Griffin Dunne Cast on ‘This Is Us’ After Fall Finale Shocker
NBC’s This Is Us took fans on one crazy ride during the final moments of its Season 3 fall finale, which included the reveal that Nicky Pearson is still alive.
Believed to be dead by his brother Jack’s (Milo Ventimiglia) family, the surprise hints at a new course ahead for Kevin (Justin Hartley), who had traveled to Vietnam to uncover information about his father’s war time experience. In the final scene from the episode “The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning,” viewers were given a glimpse of the present-day Nicky living in Bradford, Pennsylvania.
But was it Michael Angarano playing this older version? No, in the credits it’s revealed that veteran actor Griffin Dunne (House of Lies, I Love Dick, The Romanoffs) assumed the role of an older Nicky.
According to Deadline, Dunne has officially been cast in a recurring role on the hit show and will appear in the series’ upcoming episodes. Of course with that news, fans should expect to see more of Dunne as Nicky and creator Dan Fogelman confirmed this in an interview.
Anagarano and Ventimiglia.
“What I can say is that there’s a complicated story that’s going to be told very quickly when we come back on the air, and it’s a story about what happened between Nicky and Jack,” Fogelman told Deadline. “It’s very complicated. There’s a lot more to be told and it’s coming very soon.”
With more to tell about Nicky’s story, his presence in the present day was essentially confirmed by Fogelman, who hinted at covering mental health topics when tackling Nicky’s storyline. “We have a big story coming that relates not just to Jack and Nicky, but also to Jack’s grown children. Kevin’s journey of discovery continues when we come back and starts folding into the rest of the family,” he said.
It will certainly be interesting to see how things play out when the show returns from break on January 15. Considering where the story in the Vietnam timeline left off with an explosion that may involve Nicky, we’re sure the explanation of how he survived the war will be just as mind-blowing as other moments in the show.
This Is Us, Season 3 Returns Tuesday, January 15, 9/8c, NBC
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