This is Us may have aired its final episode over a year ago, but Mandy Moore’s adoration for her costars will never end.
The actress, who recently partnered with Purina Cat Chow for their 60th anniversary, exclusively spoke to outlet about her bond with the cast, noting that they still have a strong connection to this day — so much so that they even consider each other “family.”
“The cast is absolutely in touch,” explains the actress, who starred as Rebecca Pearson on the NBC drama for six seasons. “A bunch of us just had dinner a few weeks ago … they’re going to be my forever family. I love them deeply.”
Moore notes the cast — which includes Milo Ventimiligia, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Sullivan, and Jon Huertas — still have a group chat that’s “always going.”
She also calls Huertas, 53, and Sullivan, 43 — who played Miguel Rivas and Toby Damon, respectively — the funniest members in the active chat.
“Jon Huertas and Chris Sullivan are definitely two of the funniest people I’ve ever met,” Moore notes. “So they’re the ones that constantly have the one-liners or the gifs flowing for sure.”
“I miss them. I miss the work… that is such an important chapter of my life that, I don’t know, maybe it’ll come to fruition again in some form someday,” she adds.
The actress reunited with Huertas and Metz, who played her on-screen daughter Kate Pearson, on the SAG picket lines last week.
One day after SAG-AFTRA announced that it would be going on strike, Moore shared an Instagram post that included a group photo of the three of them, as well as a video of them marching down the street.
“Day 1. Proud to stand with my fellow @sagaftra and @wgawest members demanding a fair contract. #sagaftrastrike #wgastrong #unionstrong,” she captioned the post.
Moore later shared a photo of the trio to her Instagram Story, captioning it, “My forever family.”
SAG-AFTRA, which is comprised of approximately 160,000 actors — has been on strike since July 13 after negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) failed to result in an agreed-upon contract between the parties. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has also been on strike since May 2.
“I am one person — a tiny part of our guild — and while I am happy to use whatever platform my past jobs have given me to speak to issues effecting my fellow @sagaftra family, I know my experience is my own,” Moore wrote on Instagram last week. “Here’s hoping we get a fair contract soon so we can get back to doing the jobs we all love and miss so much.”
This Is Us aired on NBC from Sept. 2016 to May 2022. The family drama centered on the lives of siblings Kevin (Hartley), Kate and Randall (Brown) and their parents Rebecca and Jack (Ventimiligia). The series used multiple timelines, showing stories that take place in the present as well as flashbacks to the siblings’ childhood and flash-forwards to later years.
The NBC drama received numerous accolades throughout its run. It received 39 Emmy nominations, winning four. Additionally, it also received the Television Academy Honors Award in 2017.
This Is Us is streaming in full on Hulu.
