RE-RELEASE episode! Before we get back to new episodes, we're continuing with our special re-releases for anyone who may have missed out on these fan-favorite episodes! This week, Jon Huertas, AKA Miguel Rivas, is with us! That's right, Jack's best friend and Rebecca's second husband. Jon chats about his audition process for the role of Miguel, the epic way he found out Miguel married Rebecca, how he handled negative comments about Miguel’s character, the prosthetics process, what Jon felt as an actor during emotional scenes, and so much more! That Was Us is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Follow That Was Us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, and X! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: Who is Jon Huertas and why is he considered interesting?
Hey, everybody. Chris Sullivan here with another re-release episode for our holiday break here on That Was Us. Today, we are listening back to one of my favorite episodes, our interview with our favorite person, John Huertas, who played Miguel on the show. We also refer to him as the most interesting man in the world. You'll soon learn why. He is a man of many talents.
We get into him studying musical theater while he was in the Air Force. And that right there would be enough for anybody to be the most interesting person in the world. We also talked to him about an interesting audition experience where he later realizes that Norman Lear was sitting over there.
He finds out from hair and makeup that he's married to Rebecca in the future and many, many other stories. It's one of my favorite interviews that we've done. It came out early on. So here is a chance to listen again. Hope you're all having a good holiday. We will be back with new episodes on January 21st, 2025.
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welcome to a very special episode of that was us we have a very special guest in the house today everybody's favorite step dad slash caretaker slash dad's best friend slash just all-around homie ladies and gentlemen we're talking about john huertas welcome to the show thanks guys thanks for having me me Thank you for being here, man. That's right.
I want to start off with something that I was asking. We were talking in episode 108, and we were talking how early on in the show, like the public perception of Miguel was not the most positive, shall we say. We could say that.
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Chapter 2: What was Jon Huertas' audition process like for This Is Us?
They didn't have the information they needed. They didn't have the information they needed.
I was like, if they could flash forward to season six and see that Miguel episode. Slow burn, guys.
Slow burn. The first question I have to Huertas as the actor Was that sort of like dislike from the public of the character internalized in any shape, form or fashion? Did you have any feeling about it as you were going through it and people were like, nah, dude, that ain't right. You shouldn't have got with your best friends. Did you have any feelings?
You know, I think, first of all, when the audience reacts the way that they react, it's something that we as actors can sometimes take personally. Sure, sure, absolutely. And you know, you learn, when you study acting, you learn that, you know... You studied? I did, a little bit. I did, a little bit. How dare you? First of all, how very dare you.
But you want people to like, you want people to like your character, even if you're the villain. Like, you know, you want them to, you know, love to hate you or whatever. And so... that reaction was something that was a little bit jarring, but at the same time, as an actor, you like to be challenged too.
So I wanted to take on the challenge of saying, all right, you guys don't like this character now, but watch this. Exactly.
Okay. Let's take it back to the very, very beginning. What was your experience like being cast on the show? What was, did you read the script? Did you just meet with Dan? Like what was, how did it go down?
So I was on a show before that. What was the name of that show? Castle.
Oh, okay. Don't be acting all incognito. We know what the show is. That's where I met you. I know.
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Chapter 3: How did Jon Huertas find out about Miguel's marriage to Rebecca?
Yeah.
so i was like and i don't like to go in for anything unprepared yeah i was like i but it was you know it was yeah tells you i was like you know their office and i like i love them so yeah they were like they think they think you could do this and so i drove up there and to Paramount, and they were having meetings with other guys.
Where was the Norman Lear audition? Where was the one day? Sony.
But I was driving back to Venice, and then I got the call to turn around and go back to Paramount. Okay, got you. And so they were seeing people. LA geography, got you. Yep. They were seeing people and I walked in and I was like, is there any material? Do I need to read? They were like, yeah, yeah. And I see other guys there. All the other guys are like 45 to 50, salt and pepper hair and white.
And I was like, oh, they want to make sure they see at least one. Yeah. So they could say, we tried. That's what I thought it was. I literally did. And they're all looking at their side. Look at all these sides.
And you have no sides. So you're like, oh, I'm unprepared. I have nothing to read.
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Chapter 4: What challenges did Jon Huertas face regarding audience perception of Miguel?
Right. And so I go down the hall asking somebody, so is there sides for me? I mean, they were like, yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll go get you some real quick. And then all the other guys were like... Yeah, just four pages. So they literally handed me some sides. And I was like...
and like 10 minutes I'm going into the room and I go into the room and it's John and Glenn and Norman Lear and Dan Fogelman how did he get here faster than me so all those guys were in there and I walked in and then they just started like talking to me and like we started laughing Dan Fogelman was like my dad's a huge fan of yours he loves Castle it was this whole thing and they were like do you want to read
And I was like, not really. Because I just got this stuff. And they were like, don't worry about it.
Amazing.
The world's easiest audition. Do you want to? No, thanks. No, I'm good.
God, I wish that were opposed to me every audition. I'd be like, yeah, I'm good.
I don't want to. This is it. No, and so then I left. This is what you're asking for. I left. I got a call. They're like, yeah, man, you're the one. They're going to put you on the show. And then I was like, so then I was chilling for a couple of weeks.
You're like, God, this job is so easy. Right? I've been trying too hard. That's the problem.
And then I get a call. They want you to go up to the valley, Deep Valley, to this makeup, special effects makeup house. And they're going to do a live cast. I was like, this isn't Star Trek. This is us.
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Chapter 5: How did Jon Huertas embrace and respond to negative feedback?
I watched the trailer.
I was one of the 50 million people that watched the trailer. I'm not an alien. And so I go up there and I'm like, I'm asking them when I get there, I'm like, why are you doing a life cast? And they're like, oh, for the old age makeup. And I was like, old age makeup? They're like, yeah, you're married to Rebecca in the future. And I'm like... They think I'm Milo. No, I don't play Jack. I play Mike.
Mike.
I play Mike. That was you initially. Michael. That was it. Michael with the salt and pepper hair. And they were like, no, no, no, no. You're married to Rebecca in the future. What? I didn't even know.
So then they- That's how it was broken to you.
Yes, they broke it to me while I'm getting stuff slathered on my face. You probably knew before a lot of us. You knew before I did, that's for sure. Oh, really? Yeah, clearly. So that's how I got on the show. That's the story. I'll see you guys later.
That was it. That's all we wanted. Thank you. Are you serious? You never read.
No.
He didn't need to.
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Chapter 6: What was the significance of the Miguel episode for Jon Huertas?
Was it the hair or was it the prosthetic?
It was everything, the hair, the prosthetics, it was all like, the whole process was long. It became a well-oiled machine. Yeah, it finally became. You did request those full body prosthetics just to get you in the character. I wanted my knees to be bullish and stuff. Just your knees, yeah. I don't care if the audience can't see it. I see it. I know it. I feel it. It's my character.
Chapter 7: How did Jon Huertas' character evolve throughout This Is Us?
I got to feel it.
Bunions in your shoes.
But yeah, I think they put a lot, like at the beginning, I had a lot of prosthetics on. I had like a full long jaw thing. So they lighten everything. You had the waddle.
I remember the waddle.
But I came in once at like two in the morning to start my process. Two? Yeah, like first season or second season. I went to, crew call was at seven. I went to lunch, because SAG-AFTRA. I had to go to lunch after six hours. So I'm at lunch while everybody's at breakfast. And then at work, we break for lunch. We only have them for three hours today. You did that at two o'clock call?
It was like two or three. I remember. You had a threesome before.
When we shot the therapy scene in season two, it was a 2.30 call. 2.30, it was 2.30. 2.30, because of light, daylight hours. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember that. That's the earliest I've ever been called. I will never complain again. I don't complain. It is what it is, but.
I don't, but like, any time I think to do it, I was like, maybe, and 2 and 2.30.
John, John was my, you were my comrade in this, like, I mean, we did this for six seasons. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And John, I mean, you guys got a little flavor of it at the end, but like, this was our every day. And John always had the best attitude, but also I love that John, you were like, rip it off. At the end of the day, you were like, I just, I don't care. Yeah.
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Chapter 8: What themes does Jon Huertas explore in Miguel's storyline?
Yeah. Put the lie on my face. Remember, I would get out of there in like 10 minutes and she'd be like, where's it going? I was like, he's done.
Like half an eyebrow.
He's like, hey, man, I got like. Like crow feet. I ain't got no crow lines or whatnot. I was like, what the fuck is this makeup doing to my face, man? I don't know what's going on. Oh, it ruined me.
Same.
You guys look fantastic.
Oh, you're kind. Nothing is ruined.
The money is perfect. All we could talk about, like, we're going to get CO2 laser treatment. It's going to be on the production.
I remember that. Never happened.
Resurfacing. CO2 resurfacing. Yeah, you're going to fix my skin for this. Yeah. Didn't happen. It did not happen. Did not happen.
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