Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Spoilers ahead forTuesdays episode ofThis Is Us.
An ode to the crying men on ‘This Is Us’
Nobody onThis Is Usis more relieved that the cats out of the bagthan Michael Angarano.
(That version of Nicky is played byGriffin Dunne.)
So this is nice.
Finally, everyone knows the twist.
And I similarly dont know too much about the future of it.
Theyre very close-lipped over there, as you would imagine.
And hes right there in Pennsylvania!So close.Very close.
Youve said in recent interviews that Nickys story has a dark and sad ending.
You were onThe Tonight Showand Jimmy Fallon asked you about different fan theories about Nickys fate.
Did you feel like you gave it away?[Laughs.]
I would like to think not.
I think I did pretty good.
You also worked with Milo on the 2015 movieWild Card.
Is that how you ended up on the show?
Or did you audition?I didnt audition.
It all came in a really surprising way.
I didnt know I was being considered and it was one of those great gifts that I was given.
Honestly, this character and working with these writers and Milo has been really rewarding for me creatively.
This stuff is intense and there were moments where he was incredibly supportive.
Its a lot playing a character that is suffering the way Nicky is suffering.
And so Milo was supportive and helpful and generous in so many different ways.
What we were able to bring to life on camera was really exciting for me.
Were you aware of the fandom surrounding Jack before you joined the show?
Were you intimidated by the idea of playing superhero Jacks little brother?I was aware directly and indirectly.
My sisters a massive fan of the show.
So I was very close-lipped from the start.
But its impossible not to be aware.
Its in the cultural Zeitgeist.
Im extremely close with my sisters and my parents.
And because he was always protected by Jack, he doesnt really know himself as a man.
But as a person, I think hes incredibly sensitive.
He comes from a working-class family, hes a little bit of a poet.
Most of your work has been on location at the Vietnam set, right?
Where did you film?
What was it like?They filmed a lot of stuff in Vietnam.
I was not in Vietnam.
Regarding how we see Nick in Vietnam, the makeup process alone is a long process.
I dont show up to work that dirty.
The conditions were really physically demanding.
We werent on a cozy soundstage somewhere.
The days were really hot and you felt like you were out in the elements.
That much I can say.
It really felt extremely authentic.
I didnt do one of those tuna fish and apple kind of diets, but I felt fine.
It really did help because the physical transformation was necessary for the Vietnam stuff.
When we find Nicky, hes been there for at least a year.
