This Is Us boss says Mandy Moore was the driving force for Rebecca's big reveal
Warning: This article contains spoilers for This Is Us season 4 episode 9 'So Long, Marianne'
This Is Us co-showrunner Isaac Aptaker has opened up about the revelation about Rebecca Pearson's health in the mid-season finale of the show's fourth season.
In season 4 episode 9, a nine-month flash-forward offers a heart-breaking look into Rebecca's battle with dementia.
Speaking about the storyline, Isaac explained that it was the character's star Mandy Moore who ensured they portrayed the condition in the most "authentic" way possible.
Related: This Is Us renewed for three more seasons
After the non-linear episode offered audiences more insight into Rebecca's deteriorating health, Isaac told TVLine: "For this one, I think it’s such a testament to Mandy and the work that she’s doing.
"Remember, this is a woman in her 30s, who hasn't even had a family yet, who's now playing a grandmother dealing with dementia and this onset of stuff that doesn’t happen until much later in life.
"It's so far beyond Mandy’s own personal experience, so she's doing so much work as an actor."
He went on to say that Moore made a conscious effort to talk to experts on dementia, as well as "people who've been personally touched by this" before filming on the storyline started.
"All those little details that she's bringing to the performance are the result of that research and the work that she is doing to accurately portray this," Isaac continued. "It's really blowing us away."
When asked how Rebecca's illness might impact the rest of the Pearson family, he kept his cards close to his chest, saying that he doesn't "want to get ahead of our storytelling".
Fans shouldn't worry themselves too much though, as he went on to note that by the beginning of season 5, the show will have caught up to the scene that played out in the flash-forward.
"Everyone's questions about Rebecca and her status and how things have progressed will be answered."
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