This week on That Was Us, we’re joined in studio by Faithe Herman, who grew up before our eyes as Annie Pearson on This Is Us. Joining the series at just eight years old and wrapping at fourteen, Faithe reflects on what it was like to spend her childhood on one of television’s most beloved family dramas, and how the cast became a second family along the way.

In this episode, Faithe chats about:

• Booking This Is Us as her very first TV pilot audition and the unforgettable callback process

• Growing up alongside Eris Baker and Lyric Ross and how their on-screen sibling bond became a real-life friendship

• What it was like working with Sterling K. Brown and Susan Kelechi Watson as her TV parents for six seasons

• Annie Pearson’s evolution from the quiet observer of the family to one of the show's most emotionally insightful characters

• The memorable scene with Ron Cephas Jones and why it helped her see Annie in a new way

• Learning the craft of acting as she got older and discovering a genuine passion for performance

• The emotional party popper scene and the lesson Sterling taught her afterward

• Expanding her career beyond This Is Us with projects like Shazam! and Watchmen

• Making the long commute from San Diego to Los Angeles

• Attending the SAG Awards as a kid and navigating growing up in the spotlight

• Sterling’s efforts to make sure Annie remained part of the show’s final chapter and why Annie’s appearance on the train meant so much

• Starting college, turning eighteen, and finding balance between school, adulthood, and her acting career

And a friendly reminder, you can catch new episodes of That Was Us every Monday, a day early, exclusively on Hulu. Available on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts on Tuesdays like usual! That Was Us is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith.

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🍋 About the Show:

The stars of This Is Us, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, and Chris Sullivan, dive back into the world of the Pearsons, reliving each episode and all the life lessons that came with it.

Together, they dig in and dig deep, have the tough conversations, bring in very special and familiar guests, share never-before-heard behind-the-scenes moments, and feature listeners in highly anticipated fan segments.

Join your favorite family back in the living room to examine our past, cherish our present, and look to the future with new episodes of That Was Us every Tuesday.

Executive Producers: Natalie Holysz and Rob Holysz

Creative Producer: Sam Skelton

Production Coordinator: Andrew Rowley

Video Editor: Todd Hughlett

Mix & Master: Jason Richards

About Headgum:

Headgum is an LA & NY-based podcast network creating premium podcasts with the funniest, most engaging voices in comedy to achieve one goal: Making our audience and ourselves laugh. Listen to our shows at https://www.headgum.com.