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'This Is Us' Star Mandy Moore Reveals What's Next for Kate and Rebecca and the Big Three as Toddlers


The second season of This Is Us could easily be renamed This Is Us: Kevin or This Is Us: Kate, and so on. Each episode, one character gets their moment to shine—and on Tuesday’s, it was Rebecca’s turn. For Mandy Moore, it was a turning point in Rebecca’s journey: “I feel like she’s able to have that more fully flushed-out role, where she gets to step up to the plate and have some of the winning moves that usually [is reserved] for Jack. I’m really glad that she’s able to have those moments, too.”

To continue the baseball analogies, by the time the credits rolled on Tuesday’s episode, Moore had pitched a perfect game. With the help of her cast members, she delivered every gesture and action beautifully, culminating with that heartbreaking split scene in the hospital with babies Randall and Tess.

Aside from finding out how she did it so effortlessly over different decades, we had plenty of other questions, too. When will we see Miguel and Rebecca reconnect in real life, instead of just on Facebook? Will Kate name her baby after Jack since Randall didn’t? And should we get ready to know a whole other set of Pearson kids when toddler Kate, Kevin, and Randall make their debut next week? Here, Moore answers all of that and more.

On the most recent episode, we discovered that Rebecca and Miguel reconnected after eight years thanks to Facebook. Up until that point, did you know any details about how they came to be a couple?

Mandy Moore: No, I didn’t have any idea about this revelation. This was news to me when I first read the script, as was Jack’s brother being revealed. I had heard rumors of it, and it had been hinted around, but sometimes we don’t know specific details until we get the full script. I had my own running theory of what unfolded because I kind of needed those answers as an actor—so did Jon Huertas, who plays Miguel—but it did differ a little bit, obviously, from this. It’s new information for us, too.

Have you started filming any scenes where we pick up from these Facebook messages?

Mandy: No, and I don’t think that’s going to be addressed until next season. That’s what I’ve been told.

In the episode, Rebecca was wearing a wedding ring the entire time, which I assumed was from her marriage to Miguel. Obviously, we know now it isn’t. Do you think she’s been wearing her wedding ring from Jack since he died eight plus years ago, or—and hear me out—could she have gotten married to someone else during this time and been in a very lonely marriage?

Mandy: [Laughs] That’s a great theory, but no, that’s not the case at all. Rebecca really is in a terribly lonely spot, but I think she never took off her ring. I think she still considers herself a Pearson, even after she married Miguel. I mean, I’ve always sort of operated—not that it’s known or talked about, maybe it will be somewhere down the line—that she still has the last name Pearson. I don’t think she took Miguel’s name. It’s important for her to feel connected to [Jack]—that’s why she still wears the necklace—so it’s not weird she still wears her wedding ring. That’s how she feels connected to him.

PHOTO: Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Do you have any intel on what happened to Miguel’s ex-wife, Shelly? She and Rebecca were friends even after her divorce to Miguel, but we don’t even know if she’s alive in the present day.

Mandy: That’s very true! I don’t want to speculate, because I’m sure that will be addressed and talked about. Dan has told us that season three will focus a lot more on Miguel and Rebecca’s courtship, so I’m absolutely positive that Shelly will factor in. They are friends, and they are somewhat close friends. I don’t think they’re best friends, but I’m curious what happened there. At one point the couples were friends, so that’s a mystery to me.

It’s an interesting dynamic with women, too, because it’s happened before where a former spouse ends up with a friend’s former spouse after one dies.

Mandy: Oh yeah, it feels a little too convenient, though, for Shelly to have passed away. It’s probably a tricky dynamic, considering they are divorced and Rebecca and Miguel find their way together down the road.

PHOTO: Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Let’s talk about Tess’ birth, when Randall tells Rebecca he had Jack and Jasmine picked out as possible names. What’s interesting is that he and Beth chose not to name their second child, Annie, after Jack either. That makes me think that Kate will name her baby after him, which might help Rebecca and Kate connect again.

Mandy: Interesting! I like your way of thinking! [Laughs] I do! You’ll just have to continue watching this season to see how it all unfolds, but I think that’s a great way to honor her father. I definitely support that.

When will Rebecca find out Kate is pregnant?

Mandy: It’s going to be explored in the next couple of episodes. Not next week, but it will be explored in episodes 8, 9, and 10. [You’ll see] Kate telling her family and everybody’s reactions. I love that this season is starting to really connect the dots between Rebecca and Kate, and where this disruption and disconnection in their relationship stems from. But, also, I love that a pregnancy, in theory, is able to bring mother and daughter together. I hope that that’s the case for them. I want to see them put their differences aside and celebrate this really beautiful moment in her life.

Speaking of which, what was your thoughts when Kate lashed out at Rebecca following her first gig?

Mandy: The scene was super emotional for me when I read it initially. It just tapped into similar dynamics I have with my own mother, and it really speaks to how complicated it can get between mothers and daughters. No one’s right, and no one’s wrong. It just is. It’s hard to pinpoint what anybody did wrong, but yet they’re totally justified for feeling the way that they do. I don’t fault Kate for being upset with her mom, and I don’t fault Rebecca for what she did with Kate. Rebecca maybe tries a little too hard, but [for Kate] to jump down her mother’s throat…it’s like, again, it’s such a tricky, gray area where you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

Before we move on to next week’s episode, let’s talk about the two hospital scenes where Rebecca met baby Randall and baby Tess for the first time. Are you able to watch your scenes when they air? Because that was one of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever seen on television.

Mandy: Aww, thank you. I did watch the episode with my man fiancé Taylor Goldsmith because he’s a fan of the show. You’re always so excited to see everybody else’s work, but I find it hard to watch myself. I loved this episode. I love [director] Regina King, and I can’t wait to work with her again, hopefully. I loved the different time period because it’s something new and fresh that we haven’t seen before, and I love Halloween. It’s one of my favorite holidays, and it was so much fun for Milo and I to dress up as Sonny and Cher. All of it was fun to watch unfold.

That last monologue [in the hospital scene] was so tricky because we shot it in pieces. We shot the distant past first, with Rebecca putting her trepidation and fears aside and going to Randall and saying, “We’re going to bring you home, and I’m terrified because I don’t know how to do this.” Then, a week later, we shot the scene in 2008 with me talking to baby Tess for the first time. I delivered those monologues to baby dolls, which makes them even more tricky. There was one shot with baby Randall, I think, where it was a real baby. But with babies, you can only shoot with them for like 20 minutes total. The baby Tess monologue was all delivered to one of those animatronic, little robotic babies that moves and vibrates. It’s really weird. But, yes, I’m really moved by people’s reactions. Don Roos wrote such a remarkable script; as an actor, to get a piece of dialogue like that is what you dream about. To be able to do this sort of weird, like, multi-monologue in two different time periods, intercut with each other, is such a dream. It was a challenge, and I was really excited about it.

PHOTO: Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Next week we see the big three in their toddler years. Should we get used to seeing a whole new set of kids that will be part of the show going forward?

Mandy: I don’t think that these children in particular…though they are a big part of this coming episode. As you can imagine, it’s really hard with kids. They are one and two years old, and everybody has a different energy that they bring. Some kids love being on a set and around all these new people; some don’t, and that’s totally understandable. I’m sure anytime we have toddlers moving forward, they may be different children episode by episode, so I don’t know if I would get too attached to seeing one face or another. But, yes, we’ll be meeting the kids at toddler age next episode. It’s so much fun, it really is. And the next episode is so beautiful, so moving. It’s a different time period that’s really critical—like a year in to the fostering process of baby Randall, of trying to officially adopt him, and some of the road blocks we faced that are really unexpected. It’s a really beautiful episode with some great guest actors. I think people are really going to love it.



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'The Big Bang Theory' Season 11 Episode 5 Recap: The Problem With Sheldon in 'The Collaboration Contamination'


Good luck getting Sheldon Cooper to solve this problem: At what point in this season of The Big Bang Theory did Sheldon turn into someone almost completely unrecognizable from the man he’s become over the last few years?

On tonight’s episode, Sheldon seemed to fall deeper into self-absorbed territory by becoming territorial over his fiancé’s work hours and work partner. It follows a pattern of unusual behavior this season that seems to have undone some of his profound personal growth over the latter half of the series. So what gives? Where’s the Sheldon who was vulnerable, supportive, and, yes, even romantic?

In “The Collaboration Contamination,” Sheldon and Raj confide in Bernadette that they can’t handle Amy and Howard working together. Raj is just lonely without his “work wife” Howard to keep him company—no point in dissecting that one—but Sheldon acts possessive over Amy, demanding to know why she’s working late after her first day with Howard. This was after he already dropped in on them at work to make sure everything was going alright. Then, in another scene, he complains that they’re working on a Saturday. “Is this how you envisioned your weekend?” he angrily asks Bernadette. Who is this guy?

It’s a question I’ve been thinking about since the season 11 premiere, when he got jealous that he wasn’t being peppered with questions about his success while meeting Amy’s work colleagues. Of that episode, I wrote: “Perhaps the only downside [of the episode] was Sheldon being a complete ass…when Amy was shown more attention by colleagues at a work dinner than him.”

Things didn’t get better in episode two, when Amy had to deal with Sheldon acting like a jealous child after she confided that she got special lab equipment at work. To make matters worse, we also found out Amy often keeps her success a secret from him so he doesn’t get upset. Much to my disappointment, I noted that Sheldon had turned into a mopey, outdated stereotype of a man who can’t handle a woman’s success.

PHOTO: Michael Yarish/Warner Bros.

Maybe that’s why I was beyond bored when episode three spent nearly 20 minutes having Sheldon drive himself mad trying to pick a perfect wedding date. I would have rather he spent that time in therapy trying to figure out why he’s become so frustratingly annoying this season. He briefly redeemed himself in episode four while assuring Howard he’d be a good father to his son, but it all seemed to unravel tonight. “This whole thing is maddening,” he vented to Bernadette about Amy’s work schedule. “I just wish I could make Howard feel as angry as I’m feeling.” What? He’s angry that his fiancé is working on a big laboratory project with their friend, a fellow physicist? Haven’t we moved past this old-fashioned trope of being jealous over working with a member of the opposite sex?

Later in the episode, when Leonard tells Sheldon that he needs to get over it (finally, someone with some common sense), Sheldon shuts him down and says, “It is a big deal! Howard is getting Amy used to laughing and listening to music! What if she expects that madness at home?” It’s all meant to be cute and funny, but I wasn’t laughing. Sheldon sounds like he wants to keep Amy trapped in the 1950s rather than embark on a lifetime of happiness. If I’m supposed to be excited that these two are heading toward a wedding, then here’s a news flash: I’m not.

Perhaps the reason I’m most annoyed with Sheldon’s arc this season is that the show has done such a stellar job in recent years of truly growing these characters. It’s no longer a series about four clueless male scientists who ogle the girl next door. The series has embraced real-life issues such as pre-and post-partum depression, gender stereotypes, marital issues, and mental health and done so with humor. To go back now seems like such a waste. And if anything is going to make Sheldon angry, that should be it.



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'The Big Bang Theory' Season 11 Episode 4 Recap: Howard and Bernadette Are Having a Boy


In what was perhaps the quickest reveal in The Big Bang Theory history, it took less than five minutes for the show to announce the sex of Bernadette and Howard’s second baby: a boy! The Wolowitz’s, who welcomed baby girl Halley into the world last December, find out they’ll be having a son come 2018; but prior to the reveal, they tell their doctor they don’t care. (“For the first one, we really wanted a girl, but this time around we don’t have a preference,” Howard says; “yeah, boy [or] girl…as long as it’s healthy,” Bernadette adds.) Their real feelings, however, are made clear as soon as the ultrasound indicates they’re having a boy. “Oh,” they say—and that’s it.

The scene definitely felt like a stark contrast to the way other shows have handled the “is it a boy or a girl?” question. For those shows, the episodes are usually cute in nature but never really amount to much. The audience waits 20 minutes into the program before finding out whether subsequent episodes will feature a pink or blue nursery. And then, TV kids generally don’t have much of an identity until later seasons, if at all. Of course, The Big Bang Theory has already bucked that trend altogether by never even showing us baby Halley, though we did notice she has her share of “Daddy’s Little Girl” outfits and red tutus in tonight’s “The Explosion Implosion.”

But that’s why Howard and Bernadette’s reaction was so interesting. When Raj comments that they can’t be that disappointed to have a boy, Howard opens up the conversation with this gem of a line, “I barely know how to be a man myself! Now I have to teach someone?”

PHOTO: Monty Brinton/CBS

I haven’t conducted any scientific surveys, of course, but aside from having a healthy baby, it seems like many parents want either what they’re familiar with (the “mini-me” syndrome) or a re-do of the childhood they never had growing up. But it’s frustrating to see parents basically decide on a child’s personality before the kid has a chance to form their own. Tonight’s Big Bang, however, at least got us a little closer to resisting that trend.

Howard admits to Sheldon that he’s scared to have a son because his own father abandoned him, and he never had a masculine influence in his life. As the two work to build a rocket (the same one that Howard never got to work on with his dad), Howard says, “Sheldon, help me. What do I know about raising a boy?” Sheldon’s response: “What do you know about raising a girl?” I’ve been hard on Sheldon this season, but his answer was brilliant.

See, that’s the thing. You don’t raise a gender; you raise an individual. To break down a child by ‘boy’ or ‘girl’ stereotypes is to limit who your individual child could become. No one fits into a box, yet society gives us extremely limited options during those early months pre-birth.

But let’s get back to the episode. Bernadette asks Raj if it’s wrong that she wanted a sister for Halley, considering she grew up with all brothers. “Of course it’s wrong,” Raj exclaims. “You don’t know what this little boy is going to be like! Maybe he’ll be rough and tumble, or maybe he’ll be sweet and sensitive, or maybe he’ll be all those things like me!” In the span of 20 seconds, Raj just became my favorite character. As long as a child grows up to be a good human being, it doesn’t matter if they’re into sports, fashion, a combination of both, or neither. And note to Bernadette: I love my sister more than anything, but we fought and argued so much growing up that our cat had to go on anti-depressants because we stressed her out so much. Be careful what you wish for.

Before the episode concludes, Howard ends up coaching Sheldon as he drives on a long stretch of road back home (remember, Sheldon got his driver’s license a while back and then didn’t tell anyone). In the moment, Howard nails what a great father is: being supportive and knowledgeable. “You’re a good teacher,” Sheldon says sweetly. “Your son is going to be lucky to have you as a father.” “Thanks,” Howard says. See, no sports knowledge required.



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'The Big Bang Theory' Recap Season 11 Episode 3: Sheldon and Amy Set a June Wedding


PHOTO: Michael Yarish/Warner Bros.

Sheldon Cooper‘s descent into groomzilla-land took approximately 20 minutes before that reign came to a much-needed conclusion on tonight’s Big Bang Theory. While his obsession over the perfect date wedding date was totally in line with his personality, the need to spend almost an entire episode on it—or the meaning behind his dreams—was honestly a waste of time. Thank goodness the stress of picking a date was too much for him that by the end of the episode he gladly handed the task over to Amy.

So when will Shamy tie the knot? It looks like we’ll get to see Amy fulfill her lifelong wish of being a June bride, but the exact date—or year for that matter—is TBD. However, since Big Bang has only been renewed for another season after this one ends, one might assume that Shamy will tie the knot in the 11th season finale (which airs in May). On the other hand, it could also mean June 2019 if the writers decide to make that the series finale (should the series conclude after season 12).

Or course, those details are still a bit murky—but the location is as clear as can be. No, really; in the episode, Amy reveals that her dream is to be married “on a cliff overlooking the ocean at sunset,” and Sheldon is on board. Considering the couple already resides in Pasadena, a trip to Malibu or one of Southern California’s beachside communities should be a breeze. And although Sheldon has yet to go shopping for a tux, we do know that he plans on wearing “a boutonniere, close-toed shoes, and a Star Trek uniform underneath.” (In that case, I hope Amy finds a way to incorporate her love of Harry Potter into the mix).

Even so, all of this could still change. At the end of the episode, an outdoor-averse Sheldon muttered to himself, “Outdoor wedding…I know what I’ll be using that cliff for.” Hey Sheldon, let me give you some advice: Don’t give Amy a reason to push you off it—because right now, you’re testing everyone’s patience.



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Adam Scott talks Big Little Lies, Ghosted on Fox, and the nineties horror franchise he could never infiltrate


Before posing for this adorably pensive portrait (not pictured: standard issue New Balances), Adam Scott, 44, had never been photographed by a woman for a major magazine. Seriously. First, as part of Glamour‘s second-annual “Powered by Women” initiative, we fixed that. And then we called up the brainy funnyman for a tour of his beautiful mind. Turns out he’s dreamier than we could have ever imagined.

GLAMOUR: Ghosted, your new buddy comedy series with Craig Robinson, loves to put you in awkward situations. Why do you think you’re so comfortable playing the punch line?

ADAM SCOTT: I guess I’ve always felt kind of weird. I went through a long and fruitful overweight-awkward stage, and I got teased. I had a taste—well, more than a taste—I was kind of living in that space for a while. That’s the kind of thing that shapes you.

GLAMOUR: You and Craig have an unbelievable physical comedy dynamic. What’s it like to be the little dude in the little dude-big dude paradigm?

AS: Craig is such a sweet guy, but when you look at Craig and me from the outside, there couldn’t be two more different-looking people. The writers have fun trying to subvert that and play with it.

GLAMOUR: So do you toss all the “buff guy gets girl” scripts out the window?

AS: Oh, I gave up on trying to get those parts 20 years ago. I auditioned for every ­nineties flick, but it never happened for me. I think I auditioned for all the *Screams*, actually, and didn’t get any of them. And there are a lot of those movies.

GLAMOUR: Wait, you went out for Skeet Ulrich’s role in Scream?

AS: That must have been it. That had to be it. I think it was.

GLAMOUR: As someone who was 12 when Scream came out, this is a big reveal. It doesn’t matter, though, because you went on to play Amy Poehler’s love interest on five seasons of Parks and Recreation, which led to more than one fangirl listicle. Is it cool being a hipster-nerd sex icon now?

AS: When that stuff first started happening, I was hyperaware of it. But as it continued, I grew more and more weary of it. I can only imagine if I’d had any success when I was 19 or 20. That would have surely gone to my head.

GLAMOUR: What was it about Ed, Reese Witherspoon’s hopelessly devoted husband on Big Little Lies, that
made you want to play him?

AS: He genuinely loved Madeline. And he was determined to clear the way for her. He’s there to protect her and keep her safe, which makes him feel safe. They end up finding their way on the show, which is nice. But yeah, it obviously wasn’t the healthiest relationship.

GLAMOUR: I’ve got to ask: What exactly are you doing right now? It’s awfully noisy where you are.…

AS: I’ll tell you what I’m doing! I have to get to work, and I am the last one in the house, so I have to put the dog in the kitchen. Then we have this, like, smoothie delivery service, so I’m putting a bunch of them in the freezer for my wife. I am also trying to set the alarm so I can get out of here.

GLAMOUR: I always joke that men can’t multitask, but here you are, a renaissance man.

AS: Exactly. [Laughs.] Please put that in the article.

GLAMOUR: Of course! Okay, time for a truly loaded question: “Fuck, Marry, Kill” with Madeline McKinsey, Leslie Knope, and Party Down‘s Casey Klein.

AS: Oh, boy, that’s dangerous territory. Okay, so I think any sane person would marry Leslie Knope, right?

GLAMOUR: Absolutely.

AS: I feel like Casey Klein would just be heartbreak. And we saw what kinda trouble Madeline brings. I don’t want to kill any of them, though. The other two I am just going to leave up in the air and it could be, like, interchangeable.

Ghosted premieres on Fox October 1.



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'The Big Bang Theory' Season 11 Episode 2 Recap: Bernadette and Amy Battle Over Their Successes


PHOTO: Richard Cartwright/CBS

Tonight’s Big Bang Theory tackled a topic that seems to come up a lot lately: what it actually means to support other women. We’ve all read articles about the value of lifting each other up and been told to follow “girl code,” but it’s easy to be there for your peers when things are going well. The real work comes in the hard times—when your colleague bypasses you for a promotion or a friend constantly humblebrags about her many accomplishments, for example.

It’s especially difficult to be supportive when you’re not feeling supported yourself, something Amy and Bernadette faced on tonight’s episode. Amy was already dealing with her fiancé, Sheldon, acting like a jealous child when she confided that she got special lab equipment at work, when a conversation with Bernadette turned into an uncomfortable battle of who’s more successful. Yikes.

But let’s back up and talk about Sheldon and Amy first: As much as we’d like to see them start planning their wedding, they’ve got bigger problems to figure out than what kind of card stock to use. Amy might be used to Sheldon’s childish and obnoxious responses to her success—he was downright awful at her work dinner last week—but we’re not. It’s nice that Amy doesn’t want to brag about her recent funding, knowing that he’s struggling a bit with his own career, but she shouldn’t have to completely hide it from him, either.

But Amy’s not alone in this: Bernadette confides to Amy that she often hides aspects of her success from Howard. (Seriously?!) When she went on a company retreat to Tahiti last year, she told Howard it was to Boise instead. For the sake of a sitcom joke, it was funny, but in the real world it’s frustrating. Bernadette also admits she kept last year’s bonus check a secret from her husband—and here we thought raising two children under two was going to be their biggest issue.

PHOTO: Richard Cartwright/CBS

In an attempt to find a temporary solution to their problems, Bernadette and Amy agree to tell each other about their own successes because apparently telling their significant others is out of the question. (Yet in one moment of clarity, Amy notes that “the guys are never shy about bragging.”) With that, the ladies start sharing their achievements, but the whole thing goes off the rails within seconds:

Bernadette: “There’s so much money in pharmaceuticals, we don’t even wash out our old test tubes. We just throw ’em out and get new ones!”
Amy: “I just got a brand new state-of-the-art fMRI machine!”
Bernadette: “Wow, those things are so expensive!”
Amy: “I know! Sometimes I just lie down in there and take a nap. It’s like a million dollar bunk bed!”
Bernadette: “At the office, I have two assistants! I don’t even know their names. I just call them thing 1 and thing 2.”
Amy: “I don’t have assistants.”
Bernadette: “I guess that’s one of the benefits of being in the private sector. That and all the money I make!”
Amy: “Yeah, you’ve got that. I’ve got my integrity. Hard to say which one is better without making you feel bad. I may not be making as much money as you, but at least I’m doing something that I know makes people’s lives better.”
Bernadette: “Hey! My work makes peoples lives better. Especially if you have moderate to severe eczema and don’t mind if you lose teeth.”
Amy: “You’re right. We both do important work. I’m trying to map the structures of the brain and you’re trying to convince people that itchy hair is a real thing.”
Bernadette: “It is a real thing! It happens to be a side effect of our cholesterol drug.”
Amy: “I’m just saying that my research may actually change the world forever.”
Bernadette: “I hope it does. ‘Cause I’m going to see that world from a yacht so big you could land a helicopter on it!”

So…not only do we have two successful women who can’t tell the men in their lives about their accomplishments, but now they can’t even figure out how to be excited for one another without turning it into a game of who’s living their best life? At a time when women really do need to stick together and support each other in life and in work, this was a missed opportunity. Same for their partners, who have turned into mopey, outdated stereotypes of men who can’t handle a woman’s success. Then again, maybe I’m hoping for too much from a bunch of guys who basically got drunk on mouthwash in the same episode.



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