This Is Us is pulling out the stops for its upcoming second season with a bombshell revelation and an assist from the Italian Stallion.
The Emmy-nominated NBC family drama was front and centre at the TCA press tour on Wednesday (August 2) as the network revealed it had secured Sylvester Stallone — yes, THAT Sylvester Stallone — for a guest role.
Stallone will be involved in the ongoing trials and tribulations of Kevin Pearson (Justin Hartley) getting his big Hollywood break in a movie directed by Ron Howard. The Hollywood legend will become a mentor of sorts to Kevin.
All credit for this guest star coup apparently goes to This Is Us mainstay Milo Ventimiglia, who memorably worked with Sly in 2006's Rocky Balboa.
"We needed a big star for his (Kevin's) movie and we're really excited about the script," producer Dan Fogelman told reporters at the TCAs.
Understandably, Milo Ventimiglia won't be sharing any scenes with Stallone since his character Jack is… errm, well, dead… in the show's modern-day timeline.
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Speaking of Jack, fans have been kept guessing about how the Pearson family patriarch tragically died all those years ago. Keep holding tight because answers are coming.
"If I say everything there is nothing to watch," Fogelman teased."If this is the question that is haunting people, in the course of the second season, you'll get the answers and more. The first episode has a first giant piece of the puzzle that will set the internet abuzz. That's the best I can say without spoiling."
Get ready to be abuzz when This Is Us returns to NBC in the US on Tuesday, September 26. In the UK, This Is Us airs on Channel 4.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
