This Is Us star Jon Huertas has revealed that his character, Miguel, will get a standalone showcase episode—and it could come as soon as this season. The actor, who plays Jack Pearson’s (Milo Ventimiglia) best friend turned Rebecca Pearson’s (Mandy Moore) second husband on the NBC drama, admits that there’s a fine line between telling more of Miguel’s story and shoving the character down viewers’ throats.
In an interview with TV Line , which you can see below, Huertas teased the possibility of a Miguel-centric episode along the lines of the Big Three’s standalone episodes and past episodes focused on William (Ron Cephas Jones) and Deja (Lyric Ross). The This Is Us star told TV Line plans are underway for an episode about Miguel’s backstory for later in the upcoming third season or possibly sometime in Season 4.
“I know they’re going to do that. You can’t push Miguel down people’s throats right now, because Jack and Rebecca, it’s everyone’s dream to be in a relationship like that where both people are so dedicated to each other, no matter what. You have to go really slow and really watch your step. I feel like you’re walking through a minefield.”
In addition to possibly explaining how Miguel and Rebecca came to be, the deep dive into Miguel’s backstory could focus on their life as a biracial couple. Huertas hinted that his character can even relate to some of the things Randall (Sterling K. Brown) went through as a member of the all-white Pearson family.
Huertas has already filmed some Season 3 scenes as “70-ish Miguel” (not to be confused with ’70s Miguel) and he also said fans can expect to see more of his character interacting with his stepdaughter Kate’s husband, Toby (Chris Sullivan). Huertas also dished that he helped This Is Us writers come up with some of the details about his character, including Miguel’s last name, Rivas, which is a tribute to a man he served with in the Air Force.
Jon Huertas’ reveal that Miguel will get a standalone episode comes on the heels of This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman’s announcement that the characters Beth (played by Susan Kelechi Watson) and Toby will both get showcases.
During a For-Your-Consideration Emmy event in Los Angeles, This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman told the panel that the third season will take a “deep dive” into the backstory of Randall Pearson’s wife, which will give viewers a peek into Beth’s childhood with her three sisters as well as the character’s teen years.
“She’s going to get a showcase, and it’s going to be f—ing amazing,” Fogelman said of Kelechi Watson’s character, according to CNN .
In addition, Toby Damon’s ongoing battle with depression will be explored as viewers get more details on Sullivan’s character’s story.
Check out Jon Huertas’ interview with TV Line below.
This Is Us returns Tuesday, Sept. 25 on NBC.