Susan Kelechi Watson is a beautiful and talented actress. She is currently staring in the NBC television dramedy series This is Us as Beth Pearson that premiered in September 2016. She is also recognized for her reoccurring role on the television show Louie that aired from 2012 to 2014 and for her other numerous reoccurring roles in other television shows. We had the pleasure of speaking with Susan about her role as Beth who is the wife of Randall, a stylish New York-based businessman who is working to raise two daughters with her.
Can you reflect on what it means to have such great success right from the start?
Susan Kelechi Watson: It really is a blessing. I think especially for all of us that who been in the business for a bit, and have been through the ups and downs know that it can be challenging to have a show that lasts on the air these days. But it’s also rare to have an experience where it works on so many levels such as behind the scenes, on the page, on the sound stage and the people. To have an audience that feels the same way we do about it really is one of those rare occasions that we don’t take for granted. We all, very much understand that that’s what it is and we really cherish it that way.
Can you tell us a little bit more about this original character that you are playing?
Susan Kelechi Watson: It’s interesting because I feel like Beth continues to evolve as we go. The great thing is that as they create her, I get to be a part of that. I get to have input on that so the great thing about her character is that it’s like a slow leaking balloon in a way. It’s like you just learn a little bit more about her every time. In future episodes we will see more about where she came from, her background, her family, where they’re from, how she grew up, how her and Sterling are the same in a lot of ways and are different in other ways and how they deal with those things.
What is it like to work with Sterling?
Susan Kelechi Watson: It’s great … it really feels like we play a good game of trust every time we get on stage. Each time, we let each other fall a little bit more but we trust even more that the person will have us. He is extremely talented so there is no where that I can go that he won’t meet me or he won’t be able to follow. And as he leads, then I follow so I feel like it is a good back and forth.
What is the best thing about the script?
Susan Kelechi Watson: I think the best thing about the script is how unexpected it is. I just feel like sometimes I say, “I didn’t expect that.” At the same time, it feels very natural. It doesn’t feel like they are trying to sort of super impose ideas. It feels like it all comes out of life issues that we all deal with, yet, there is something unexpected. The other thing I like is how they weave the story of our lives into every episode so you see where the big three came from in terms of how they grew up and then you see why they are who they are now. Then you see where Ron came from and then you see why he is where he is now so there is this whole journey that the show plays out. In the last episode, we saw Rebecca as a young girl and we got to see her parents and why she does not want to live a certain way because of what she saw. I feel like it’s something special to get to see how people become who they are now.
It’s the way that each episode has that major reveal. You must love having surprise elements like that as an actor. It gives depth to any sort of acting performance.
Susan Kelechi Watson: Right! It gives you something really great to play every time. There is so much on the page and there is so much to mine, in a way. You are always sort of mining and finding all of these gems and our whole cast is really up for the challenge so people are always eager and always excited to sort of bite into this meat that they’ve written for us. It’s just so meaty!
How is like working with Dan?
Susan Kelechi Watson: Dan is hilarious as a person. It’s a joy to work with Dan and so easy to work with Dan. In all of his brilliance, he is still the most down to earth guy. He is so approachable and he is willing to talk about anything. He sets it up so that we can see any footage we want to see, he has an open door policy, he is open to any ideas and overall, he is very collaborative. He trusts us, which is really great because this show is really close to his heart.
Has there been a favorite episode that you’ve filmed thus far or favorite moment that you can speak about?
Susan Kelechi Watson: I really liked Super Fan which was the last episode that we did. That one was a lot of fun to shoot. I liked episode two as well, where I was able to sort of get involved with Ron’s character a bit more.
Where do you hope that your character is going to go?
Susan Kelechi Watson: I want her to be the type of person that we can relate to whether you’re going through what she is going through or not. I like that there is a certain transparency to Beth. I think she is a truth teller and I think she likes to just deal with life and deal with things as they come. She also loves a lot and she is protective. I like those qualities about her and I am excited for the audience to see where that comes from in her. As the show goes on, we will see her family background and where this comes from. They will have an idea the same way as they do about the Pearson family where Beth came from and why she is who she is now.
I know you must always get this question but our readers love to know, where did you get your start in acting?
Susan Kelechi Watson: I was three years old and I remember myself kind of talking aloud to God like, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” I was just kind of deciding what I wanted to be and having this conversation in my bedroom in Brooklyn. Then I said, “I think I want to be an actor!”. That was the first time I ever said it and that is what it has been ever since. Then I started to do this thing where I had my first reality show called the “Susie Show” and my family did not know that the show was happening. Every time I was in my living room interacting with my family, for me, there were cameras picking all of this up and they were acting out scenes that they didn’t know they were acting in. Then I would go into my bedroom and it would be like a confessional and I would discuss with the camera what just happened in the living room with my family. I was like 3, 4, 5 years old when all of this was going on.
Are there any directors that you would like to work with in the future, whether its television, film, etc?
Susan Kelechi Watson: I would love to work with Nicole Holofcener who directed Julia Louis Dreyfus and James Gandolfini in Enough Said. I think she is fantastic. I would also love to work with Ryan Coogler and a dream come true would be to work with Martin Scorsese.
-Kiava Nero
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOW713rxfjw
