This Is Us is an undeniably powerful show, and in more ways than might be apparent, as Sterling K. Brown is more than aware.
The Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning star talked to The Daily Show's Trevor Noah about the potential impact of the show's storytelling, especially on a predominantly white audience.
"One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about the show ThIs Is Us is it’s an interesting look at how much people can love each other and know each other but still not fully know about each other," says Noah in the clip above. "You play a character where you’re part of a family where even though you share so many things, there’s still something that separates you, and that is the colour of your skin. Is there certain storytelling that you try and get across in the show that helps people empathise with somebody who has a different skin colour without making them feel like they’re being blamed, you know, as opposed to the system being highlighted?"
"I would hope so. I think Randall Pearson just like his brother and sister and mother and father is a human being first and foremost, right? And I think so much of the power of media is that people learn through exposure, whether it’s through travel, whether it’s through books, whether it's through the representation that they see on screen," says Brown.
"The demographic of our show is vast but it’s about 80 percent white, right? So there’s opportunities that I have to make conversations with people who may not have those conversations with someone that looks like me. And by virtue of them seeing me in their home 18 times a week, they can say like, 'This dude, Randall, he’s just like me. He loves his kids. He loves his wife. I understand part of his struggle even if I don’t understand the totality of it.' So hopefully the next time they see me or anybody who looks like me, they can lean in rather than step away."
Brown also talked about his work with the organisation One Million Truths, "a platform, an initiative for Black folks in America to share their experiences with racism," as well as learning about his family history, what it's like to be a young Black man in a predominantly white learning institution like Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School, where Brown studied.
Topics Trevor Noah Celebrities
