‘This Is Us’: Sterling K. Brown Calls Randall the Jack of the Big Three
When This Is Us ended, it looked to the future of the Pearson family. The show spent six seasons with Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) raising kids, and their kids in the present. Once Jack died, actor Sterling K. Brown said his character, Randall, filled the patriarch role Jack left vacant.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the This Is Us series finale.]
Brown spoke with Variety in an interview published May 24, after the This Is Us series finale aired. He shared his theory that Randall stepped up to fill the vacancy left by Jack.
Randall took after Jack in more ways than one on ‘This Is Us’
Jack and Rebecca adopted baby Randall when one of their triplets died in childbirth. Jack was a positive influence on Randall growing up, and Brown thinks Randall picked up the baton on This Is Us.
“Randall, at this point in time, the nature of his relationship with his mom, and the fact that he has been the parent for the longest period of time sort of made it a fitting encapsulation,” Brown told Variety. “If Jack was the patriarch of this family and its inception — even though, all respect to Miguel, but he is part of our most critical and founding moments — then Randall is sort of the patriarch in modern times.”
‘This Is Us’ left Randall a grandfather
Randall got some big news in the This Is Us series finale. He’s considering campaigning in Iowa for a possible Presidential run. Deja (La Trice Harper) also told Randall he’s going to be a grandfather.
“Even though Kevin has his kids now, Randall’s been doing it for a little bit longer to the point where he can now have a grandchild,” Brown said. “I think thematically, his storyline and the space that he occupies in the family sort of helps to bring the fullness of the circle of life into realization for the show. He is watching his mother pass away, as he is also watching his daughter in the presence of baking and cooking and creating life. The dichotomy of old and new life is very present for Randall here.”
Randall can finally teach a boy boy things like Jack taught him
The This Is Us series finale flashed back to when Jack taught young Randall (Lonnie Chavis) how to shave. Brown said Randall is looking forward to getting the chance to help raise a boy, after having three daughters.
“I’m so happy for that dude,” Brown said of Randall. “It was something he was sort of excited about when they were first looking to adopt. And the research that we did found it’s an easier transition bringing someone in of the same sex than bringing someone of the opposite sex because your natural-born children could have this feeling, if they’re both of the same sex, that maybe Dad feels incomplete in us and that he needed something in a boy. So it was actually in their research, which Randall and Beth obviously did, that this was actually a more seamless transition, in terms of us opening up our family. So I was so excited for him.”
In real life, Brown has two sons. Brown thought the This Is Us series finale finally caught up to the cast’s real life families.
“It was something in the air,” Brown said. “Dan [Fogelman] just had a little boy, Mandy just had a little boy, Chris Sullivan just had a little boy. How great would it be for this real-life father of two boys, TV-dad of three girls to finally have a little testosterone in the crib. I was very excited.”
