Mandy Moore is nothing but giddy when it comes to This Is Us.



Just like fans of the show are after each episode airs, Mandy says she makes it her mission to find out what's coming up next. At events, she says she'll even corner This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman (who she gushes is a "stone-cold genius") or show runners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger and beg them to spill the beans. And not just about her own character, Rebecca.

"'What happens to Toby and Kate?!' I sort of nerd-ily want to find out everything just as much as everybody else," Mandy says.

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Realizing how painful it is to be left hanging on the edge, Mandy is up for sharing everything she knows about what's going to happen in season 4. That is, of course, "without saying too much" she qualifies. For starters, Mandy says she's looking forward to seeing Rebecca and Jack's courtship when they return from their California road trip. Moreover, we're also going to get a closer look at how Rebecca will deal with the aftermath of Jack's death.

"The kids are about to graduate from high school, and I’m sure all of them, or some of them, will be going off in different directions, and do different things," Mandy explains. "I’m sure that is a tremendously lonely moment, becoming sort of this empty nester especially after being a widow … I’m curious to see what she does with her life and interested to see if she goes back to the music world, if that’s something she finds solace in."

Sounds like some more "Moonshadow"-esque tunes are on the way.

When asked if Rebecca's experience in season 4 could be described as "positive," Mandy hinted that with the good is going to some bad — just like in real life. After all, "she’s still in the throes of grieving," Mandy says. But if Rebecca has shown us anything, it's that she's as resilient as they come.

“I just marvel at Rebecca’s strength week after week," Mandy declares.

Luckily, there are some things that appear to be looking up in present day.

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"I’m excited for her to be involved with her future grandchild and maybe in a bigger capacity, a bigger role," Mandy explains. (Given what some fans believe is in store for Kate, this could be an ominous clue about her TV daughter's fate).

On a positive note, Mandy says things are also going to take a turn for the better when it comes to how fans perceive Rebecca and Miguel's relationship.

"I want her to start picking up the pieces of her life and find some joy again. I’m looking forward to seeing how long that takes. What were those steps in between to get to where she is with Miguel?" Mandy asks.

Speaking of Miguel, Mandy staunchly believes that fans need to start getting on board with him. If you're a diehard Miguel hater, Mandy implores you to let her and Jon Huertas change your mind this upcoming season.

"I think they [fans] have been a little too unfair to him … I think they’re starting to come around, and I’m fully behind that," Mandy says. "He [Jon] is working his way into people’s hearts and mind, slowly but surely ... I think that will be the biggest trick if we can pull that off: to make people really root and believe in Miguel and Rebecca ... It’s never going to be Jack and Rebecca, and that’s okay.”

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And Mandy's not just fond of Miguel, the character — she also loves working opposite of Jon, calling him "the most witty, charming man."

The two have become particularly close during the makeup process that transforms them into senior citizens — a task that she claims takes almost four hours to complete and another hour and change to take off. Mandy had to do it a whopping 28 times this year, while "Jon probably did about half of that." That means she spent over 72 hours in the makeup chair with Jon in season 3 alone. Yes, it's a lot of time, and no, Mandy's not complaining about it.

"You just sort of find your rhythm, and it kind of gives you time to breathe and get into the frame of mind you need," she clarifies. "We both try to help out, too, with, like, the blow dryer and getting into position and stuff. It’s pretty awkward, but it’s a lot of fun."

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While Mandy is very open about so many aspects of what it takes to play her character and what Rebecca's future will entail, there's one big topic she's noticeably cautious to discuss: the hotly debated "her" mystery.

After finally finding out that "her" is, indeed, the Pearson matriarch, fans now want to know what's actually going on in that chilling flash-forward scene. In it, we see Tess and Randall roaming the halls of what appears to be a hospital. Tess phones Beth, who looks like she's in the middle of teaching a ballet class. Finally, Randall calls an alone, wedding ring-less Toby. All are seemingly gathering to go see Rebecca.

"I think it’s going to take a while to really fully grasp how all-encompassing the whole 'her' situation is," Mandy says while carefully choosing every word. "[There are] a lot of moving parts in it. You’ve got a lot of people involved, it’s a big family ... it all ties into the way that the show ends."

But how will fans react when it's revealed?

"People will be sufficiently satisfied. It all makes sense, and it’s all real. We know where we’re heading, it’s been the plan all along, and we’re just slowly, out of order, getting there."