‘This Is Us’ Stars Reveal Who Else They Would Play on the Show

Can you imagine a world where Milo Ventimiglia does not play Jack Pearson on This Is Us.

Television fans instantly fell in love with the cast and characters on the NBC hit drama, but what if they had been cast in different roles?

Entertainment Weekly approached that rather terrifying alternative reality and asked the biggest stars of the series which character they would love to play if they got a chance, and some of the answers might surprise you.

Milo Ventimiglia

Ventimiglia is perhaps This Is Us biggest star, headlining the show as the best (deceased) dad ever Jack Pearson, but he would love to take on the role of another of the series’ fallen patriarchs.

“The character that I connect with the most is William,” Ventimiglia said. “Just his appreciation of the world and the small moments — and that’s maybe just me as me. But I strangely have no desire but to fill the shoes of Jack. I like being Jack.”

Ron Cephas Jones

The actor who played William said he’d love to play Randall.

“Randall would be the first person that I would connect with and would like to do,” Jones told Entertainment Weekly. “Sterling [K. Brown] is so brilliant in that it makes you think about the challenge and he’s met that challenge five stars and deserves every accolade that he gets for it because it’s a hard character to do… It’s one of those characters that’s an actor’s dream and I know Sterling feels the same way. And also because [Randall] is African-American there’s an immediate connection to that character. The things that he’s going through and the stuff that we did in ‘Memphis’ and the connection that we had together. So there’s a lineage connection as well as a cultural and historical and ethnic connection.”

Sterling K. Brown

The Emmy-award winning actor chose Kevin as his alternative role, remembering Kevin’s act of selflessness as a highlight in the character’s journey.

“When he explains the painting to my daughters, what I love is that he seems like he doesn’t have the level of depth and insight that he does, but then he has this profound, articulate, and beautiful explanation of life that he shares,” Brown said. “I know it caused some flack in people. They’re like, ‘Would he really leave his opening night?’ I was like, ‘Just take the journey for a second, because that level of self-sacrifice is something that I find incredibly heroic.’ And it makes me weep like a baby. Kevin’s an actor, and so I can relate very easily to his journey.”

Susan Kelechi Watson

She may be playing America’s favorite Pearson add-on, but Watson would love to be one of the members of The Big Three.

“I like the romance that Kate is having, and I like the music career she’s trying to pursue — and her relationship with her brother,” Watson said. “That whole twin thing is a really cool dynamic, to have that person in life that you guys kind of can always read each other’s thoughts and you’re just there for each other in that way. Yeah, reincarnate as Kate.”

Mandy Moore

As opposed to the role of the Pearson family patriarch, Moore revealed she would love to play Beth.

“Beth is one-half of my fave TV couple — mostly I’m just obsessed with all things Susan Kelechi Waston,” Moore said. “But beyond that, I love how layered and dimensional Beth is: all at once loyal, compassionate, protective, open, funny, ambitious, she’s a caretaker, a fantastic wife and mother, but she also doesn’t hold back or sugarcoat things. She quietly makes everyone around her step up and be better. She’s the real hero of the show, in a way.”

“She’s an outsider in that family and she can really hold her own. You can feel the history between her and Randall, but I’m most interested in who Beth is outside of the marriage — who she was before — and that would be so much fun to play.”

Justin Hartley

The man responsible for making America fall in love with the Manny chose to ignore gender roles, picking Rebecca Pearson as his dream role.

“That’s a dynamic woman who has her own thing going on,” Hartley said. “And then she’s got this husband who’s obviously loving and caring and wonderful, but there might be some demons there, and she’s dealing with it. Everybody sees him as this supportive, amazing father, and the truth of the matter is she might be the strongest person in that whole family. I think she’s just a little overworked and underappreciated, and so it’d be fun to explore that.”

Chris Sullivan

Viewers may know him as silent hero Toby, who has proven himself to be the most patient and loving partner to Kate. But Sullivan would love to a swing at another fan favorite character, Dr. K.

“Part of the reason is because of the performance that Gerald McRaney gave, and that I wish I could give a performance like that,” Sullivan revealed. “So, in my head, I think that if I got to play Dr. K, I could give a performance like that. But obviously I’m not Gerald McRaney. I’m not a legend. I’d like to play that role of somebody closer to the end of their life than their beginning, with all of that history behind them, and exploring the things that it takes to get through all that stuff.”

Chrissy Metz

Twins do think alike, as Metz also looked past gender lines and revealed she’d love to play Kate’s twin brother.

“Rebecca is such a kick-ass woman, and she’s resilient and selfless, beautiful, and talented,” Metz said. “But I think I might say Kevin because I know what it’s like to be judged on my appearance negatively, but I don’t know what it’s like to be judged positively. And while, of course, he has issues and people thinking that he’s just a beautiful face, there is so much depth to him.”

This Is Us will air its season finale Tuesday, March 13 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.