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12 Shocking Facts You Need to Know About ‘This is Us’

By Nakeisha Campbell

This is Us is the new family drama that’s got everyone talking — and if you’ve ever watched it for yourself, you probably understand why.

The show, which only premiered about three months ago, follows the lives of three siblings in both the past and present. Starring Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia, the show manages to tug at our heartstrings every Tuesday night — which is why we’re curious to know a bit more about the series and, more importantly, the actors behind the characters we love so much!

MUST SEE: 8 Facts You Never Knew About Chrissy Metz

WATCH: See the cast of ‘This is Us’ Then and Now!

Click through the gallery to see all the shocking facts you need to know about NBC’s new hit show, This is Us.

  1. Shocking This Is Us

    Getty
    Chrissy Metz's boyfriend, cameraman Josh Stancil almost quit his job on 'This Is Us' for the actress. Metz said Stancil took her out on a date about a month after meeting her on the set. The actress said it was unexpected. "My priority was my job, and I was not trying to blow my big shot," she said. "Josh even offered to go work on another show." Clearly, he made a big impression!

  3. Milo Mandy This Is Us

    NBC
    At first, the show was named 36, not This is Us. The number 36 was supposed to represent the age the characters were turning at the beginning of the show, but the show’s creator, Dan Folgelman, wasn’t a big fan.

  5. This is Us Original Show Name

    Getty Images
    _This Is Us+* was almost made into a movie.+ Dan Fogelman also revealed that the hit show was almost made into a movie instead. His original plan was to have Rebecca give birth to octuplets, but as he continued writing, Fogelman realized he had too much content to try and fit it into a movie.

  6. Chrissy This Is Us

    NBC
    Just nine days after her character Kate turned 36 in the pilot, Chrissy Metz turned 36 in real life. The actress threw a big party with the cast to celebrate! “Kate and I are both on the precipice of incredible times in our lives. Coming into our own and achieving personal success and happiness simultaneously is pretty amazing,” she said.

  7. Chris Sullivan

    NBC
    In a wild twist of fate, Chris Sullivan also happens to be 36 years old in real life. Art does indeed imitate life! He turned 36 about two months before the show first aired.

  9. Chrissy This Is Us 1

    NBC
    Chrissy Metz only had 81 cents in the bank when she landed her role as Kate in This is Us. "I kept auditioning with no savings and no money, credit card debt gaining interest... I could cry right now just thinking about it. Getting the role of Kate has changed everything," she said.

  10. Chris Sullivan Fat Suit

    NBC
    Speaking of Chris Sullivan, he actually wears a fat suit to play his role as Toby. He recently revealed at a press event that he’s usually in a fat suit during filming, so he hasn’t had to make any personal lifestyle changes.

  11. Mandy Moore Age Makeup

    NBC
    Mandy Moore had to go through a lot of makeup tests before getting the right look for her character. “We had so many makeup tests. I think we had five makeup tests and putting on the prosthetics takes about four hours each time. . . Initially I looked too old, and then it wasn’t enough. It was like a Goldilocks situation where we had to find a happy medium,” she said.

  13. Chrissy Justin This Is Us

    NBC
    Chrissy’s character Kate is loosely based on the show creator’s sister. “This role is written about a woman who — it was loosely based on Dan Fogelman’s sister — who struggled with her weight and her self-worth. And a lot of people do, and I have myself, as a human being,” she explained.

  14. Milo This Is Us

    NBC
    Milo Ventimiglia gets really emotional whenever he watches the show. “It’s really moving television and it’s not because I know these characters, but in the assembly of these episodes, they’ve done a really incredible job of making people feel. I’m not outside of that,” he said.

  15. Chris Chrissy This Is Us

    NBC
    Chrissy Metz was excited to play her character because she has a love interest. “I was excited with the breakdown! I thought… What? A plus-size actress that is remotely attractive and has a love interest… in Hollywood? I need this!” she said.

  17. This Is Us Cast

    NBC
    Remember Milo's nude scene in the show? He was pretty shocked when he saw it for himself in the trailer! A lot of fans enjoyed seeing his bare bottom on display, but it actually made Milo uncomfortable when he watched!

  18. Chrissy This Is Us Weight

    NBC
    Chrissy Metz’s contract with NBC involved losing weight for her role on the show. The contract doesn’t actually require her to follow a certain regimen or reach a target, but the actress made it clear that she does intend to lose weight for her own personal health.

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