Entertainment
The Pearson family and extended family's storylines will continue in the next season of This Is Us, but the show is also adding a whopping 10 new characters for This Is Us Season 4. The diverging storylines on the new season with all these new players is going to be a lot to keep track of, but it wouldn't be This Is Us without the twists. The new characters seem to be this season's first one.
Only one of the new stars had previously been announced, but the rest of the new faces just simply showed up in the Season 4 trailer. It featured glimpses of the newbies with a voiceover of Rebecca telling Jack, "It's so strange, isn't it? How, just like that, a complete stranger can become such a big part of your story. It's actually kind of terrifying, you know? How a single cross with one person you've never met can change everything."
It's clear that the Pearsons' stories will overlap with these 10 new characters in one way or another, but it probably won't be in a way anyone is expecting. The trailer also teased, "If you think you know what’s coming next you don’t know us," so all bets are off the table when it comes to speculating who these 10 new characters are and why they're there.
It seems that the situation will be addressed in the very first episode of Season 4, airing Sept. 24, because it's titled, "Strangers." The synopsis says, "Jack meets Rebecca’s parents. New characters are introduced." Viewers have already met Rebecca's mom, but one of the new actors is likely playing Rebecca's dad, whom fans have not yet met.
Below is the full list of the new actors on the show, courtesy of TV Line. Now let's all get to speculating who they might be — knowing full well that we'll probably be wrong. Such is life for a This Is Us theorist.
Jennifer Morrison
Once Upon A Time and How I Met Your Mother star Morrison was the only actor announced ahead of the trailer. According to People magazine, she has a "substantial" recurring role in Season 4. In the trailer, she is dressed in military gear, but that's all that's currently known about her character.
Omar Epps
According to Variety, Epps is a mechanic in Season 4. Previously, Epps was best known for his role in House as Dr. Eric Foreman.
Asante Blackk
When They See Us star Blackk is shown a couple of times during the trailer, and he seems to be wearing a mechanic's uniform in one scene. Perhaps Blackk plays a younger version of Epps' character or his son.
Marsha Stephanie Blake
Blake, who also starred in When They See Us, is shown sitting next to someone who is wearing a similar shirt to Epps' character. So perhaps these two characters are related or married.
Auden Thornton
Thornton plays a waitress named Lucy, but nothing else is known about her character. Before her role in This Is Us, Thornton had some short roles on shows like Doubt, Royal Pains, The Good Wife, and Pan Am.
Timothy Omundson
The Psych star seems to be a good candidate to play Rebecca's father, but the premiere will reveal that for sure.
Nick Wechsler
It seems like Wechsler's character is hugging Morrison's character, suggesting that they're connected in some way. Before This Is Us, Wechsler had recurring roles on shows like Dynasty, Shades of Blue, Chicago P.D., and Revenge.
Bahara Golestani
Golestani's character also seems to be connected to Morrison's based on this scene in the trailer where she's talking to a female soldier. Perhaps the two met while Morrison's character was on duty over seas. Golestani is also known for the movie An American Funeral.
M. Night Shyamalan
The producer and director could be playing himself on one of Kevin's acting projects. But he may also be playing a character, which he's done before in some of his films.
Julian Silva
Silva only had a brief, out-of-focus, scene in the trailer where he was sitting behind Blackk's character and staring at something. According to IMDb, Silva is playing a character named Jonny, and he'll appear in the premiere. Before This Is Us, he played Tony on Queen of the South.
While fans are slated to meet these new characters in the first episode of Season 4, don't be surprised if their stories continue long into the new season and intersect in unexpected ways. This Is Us is always full of surprises, and these new characters are only the tip of the iceberg.
