Here's the one 'This Is Us' scene that still makes Mandy Moore cry

Mandy Moore opened up about the ‘This Is Us’ scene that was the hardest to film and the scene that still makes her tear up.

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For This Is Us fans, watching the series and remembering its heavily emotional scenes can be traumatic to say the least. Thinking back to the very first episode, if recalling that final twisty sequence doesn’t wrack your body with chills and choke you up, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. But those who can barely hear the word Memphis without curling into the fetal position, know that you’re not alone.

Mandy Moore recently sat down with TODAY to chat about This Is Us and its lingering emotional impact. As it turns out, the breakout smash’s tear-jerking narrative doesn’t exclusively hit home with its viewers. Its performers feel all feels as well. The Pearson matriarch opened up about the scenes that presented a challenge for its stars while filming (hint: that blowup fight in the finale between Jack and Rebecca) and even the one scene that can bring Moore to tears with a simple mention. Just when we thought This Is Us couldn’t get much more relatable.

Choosing from the handfuls of hard-hitting scenes in This Is Us seems nearly impossible, but Mandy Moore admitted that William’s “fun-eral” scene was a somber occasion despite its celebration of his life. Even though the series doesn’t allow for the cast to share scenes together as a group often, Tess and Annie’s spirited party gathered the gang in the same space for some much needed healing after William’s passing.

Moore also mentioned that the season finale’s culminating clash between Jack and Rebecca removed her and Milo Ventimiglia from their comfort zones. Dare we say same, Mandy. Same. She recalls the prep work and character pivot that drove the tense sequence to TODAY:

"“There was so much that went into it; there was the whole idea of choreography. It was a six-page scene where we were speaking on top of each other, and it had to feel natural, so Milo and I rehearsed a lot together just to make sure that we had the banter down. It was the antithesis to the relationship that we have spent the entire season building up, for it all to sort of crumble.”"

THIS IS US — “The Game Plan” Episode 105 — Pictured: (l-r) Faithe Herman as Tess, Justin Hartley as Kevin, Eris Baker as Olivia — (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC) /

But the two scenes Moore champions as the most tear-inducing don’t feature Rebecca in the mix. A fan favorite scene, and one often left underrated in spite of immense praise, arrives in “The Game Plan” as Justin Hartley’s Kevin explains the meaning of his painting to his nieces. Hartley delivers a bittersweet monologue that not only deepened Kevin as a character but threw Hartley’s name in the hat as a powerhouse performer like his Emmy-nominated co-stars.

On top of Kevin’s abstract artistry, there’s a particular scene from the first season of This Is Us that still gets Moore misty eyed by purely talking about it. “Memphis,” the season’s sixteenth episode, ranks in the Top 10 most heartbreaking hours of television to ever be produced as Randall says goodbye to his birth father, William. When Moore describes the scene’s beauty, she gets emotional and asks the question we ask ourselves during every episode: “Why do I have to cry?”

Revisit Sterling K. Brown and Ron Cephas Jones’ stunning performances in Episode 16 in the video below and cry along with our This Is Us matriarch!

Next: Mandy Moore was snubbed at the Emmys, and it's just not fair

Do you find yourself crying over the same scenes as Mandy Moore? Which This Is Us scenes can bring out the waterworks with a single thought? Let us know in the comments and keep the conversation going on Twitter!

This Is Us returns for Season 2 on Tuesday, September 26 at 9/8c on NBC.

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Here’s the one ‘This Is Us’ scene that makes Mandy Moore cry at mere mention

By Reed Gaudens | Jul 21, 2017

Mandy Moore opened up about the ‘This Is Us’ scene that was the hardest to film and the scene that still makes her tear up.