'This Is Us' Star Jon Huertas Teases Long-Awaited Miguel Episode (Exclusive)

05/03/2022 11:57 am EDT

With just four episodes remaining in the final season of This Is Us, the groundbreaking intergenerational family drama is getting ready to tie up its tale and that means finally getting to understand one of the show's most beloved characters, Miguel Rivas played by Jon Huertas. Over the years, fans have only seen glimpses of Miguel's past and current relationship with matriarch Rebecca Pearson (Mandy Moore), but never received the full picture of who he is. Ahead of tonight's new episode aptly titled "Miguel," Huertas previews to PopCulture.com what fans can expect from the surefire heartbreaking journey that will chronicle Miguel's life over the years.

"We're going to see so many different age variations for Miguel. We had so many different periods of time, from such a really young age to the present day and to the future," he told PopCulture. "It's going to definitely show people what shaped Miguel, how Miguel was shaped by his childhood, by his earlier coming-of-age years, and all the way through until old age."

With the hope that tonight's episode airing at 9 p.m. ET on NBC will be one that resonates with audiences, Huertas admits his character's episode is all about understanding each other beyond the surface. "I hope that people walk away wanting to understand people more, especially people that they know and that's a part of their lives," he said. "I think there's a line at the end of the last episode where Kevin says, 'You never really knew anything about Miguel.' They never asked, you know?"

Adding how an element like that is "important" to understanding others, Huertas says it is especially so for "someone who might be the primary caregiver" of someone you love. "If your mom or your dad or your brother or your sister or whoever has this person in their lives and you've never gotten a chance to know them, that person might be taking care of your significant other in the hardest period in their lives. So, that's what I hope," he said, further stating how it doesn't just apply to caregivers. "Just anybody. Even when you're younger and you're in school, get to know that kid that's different than you, instead of falling into the same old bullying scenarios that can sometimes happen. Or even if it's not bullying, just thinking that someone's weird. No one's weird. People are just different."

Ahead of the finale on May 24, Huertas says it's "always hard" to just narrow down the show to a few words, but believes fans can expect "sadness and closure" when the show wraps up with audiences bidding farewell to the ensemble cast. Sharing how his favorite part of being a member of This Is Us is all about his co-stars, he admits it's something that makes the show all the more special. "I think it's a testament to why our show has been on for all six seasons. The chemistry between the actors and how they work with the writers and how we bring the story to life, it's a once in a lifetime thing to see that and to be a part of that," he said. "I really looked forward to going to work every week and seeing these actors, because I knew that the work was going to be incredible. We all took it very seriously and we really wanted to make sure that the writers felt like we were not squandering their ideas and their story."

This Is Us airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. The show is now streaming on Peacock with new episodes available the next day. For more on This Is Us and all the finale news, stay tuned to the latest from PopCulture.com.

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