This Is Us: 10 Facts About Randall Pearson Many Fans Don’t Know

Randall Pearson stands out among the three Pearson kids on the Award-winning hit drama series, This Is Us, with the brains, the guts, and the loyalty. However, actor Sterling K. Brown has more than once gone candid in interviews and behind-the-scenes footage in revealing that playing the character is actually sometimes a challenge – one that he’s grateful for.

Brown’s co-stars won’t stop raving about the actor’s intelligence, kind demeanor, generous ear, and friendship, but from how he digs into playing an on-screen father to never holding back his tears, even the most die-hard This Is Us fans don’t know these 10 facts about Randall Pearson.

10 Sterling K. Brown draws inspiration from his two sons

Now a household name, Sterling K. Brown has seen major success and won praise from both fans and critics alike for his work playing Randall Pearson on This Is Us. Despite the fact that Brown makes it look absolutely easy to play the smart, successful man the show itself is one that shows that even the most hardworking humans struggle with major life problems.

However, no matter how hard a storyline or scene may be, Brown has revealed that he draws inspiration from his two sons, Andre (8) and Amaré (4), who remind him of the responsibility of being a father. This allows him to tap into that mindset while acting. Often times you can catch Brown and his kids posing for a photo on the red carpet.

9 Brown’s Wife, Ryan Michelle Bath, is on the show

Many people might be surprised to know that Brown’s wife – Ryan Michelle Bath – is an American actress herself, and has actually appeared in an episode of This Is Us more than once. Playing Yvette on the show, Bath takes on the role of being friends with Rebecca Pearson (Randall’s mom) and giving her advice and companionship, as they bond over raising their children.

Brown has many times shown that he is a super proud and shamelessly happy husband. From walking red carpets together to watching the show at home, it’s easy to see where the connection between Randall’s character and the rest of his family might stem from.

8 He and Susan Kelechi Watson first met at NYU

One awesome fact about Sterling K. Brown is that he’s studied the art of acting for years. Before ever stepping foot onto the Hollywood scene, Brown attended Stanford where got his degree in acting. He later moved to the east coast to get his MFA at NYU.

NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts is made for the best of the best of entertainers, and it is here – in the middle of grad school – where Brown meets Susan Kelechi Watson (Beth Pearson, his onscreen wife) for the first time. Watson has revealed that when auditioning for the role of Beth, knowing that she would read with Brown was a major source of comfort for her.

7 Thanks to Randall, This Is Us is connected to Hamilton

[SPOILER] If you’re a dedicated fan of the show, you learn very early on that Randall is adopted, and spends most of Season 1 looking for his birth father, William. American actor, Ron Cephas Jones, plays William on the show and brings heart and truth to the storyline.

Jones’ daughter, Jasmine Cephas Jones, is no stranger to the spotlight either. She played Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds in the original company of Hamilton – something that fans really enjoyed connecting the dots to when Randall once referred to his three daughters, Tess, Deja, and Annie, as Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy.

6 Brown sometimes writes for the show

This Is Us is known for having one of the most diverse teams of writers in Hollywood. Though the acting is unparalleled, the writers on the show are often referred to as the masterminds behind the great speech, dialogue, and storyline. From women from all kinds of backgrounds to mothers to people of color, the This Is Us creators make sure their show is one that can promote diversity for real.

Something incredible about Brown is that sometimes he’ll lend his own life experience to the writing process. Writers on the team have said “He came up with great ideas and lines like “I’m still black, we gotta go” and “Just your friendly neighborhood black man.”

5 Brown considers Metz and Hartley his real-life siblings

Chrissy Metz (Kate Pearson) and Justin Hartley (Kevin Pearson) play Randall’s brother and sister on the show. Despite the fact that they are twins, Randall was adopted just a few days after Kate and Kevin were born, and at the end of the day – these three siblings really grew up together.

Brown has said that he considers the show’s cast exactly like his own family. He’s reveled in joy for his castmates saying, “The joy I feel for them is the same that I would feel for my real brother or sister.” No wonder the on-screen chemistry is so powerful and amazing.

4 He is looking to get into comedy

Even though Brown has kind of made a name for himself by starring in the biggest drama on television right now, he actually hopes to someday get into comedy. Playing more comedic roles has been a goal of Brown’s for a while.

His time hosting Saturday Night Light last year and a cameo on the comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine probably inspired him. From all the dad-jokes Randall’s constantly slipping in on the show, it might be fun to see exactly where pursuing comedy takes Brown. It’s obvious he’d be talented in any capacity.

3 Brown says he’s “terrified” for Beth and Randall’s future

On Season 3 of This Is Us, the writers revealed a new storyline for our favorite lovebirds Beth and Randall Pearson. It was one that was laced with tension and confusion. There was a lot of fighting and arguing. Beth needed time away from her husband, and Randall was left to wonder exactly why.

Many fans were devasted at the hint that Beth and Randall might not be together for the rest of time, and apparently, so is Brown. Though he does know what’s really going to happen for his character and his wife, Brown hints that the writers of the show could take any direction they want. He says, “As an audience member watching, I am as terrified as anybody else because I really love this couple. As an African-American, I love the representation of black love on network television. Like, it’s something we don’t get to see that often. And Randall and Beth, that relationship moves so much for so many people, that to see them struggle, it really does cause the heart to weep.” We’re hoping for the best.

2 His role as Randall Pearson won him a Golden Globe

Despite years of theater work, his time on The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, and his pivoting role in Marvel’s Black Panther, it was playing the role of Randall Pearson that won Sterling K. Brown a Golden Globe. In January 2018, Brown won a Golden Globe for the best actor in a Drama TV Series, after all his work as Randall searching for his birth father in the show’s first season.

The Golden Globe wasn’t Brown’s only win, however. That same year, he also was awarded his second Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. In his speech, Brown thanked his “family” nodding at the rest of his cast with a grateful smile on his face.

1 He’s made TV history

Not only did Brown’s Golden Globe win bring major attention to the actor and to the show itself, but it also shed light on the call for more diversity in Hollywood. When awarded his first Golden Globe, Brown became the first African-American actor to win Best Actor in a Television Series Drama in all of entertainment history.

Playing Randall also won Brown the Screen Actor’s Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series. Brown uses his platform and opportunities to speak in front of nationwide audiences to express his gratitude for a cast and a show that allows him to be seen: “What I appreciate so much about this thing is that I am being seen for who I am and being appreciated for who I am. And that makes it that much more difficult to dismiss me or dismiss anybody who looks like me. So thank you, Dan.”

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