(CNN) "I think now more than ever it's important to strive to be as creative as possible, to use your voice, to use your platform, to express yourself. It's important to keep art alive."

Mandy Moore, once best known for making music, now makes us cry on NBC's breakout hit "This Is Us," a series with one of the most talented ensembles TV has seen in some time. Still, among a cast of scene-stealers, Moore shows her dramatic strengths as mother-of-three Rebecca, a woman who juggles her family's needs with her own hopes and dreams while navigating a turbulent marriage.

At 33, Moore has done a lot of growing up since the days of singing "Candy," but she's found a chapter of her career that's even sweeter.