When the credits rolled on the Season 3 mid-season finale of This Is Us, fans weren't just shocked—they were confused. For years, we were told Nicky Pearson died in Vietnam. Then, suddenly, there’s a trailer in Pennsylvania and an older man staring out a window. Enter Griffin Dunne.
He wasn’t the young, vibrant Michael Angarano we’d seen in flashbacks. He was weathered. He looked like a man who had been chewed up by life and spit out into a dingy trailer. Honestly, it was a massive risk for a show that usually relied on "aging up" its main cast with layers of latex and spirit gum.
But Griffin Dunne on This Is Us became more than just a casting choice. He became the soul of the show's final act.
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The Mystery of the "Other" Nicky
You've probably noticed that This Is Us loves its prosthetics. Mandy Moore spent half her time in a makeup chair becoming "Old Rebecca." So why did they hire a completely different actor for Nicky?
Executive producer Isaac Aptaker was pretty blunt about it: Michael Angarano has a "baby face." You can only add so many wrinkles to a youthful face before it looks like a high school play. They needed someone who carried the weight of seventy years in his actual eyes.
Dunne brought a specific, nervous energy. It wasn't just about looking old; it was about the way he held his shoulders. He played Nicky like a man waiting for a blow that never comes.
The "uncanny resemblance" between Dunne and Angarano wasn't a total accident, though. They actually played father and son in the 2007 film Snow Angels. That shared "movie DNA" made the transition feel seamless, even if the face was technically different.
How Vietnam Shaped the Character
Nicky Pearson is a tragic figure. Let's be real. The "Songbird Road" episodes are some of the hardest to watch in the entire series.
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Nicky’s trauma wasn't just "war is bad." It was the specific horror of the boat accident—the death of a child he was trying to entertain. That single moment of drug-fueled negligence cost him his relationship with Jack.
Jack Pearson, the "perfect" dad, couldn't forgive him. He shut Nicky out for decades.
Griffin Dunne has mentioned in interviews that he felt a personal connection to this. He almost got drafted himself. He grew up watching the war on the news every night. When he played Nicky, he wasn't just acting; he was channeling a generation of men who came back "broken" and were told to just keep quiet about it.
The Curmudgeon We Didn't Know We Needed
Once Nicky joined the modern-day Pearson clan, the vibe changed. The show can get pretty "saccharine" sometimes. Everyone gives big speeches. Everyone cries in the kitchen.
Nicky didn't do that. He called Kevin and Cassidy "morons." He was cranky. He was sarcastic.
But beneath that crusty exterior, Dunne played the vulnerability perfectly. Remember the scene with the snow globes at the airport? He tried to bring a gift to his nephews, and it all fell apart at security.
It was heartbreaking. It showed that he wanted to be part of the family, but he had forgotten how to be a person. He was a man out of time.
Why His Performance Resonated with Veterans
Realism matters. A lot of viewers who grew up with Vietnam vet parents or relatives found Dunne's portrayal incredibly accurate.
- The Isolation: Living in a trailer, away from society.
- The Hyper-vigilance: Always looking for the exit.
- The Substance Abuse: Using alcohol to quiet the noise.
Dunne didn’t play these as "TV tropes." He played them as a quiet, daily struggle. It wasn't about the explosions; it was about the silence afterward.
That Ending: The Redemption of Uncle Nicky
If you’ve finished the series, you know Nicky gets the happy ending Jack never did. He finds love with Edie. He becomes a fixture at the family cabin.
It’s a beautiful arc because it doesn't happen overnight. It takes years of Kevin (Justin Hartley) refusing to give up on him.
Griffin Dunne managed to take a character who started as a "shocker" and turned him into the most relatable person on screen. He proved that it's never too late to start over, even if you’ve spent forty years in a trailer in Bradford, Pennsylvania.
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Key Takeaways from Nicky’s Journey
If you're revisiting the series or just discovering Dunne's work, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the Body Language: Notice how Nicky stands in Season 3 versus Season 6. The transformation is subtle but brilliant.
- The "Jack" Connection: Pay attention to the scenes between Nicky and Rebecca. Dunne plays them with a mix of guilt and reverence, knowing he's the only link left to her late husband.
- Humor as a Shield: His dry wit isn't just for laughs; it's how he protects himself from getting too close to the Pearsons.
Griffin Dunne’s stint on This Is Us wasn't just a guest spot. It was a masterclass in aging a character from the inside out. He didn't need the makeup—he had the soul.
Next Steps for Fans: To see the "DNA" that helped create this performance, watch the 2007 film Snow Angels to see Griffin Dunne and Michael Angarano work together years before they became the same man on screen.