the ideas that we wanted to try to, you know, like a list of ideas like for the episode that I thought three of these will make in the episode. And somehow Johnny got almost everything in there. So that was a big, you know,

thing. And a lot of it came from, you know, my own personal experience being, you know, an Afro Latino from, you know, moving from one city to another and having to kind of give up a piece of his identity to fit in and not be bullied or to hopefully, you know, make something of myself and, you know, the whole blow-drying my hair thing was, you know, from an incident where this kid called me pubic head. He said, because the hair on his, my head looked like the hair on his, and on his penis. Got it. Well, the hair doesn't actually grow on the penis.

We understood. The nickname was enough. You know what I mean? So, anyway, I, you know, got a fight and I got in trouble and, you know, started blow-dry. Well, the fix was a woman who my mom knew, blue-jured my hair straight and now he looks more white, so you won't get picked on. So then I did that every day through high school. I need pictures, by the way. I don't need to see this.

I'll have some pictures when I do my one-man musical. Copy it. But, you know, I gave up a piece of my... myself to appease, you know, oppression, really. And so then that's, so we wanted to kind of try to, you know, bring some sort of element of that into the Miguel story and show that he's like giving, he gave up a part of who he was to become a capitalist. And, you know, if you remember, and especially in season one and two, like, he was always

trying to get Jack to kind of toe the line and do the same thing. Like, hey man, it's going to be better for your family if you got to join the country club or you got to, you know, all of these things. And what was great is that, you know, Jack didn't really give up himself like that. Yeah. And but Miguel was. And he lost his family due to it. And, you know, I like that Miguel ended up having a full kind of circle moment.

Because once, I think once Jack died, once he started getting too close to Rebecca, he had to go and find himself. So that when he comes back, he's a better version of himself. Absolutely. And he's, you know, prepared. Even more wealthy. He is the most interesting man in the world. There is this article that we got sent or that I found the other day. There's this thing.

Did you, that's in this to you? No, I saw it. I saw it. You saw it. Someone said it to me. This Norman Lear's center on This Is Us, Caregiving Storyline. This is what art is supposed to do. It's an exclusive.

And they're talking about just how it sort of opened folks' eyes to what caretakers go through. And it's like, we don't have a number. enough depictions of it in art or what have you. My mom has ALS. We have caretakers for her around the clock or whatnot. Like it's a thing and I'm blessed to have a certain level of resourcefulness. As the Pearson family is blessed, I have a certain level of resourcefulness, then not most families do.

They talk about that in the article. They talk about that in the article. Like it's like we got to show people who are like, who don't have all these resources also, like what they have to go through in order to make it happen. It was opening people's eyes. But the study was, it was interesting because because of our social media, it was the first time that they were ever able to measure this issue in a way that they had never been able. They couldn't figure out how to gather the information they needed to make a case for paid leave,

for elder care, for all of these things. And because of this storyline through social media, they were able to come up with numbers and come up with people's like opinions and stories. social impact that this particular storyline had on the conversation at large. Yeah. Incredible. Yeah. So I just want to go back to the reaction, back at the ranch that we are all in, because

we'll go into that episode, but like, when your tree, there's the tree that is sort of representative of you, which means that you have passed away, right? I let out this sound that I didn't recognize with myself. We did it at the same time, right? I think it was like me, I heard, like, I heard myself going, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, that's right. And then I heard Joe, ha, ha, ha, ha. He feels it too. We got about that episode, everybody in the room.

We're speechless. It was, it was so beautiful. It was so emotional. And I'm wondering, like, it must have been a good feeling to be front and center in that episode. It was a really good feeling, and it was a, it was a, it was a, it was a, it was a, it was, it was. You know, it was, what really felt good is that the execution of that episode to me was near perfect. It was like the direction, the writing, the casting, everything was just, and, and proof positive was the reaction that you guys had and that I had. Because I didn't even, I didn't cry that much watching This Is Us.

I cried, I think, I think a total of three episodes that was one of it. Really? Yeah. You should try rewatching it because we are. It's hitting. It is hitting different right now, bro. For real, for real. All right.

But that one got you. That one got me for sure. It was audible. Like it was like, I was like, I've made a full of myself. And then I heard you and I was like, it's gonna be okay. But to be able to share that all together

was so special too, because there are very few moments where we actually gathered as a group to watch the show and like celebrate the fruits of our labor. And it just the culmination of, you know, six years, over a hundred episodes of all working together and to see your storyline and sort of wrapped up

in such a profoundly beautiful way was just, it was very, a memory I definitely will cherish. Are there not necessarily scenes, but in terms of experiences of the show throughout the six years, like anything stick out as particularly memorable, moving, funny, what have you, or even just like just the interplay of how it all,

like what sticks out to you I mean everything is so every every moment was just amazing so everything kind of blends together I mean I think um there's one scene when we're at that um when we were in Pasa Robles and you and I were like in the back of this building kind of overlooking the this vineyard and it was just like this this kind of like bonding moment between a stepdad and his stepson of course right after that we ended up get into an argument. But before that, it was like just, it was just the beauty of this place

that we were filming in and the moment. It's just an image that is like plastered in my brain somewhere. There's a lot of good Randall Miguel moments in that final season. Randall always was okay with Miguel. Yeah, yeah. Like there was a deep understanding of the role he played in their lives and the life of this family.

And there was, I think, the recognition of how happy he made Rebecca. Yeah. That it took Kevin a long time to get there. So the beef between the two of them was different in terms of, like, how best to care for my mom. Correct. Which happened later in life. Yeah, yeah. That happened later in life.

But the initial, there wasn't that same initial rub that there was between Miguel and Kevin, which we just were watching back the Pilgrim Rick episode, which is where. Miguel asked to wear the pilgrim rick hat and Kevin just like shuts him down immediately. Hey Kevin, I know you guys. I was just wondering if this year, you know, could I wear a hat? Is that how me y'all's off?

I don't know. That's how you played him. It was a choice. That was a choice. That didn't sound like Steve Beers to me. It was much quicker. Much quicker. When we showed his episode,

we have to show one shot of our dear producer, Steve Beers, so that folks understand. What we're talking about. I'm terrible. I love that. But we spoke about the moment when he offers you the hat. And the look on your face, it's just like, it was the first moment where I was like, oh, there's a story here.

Yeah. Like, I want to know more about this man. The audience doesn't know, there's a lot they don't know about how these two have ended up together. But that look that you give him when he offers you the Pilgrim Rick hat, because you just know how much time has passed. Yeah. And you can see it all in your face. And it's just, it's a testament to you as a performer.

Because it's just in your eyes and it's beautiful. It's gorgeous. Well, it was all on the page. I mean incredible writers, so it's easy to. No, no, no. No, we didn't. I'm talking about you. With these two and Milo and Justin all had opportunities to direct this is us.

You did two episodes? Yeah. Talk to us a little bit about your experience in directing, sir. Favorite actor on the show to direct. Stop. I don't want to do that to you guys. Yeah. It's fine.

You don't have to say it, but like... Lonnie. Ding, ding, ding, ding. Winner, winner. That's young me. Still count. No, which two did you direct? Which two did you do?

One was called Four Fathers and what was the other one called? Was that me and William driving? No, that was later. There was one with you and William. I felt like there. There was... When he came back after he had his lung transplant, he was like he was much heavier.

We were trying to match something from, something from like season two. So let's say that a little bit. So Ron Cephas Jones successfully had a double lung transplant. Yeah. Incredible. That's incredible. And was able to extend his life to the place where he could go do a play on Broadway.

You know, and like Mandy mentioned this before, Pilgrim Rick, we'd have to take breaks when we were doing these walks because he would get tired. At the end of the season, he had these oxygen tanks that we just sort of incorporated into the show. And so he carried him around. around. And so the fact that, and it's experimental, like this was, it's not something that been commonplace at the time. He got the double long transplant. It worked. I think a certain like nutrition, et cetera. Yeah. Filled out. And he, you know, his face got round there. You know, and he goes, yeah, Sterl, I got cheeks, man. He starts smacking his butt and smack in his face

and it just felt so lively. So when he's talking about trying to match, it's like, he was, he was a wisp. He was a buck 20 soaking wet. Got him to like 150 or something like that. Yeah, and we were shooting something that was a direct cut from one of those driving scenes. Yeah. It was incredible to first of all just direct him because he was so, I mean, a powerhouse of an actor, right?

Yeah. You know, my experience directing on the show was first of all, you guys are all so talented and so good. Thank you. Especially you, Chris. And I was like, I'm a first-time director. How are they going to feel? Sturney K. Brown, multi-emmy winning.

Taking some directing from John Wirtas. Hey, Sterling, let me talk to you about this moment. Yeah. I thought he was going to look at me like... That was a weird choice that you made. I thought he was going to look at me like, John. Come back over there after the chair, well. But he was very, very, very open.

We'll be right back with more. That was us. The new Mitsubishi Outlander brings out another side of you. Your regular side listens to classical music. Your adventurous side rocks out with the dynamic sound Yamaha. Regular U owns a library card. Adventurist U owns the road with super all-wheel control. Regular side?

Alone time. Adventurous side journeys together with third row seating. The new outlander. Bring out your adventurous side. Mitsubishi Motors. Drive your ambition. You know as well as anybody else. Like sometimes the idea is that if the director,

early in your career, you want direction, you're sort of hungry for it all the time. You get to a place, or at least I'll speak for me. Well, you get to a place, all right, if they don't say anything that means they like what they see, I'll just keep along that, or maybe I'll play around a little bit or what have you. I'm gonna check in with the sound guy, see if he liked it.

Was it good? Did I look cool? Did I look cool when I said? But I'm wondering, just because you brought it up, I've never been in a place where a director has come up, has come up and I'd be like, why are they walking up on me? I've never been like, no, I'm curious to, because an outside eye, I can only do so much.

I've been on a show where it was like that. Really? A couple times, it was a castle. Why is this? And this director would ask me, hey, can you, you know, try this. And it's something I know I just did. Yeah. But they obviously, you know, because sometimes when you're

when you're directing, I want to say this, you know, you've got three actors on, you know, you know, it's a wide shot, right? For three actors. And I'm watching, you know, I might watch one actor. I'm focusing on this one because this is like kind of the fulcrum of the scene or whatever. So I'm watching this, but then I might, you know, and then I would say that maybe when I would be like, why is this person walking up on me is because I know that they probably weren't paying attention to what I was doing. And now they're saying, try this.

And you did that already. And I did that already. Okay. And then I'd be like, so they'd walk away and I'd turn to the guy with him and partner, Seamus. I'd be like, I'm going to do the same shit. Watch it. And I would do it. And then I'd yell behind the camera.

How was that? Was that what you were looking for? That was perfect, John. Thanks. And I'd look at Seamus like, so there were sometimes when I would be like that. You never have I, in it, on this is us, I'll say. That explains your fear, by the way, that somebody was going to do that.

Exactly. Exactly. I would never do it. I would never do it. It's true. I would always be like, even if I didn't understand the note, because I've had moments of not understanding. Sure. And what and I'm curious how we all deal with this because in my mind I'm like, all right, they said this. That doesn't make sense. Now I have to figure

out what it is that they mean and see if I can. And then I'll go ahead and do something. And then I'll ask them, is that what you're talking about? Nine times out of 10, I wind up sort of like hit in the ballpark. Yeah. No, but that'll work. You know what I'm saying? Because I just I never want to, the process I'm keenly aware is the one person who didn't direct of how much responsibility is in the director to make the day, right? To keep this ship moving, to get their shots, et cetera, et cetera. So like, if I don't have to slow it down, I'm going to do my best not to slow it down. If I really don't understand, I'll be like, hold it.

Let me say it one more time. I may do something like that. But only if I just have to like figure it out. Yeah, and that's the thing. You don't want to, like, you know, you don't want to be the one bogging it down. Yeah. If you, because, and that's why I always say, like, two directors that are coming from behind the camera or coming from the editing bay, like, yo man, have you taken an acting class?

Because it would be really, you know, beneficial if you knew our language. So if you want to get something from an actor to understand how to ask them for it, instead of saying, like, you know, can you do it again? maybe this time, I don't know, faster or, no, maybe slower. No, you know what, if you, let's just do it again. Although, although I have gotten me, we're going to do it again just faster. Sure. Let's take the air out. Never understood that until I directed an episode, right? And I got into the edit and the first person I called was John. I was like, John, when we were shooting this thing, it was great. And I'm watching this, it is garbage.

so slow i'm like john these are amazing actors and what i have done is made garbage and you didn't call we talked about we talked about i was like i don't know what to do and it was the first time of my life it was like that's what directors are saying when they're like just one faster or like can you paste it up because faster is a trigger word can you paste it a little bit yeah just to remind everybody on set we're trying to get this story into 42 minutes okay great let's go let's take it the air out of it and let's do it a more time yeah yeah take that pause up yeah clearly you loved directing so much because you've really gone on and made that like a huge part of your life

now yeah and so this is us was like your first experience directing yeah yeah an episode of television yeah yeah yeah got it's my first experience directing um and i love it used to be a um over this like get out of here air traffic get out of here yeah you shadowed olin i remember because we were doing um we were at the cabin again like wasn't that the first when you shadowed we shatter Ken no yes it was it was when um we were introducing it was the wedding of kate wasn't it at the cabin yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah that's right yep what things did you learn from kin not this is not a safe space okay you got a speaking complete sentences it's fine it's fine ken doesn't know we're even doing a podcast yeah ken doesn't know what the podcast is you're right

No, I learned a lot of great, a lot of great stuff. Look, he's so sweet. It's so sweet. I was so diplomatic. I did. You went on, you did Justin's show up in Canada. He's done tracker. Tracker.

Have you done anything? I did the company you'd keep. You did the company you keep with Milo. A couple of episodes of the rookie, rookie feds. Okay. Yeah, I'm doing the irrational. Are you at a place now? Is being in front of the camera still something of interest to you?

Only if it's something that a friend is doing. friend is doing. Okay. Something very, very, very interesting or something I'm developing. Okay. I like being behind the camera. So you're not trying to be for hire as an actor. Not as much, yeah.

I mean, it's got to be something cool. Like I'm doing an animated show, which is cool. For Disney, that's, you know, that's, it's a lot of fun. It's a Latinx show. It's with Rita Moreno. It's, I'll best be doing that. Okay, okay. That's, you know, it's got to be really, really interesting for me.

I'm not trying to, you know, I'm not going to, I'm not really guest starring on, shows or trying to get another long run on a procedural or something like that unless it's something that I've developed we have a couple of shows set up when I like Amazon Alliance Gates we'll take them out and see what happens okay you'll go in but you're not going to read oh yeah I won't read didn't read for this I mean that's the person that's not I mean I'll say hi what we were talking a little bit about you just how how endeared you are to all of our hearts. You're funny. You're, you're intelligent, you're kind human being. Like when you are around, I never think that like John doesn't want anything other than the best interest for me and

for everybody that is in that space. That's very true. An addendum to that, like you're former Air Force? How many years? Four years? Eight years. Eight years in the Air Force. And you were there and you were like doing some sort of like, did you get, go to acting school from the Air Force? force like is that while while I was in the air force why you're in the musical theater yeah because they paid for it for most of it now we guys know about Amanda Lee Moore and about Chris Sullivan and their vocals I'm surrounded by beast like where to be blowing yeah it's true for his like 50th birthday party oh the best like he got up on like everybody's just kicking it drinks

and everything first of all like John built like his house designed and designed and like we're not and this is not like hyperbole I have ADD that's why that's not but bro like the thing but you could use it to just do video games like you go and build stuff you know you're an entrepreneur you have you know many buildings like for rent throughout the country and then you just you have a he's a beekeeper he's a beekeeper dude will come with his honey this is us honey with this is us honey like what what is it is it you You say ADD, but like what makes you, what do you say is the special sauce that really contributes to you just wanting to know a lot about a lot of things?

I don't know. I think... Was it too much? No, no. It's just Thousand Island. We call it special sauce, but it's... I think, you know, my grandmother died when I was pretty young and, you know, the mortality, I've kind of looked at mortality a long time ago and...

realized and really like, you know, when I read that the average lifespan for a man is 74 years. 74. I was like, I got to get to work. I got to, I want to see and do and try everything this planet has to offer. And so, you know, I want to go see things that travel. But then I also want to try things. I might not be an expert at anything, but I'll be pretty good at a lot of things. Oh, yeah.

So you're not afraid. Your full knowledge of something doesn't keep you from putting your foot in the ring, throwing your hat in the ring and giving it a shot. Exactly. Yeah. Because what, you know, I know that the best way to learn is from failure or from mistakes. So even if I do try something and it doesn't work out, that I've learned something, obviously. And it's going to be a piece of information that I can always come back to and use in life.

So, yeah, I'm going to try everything. I want to do everything, except golf. And I really don't know. You draw a line. That's a perfect way to end an episode. Except golf. There's a storyline. Thanks for listening, too.

That was us. Listen, we've only had a few guests so far, and we're going to hopefully have the whole cast at some point in time. But, like, you're one of my favorite people. Same. I feel the same about you guys. Like, it's the absolute truth. Like, God.

It sounds so freaking cliche, but like we had like the greatest group of people. You did. So it wasn't just the story we got to tell, but it was the people that we got to tell the story with, right? Yeah. And John Weertes is one of them people. He's that dude. Yeah. So however you felt about Miguel in the beginning, when it's all said and done, we hope that you came around.

Of course. There's no way you could have. You didn't come around. You're made of stone. Like you made them. Then they're a sociopath. Yeah. They bailed early because they couldn't go that emotionally either.

You're season four, okay, I can't, I can't go. How about people tap out? They'll tell you that. They were like, you guys just kept doing it to me. I just had to take a break. And I was like, we understand. We're there when you ready. But I'm so grateful that I got to do this with you, John.

Like, because I think we had such a specific experience together. Yeah. I think so, too. I just like to know that I had a partner in crime like you, to lean on, to go through the prosthetics with, to tell the story with, quite frankly, it was just like it was so joyful there was never a moment on set when we weren't laughing and smiling and having fun like even in the harder moments you know and i'm just like yeah i will be forever grateful that that the show like brought us together and we got to do it together it's it's like lightning struck you know like the way that everything every element of this show every single department head every single crew member every single you know most writers um There might have been one. You know, all the writers.

All of them. 100% of the writers. Let's do that real quick, social media, because Sarah Warehouse, who ran our social media, whose producers sitting over there, she would come up with stuff. And this is funny, because John is also a former break dancer.

Yeah. Like, dude is ridiculous. Everything. Dude is ridiculous. And I was like, oh, and a scuba diver. Like, the list goes on and on. Brown has, like, decent rhythms. I was like, all right, I'm about to go murk John up in this dance thing or whatever.

Yeah. And I go look at the. comments in like, Miguel was serving that church? It definitely helped that he was in 75-year-old makeup. Yeah, the makeup helped. Yeah, exactly. The makeup helped. High-waisted trousers.

Pleaded and straight in the front. I remember one day we were there, we got, we got Mandy to do her go-to-moom, when she, my little toe twist. And you were doing something else, I was like, come on, mama. It was, it was a joke. We had it so much fun. We had it so much fun.

We really did. We had a blast. We had a blast. We had a blast. We hope you guys had a blast watching us. Thank you for being with this today, my brother. You have to come back so we can, like, dive into some specific episodes with you at some point. Absolutely.

I'll be here. I live close. He lives real close. You want to look down the barrel and say that? That was us. Boom. That Was Us is filmed at the Crow and produced by Rabbit Grin Productions and Sarah Warehound. Music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith.

Thank you.