TORONTO 鈥� When This Is Us debuted its third season on Tuesday, it wasn鈥檛 be just fans tuning in with tissue boxes, ready for an inevitable tear-jerker moment to arise in the series that鈥檚 known to make viewers bawl.
The three cast members who play the younger versions of the main siblings in the multiple-timelined family drama say they, too, are fans of the show and weep when they watch.
鈥淚 always know it鈥檚 coming, I always cry, it happens every time,鈥� Hannah Zeile, who plays the teenage version of Chrissy Metz鈥檚 character Kate, said in an interview.
For Zeile, Niles Fitch, and Logan Shroyer, it鈥檚 perhaps even easier to get swept up into the storylines when they watch because they don鈥檛 act opposite the actors who play the older versions of their characters.
So when they catch the NBC show, which airs on CTV in sa国际传媒, they鈥檙e seeing their performances for the first time.
鈥淭here鈥檚 such a difference between reading material and seeing what the actual performers put into their performance. There鈥檚 no way for us to predict what they鈥檙e going to do with that scene,鈥� said Zeile.
鈥淚t might even make it worse for us, because I鈥檓 not going to lie 鈥� when I see them in a scene, I think my brother and my sister,鈥� added Shroyer, who plays the teenage version of Justin Hartley鈥檚 character, Kevin.
鈥淣ot to mention our damp scripts after we read it,鈥� noted Fitch, who plays the teenage version of Sterling K. Brown鈥檚 character, Randall.
The trio say the Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated drama has 鈥渂een a huge blessing鈥� for them.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely changed all our lives, not only the opportunities that we have and the people that we鈥檝e met, the connections that we鈥檝e made,鈥� Zeile said.
鈥淭hat I got to meet these guys, we鈥檙e all super close, and I think that it鈥檚 a bond that you don鈥檛 really have with a lot of people through working.鈥�
They鈥檝e also been proud to present storylines that explore serious social issues including racism, mental health and adoption.
Zeile鈥檚 character, who struggles with her weight, has sparked discussions around so-called fat shaming and body image.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 something that鈥檚 really important that they touch on, because the thing about body-image issues is it鈥檚 not actually about a weight. It鈥檚 not about whether you鈥檙e heavy or thin. It鈥檚 honestly a self-confidence issue,鈥� Zeile said.
鈥淜ate lets her own insecurities stop her from seizing opportunities, and I think that鈥檚 a lesson that everyone can learn 鈥� that you just need to power through your insecurities, because you don鈥檛 want to look back and see that you鈥檝e hit roadblocks due to your own self-doubt.鈥�
The three say they didn鈥檛 consult with their older colleagues on how to portray the characters but have found themselves adopting similar mannerisms organically.
鈥淥n set someone will say, 鈥楥hrissy makes that exact face鈥� and I鈥檒l be like, 鈥楻eally?鈥� 鈥� said Zeile.
With them playing teens, it seems there might be a limit on how long they could continue acting in the roles, but they鈥檙e not ruling themselves out for a while.
鈥淲e do know there鈥檚 an age where we don鈥檛 go, but it鈥檚 pretty old,鈥� said Shoyer.
鈥淪o the show would have to go long, long, long, long for us to start running into them. But we鈥檒l find out.鈥�
