Sterling K. Brown discusses transracial adoption on This Is Us

This Is Us doesn’t just make its fans cry. The series relates to specific experiences, and Sterling K. Brown discusses the impact of the show’s transracial adoption story.

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When you’re watching This Is Us, it’s hard not to insert yourself into the many storylines. Pick a Pearson and you can relate to some aspect of their journeys through life. Whether you connect with Kate’s struggles with weight loss, Jack and Rebecca’s imperfect marriage, or Randall’s relations with race, there’s something for everyone. Sterling K. Brown knows that and has felt the gratitude.

One of the most distinct instances of This Is Us relating to a specific facet of the human experience arrives at the beginning of the series with Randall’s adoption. Because a white family adopted a black child, the Pearsons’ lives took on a different perspective than most. Randall grew up curious, feeling out of place, and searching for a familiarity in his identity. Speaking with Jess Cagle of Entertainment Weekly, Sterling K. Brown opens about how fans have reacted to the adoption storyline and how it has positively impacted their personal experiences.

During the first season of This Is Us, the series explored the difficulties of adopting a child, especially those that arise when the child isn’t the same race as the rest of the family. Jack and Rebecca were prepared to love Randall, of course, but the smaller details were unexpected. And that has hit home for some fans, as Brown tells Cagle:

"“I’ve had a couple people who have transracially adopted come up to me and say, ‘Thank you.’ They’ll see me in an unexpected place… and they’ll just be like, ‘We have a black child, and thank you, and we have asked the questions about suntan lotion and haircuts and you know what’s proper about all these different things.’”"

Admittedly, This Is Us has filled a gap in entertainment that had been missing. Although other series have touched on the same topics (Parenthood tackled biracial families as well as adoption and other impactful stories), the Emmy-nominated ratings behemoth has tapped into the heart of honest, human connection. Brown explains this unparalleled strength:

"“I think folks just enjoy seeing their story told in a way that’s highlighted for a national audience, because often times you feel like you’re just doing this in isolation and people can’t understand what you’re going through, but then you see someone telling your story and you’re like, ‘They get it.'”"

Watch Sterling K. Brown talk with Jess Cagle about This Is Us and its celebrated depiction of transracial adoption in the video below.

Sterling K. Brown Reflects on 'This Is Us'

This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown reflects on the emotional response to the show's portrayal of transracial adoption.Watch the full special here: pen.live/SterlingKBrown

Posted by People EW Network on Thursday, August 24, 2017

Next: The huge milestone attached to Sterling K. Brown’s Emmy nomination

Without a doubt, the world needed to watch the complicated and important story of Randall Pearson’s adoption and eventual connection with his birth father, William. Brown says the writers spoke with an author who shared her personal account of being a transracial adoptee, which helped inject Randall’s story with firsthand realism. The series will continue to tell pressing stories about family as Beth and Randall contemplate an adoption of their own in Season 2, and fans will in turn continue to feel seen by This Is Us.

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

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Sterling K. Brown discusses the importance of transracial adoption on This Is Us

By Reed Gaudens | Aug 25, 2017

This Is Us doesn’t just make its fans cry. The series relates to specific experiences, and Sterling K. Brown discusses the impact of the show’s transracial adoption story.