"This Is Us" Season 3, Episode 13 – Interview with Susan Kelechi Watson

When This is us decided that the dance would be an integral part of Beth's past, the Powers That Be of the series wanted to make sure their stories would go as planned.

"I received a text message from [series co-producer] Kay Oyegun said, "Girl, can you dance for real?", Recalls Susan Kelechi Watson. "I said," Yes, "and she said," But, like, for real? You like this? I thought, "Yeah," she said, laughing. "That's where I got a hint, OK, maybe dance is coming."

Indeed, Tuesday's episode (read the summary here), which focused on Beth's passion for movement and her family's reaction to it over the years, forced the actress to rely on his life of training in dance. "You have to know that there is always smoke and mirrors, where you take an actor and make it look like a dance," added director Anne Fletcher. This is not the case in this week's issue: "Susan really did all her dancing.

Some life experiences of the actress, as well as those of the creative team of the series, have finally entered the story of Beth and the process of creating this story was the subject at the time. Agenda when Watson, co-star Melanie Liburd, co-host Elizabeth Berger, Oyegun, Fletcher and screenwriter Eboni Freeman series recently spoke to an audience of reporters of this episode. Here are some highlights of this discussion:

THE EVOLUTION OF BETH | Freeman, who also has a ballet training, said the writers really wanted to explore how the Beth This is us the public knows it – "It's the strong woman, she's funny, she's witty" – it's not the Beth that has always existed. "In her childhood, she was a little different, a calmer person, than she came from this world, from this balley world, which was mostly white," said the scribe.

NAILING ALL THE DETAILS | You may have noticed that Rachel Hilson (ascend), who plays teenager Beth, shared a very defining characteristic with her adult counterpart. "I have a mole in my eyes, which is very specific," said Watson, adding that during filming, Hilson was wearing a special lens that gave her the impression that she was also had one.

KNOW YOUR HERITAGE | Beth's family is Jamaican because Watson is: both of her parents were born there and the actress is American first generation. Carl Lumbly, who played Beth's father, Abe, is also American-Jamaican.

WHAT IS IN A NAME? | During the episode, we see Beth choose to take the abbreviated form of her first name, Bethany, when she arrives at the college mixer where she and Randall are crossing for the first time. Berger explained that when Beth's mother, Carol, decided that her daughter would no longer pursue the arts as a career, the character had undergone an internal change. "We were looking for physical representations of that. So obviously, his hair is different. And she has her father's sweater. We wanted to see her claim this new identity … We loved the result. And it's so magical that she becomes this person just before turning around and meeting Randall for the first time. "