That Was Us

with
Sterling K. Brown and
Mandy Moore and
Chris Sullivan

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Eris Baker and Us | Tess Pearson

5/12/2026

This week on That Was Us, we’re so beyond excited to be joined in studio by actor Eris Baker, who grew up playing Tess Pearson on This Is Us! Eris reflects on her journey from child actor to USC film production student, opening up about balancing school and set life, stepping into storytelling behind the camera, and how playing Tess shaped both her personal life and creative voice.

In this episode, Eris chats about:

• Booking This Is Us at just 10 years old after filming a Target commercial
• Growing up on set alongside the cast and forming lifelong bonds with the Black Pearson family
• Navigating school while working and missing out on a traditional high school experience
• Choosing USC’s film production track and her dream of becoming a creative producer and director
• Writing and directing her own short films and the emotional response one of them got from Sterling
• Working as a PA on Dan Fogelman’s series Paradise and hustling for internships at production companies
• Saying yes to Tess’s coming-out storyline at age 12
• Cutting her hair for the storyline and how it impacted her confidence entering high school
• Preparing emotionally for Tess’s coming-out scene with support from Sterling, Susan Kelechi Watson, Ken Olin, and Dan Fogelman
• Her close friendship with Lyric Ross and Faith Herman both on and off screen
• Where she imagines Tess, Deja, and Annie would be today
• Why she hopes to one day run her own production company

And a friendly reminder, you can catch new episodes of That Was Us every Monday, a day early, exclusively on Hulu. Available on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts on Tuesdays like usual!

That Was Us is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith.

🍋 About the Show:

The stars of This Is Us, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, and Chris Sullivan, dive back into the world of the Pearsons, reliving each episode and all the life lessons that came with it.

Together, they dig in and dig deep, have the tough conversations, bring in very special and familiar guests, share never-before-heard behind-the-scenes moments, and feature listeners in highly anticipated fan segments.

Join your favorite family back in the living room to examine our past, cherish our present, and look to the future with new episodes of That Was Us every Tuesday.

Executive Producers: Natalie Holysz and Rob Holysz
Creative Producer: Sam Skelton
Production Coordinator: Andrew Rowley
Video Editor: Todd Hughlett
Mix & Master: Jason Richards
About Headgum:

Headgum is an LA & NY-based podcast network creating premium podcasts with the funniest, most engaging voices in comedy to achieve one goal: Making our audience and ourselves laugh. Listen to our shows at https://www.headgum.com.