Justin Hartley Defends His “This Is Us ”Character Kevin Pearson: 'Everyone Thinks He's an A--hole'

"The guy can't get out of his own way, but he's not a bad guy," the actor said

Justin Hartley is clearing the air about a certain member of the Big Three.

Hartley played Kevin Pearson, the “eldest” of the Pearson triplets, for six seasons on the hit NBC drama This Is Us, which ran from 2016 to 2022.

During the show’s run, Kevin was sometimes considered selfish and immature, especially when compared to some of the gentler members of the Pearson clan.

Related: Tracker's Justin Hartley Says He's Finally Found 'Peace' and Wants to Leave the 'Drama on Screen' (Exclusive)

However, on a recent episode of Who’s Talking To Chris Wallace, Hartley, 47, explained why he doesn’t have anything but love for the character.

"When you take on characters, a lot of times they become your children and your friends, part of you. And so you sort of feel that," Hartley told Wallace. "It was just like, the guy can't get out of his own way, but he's not a bad guy. But everyone thinks he's kind of an a--hole, you know what I mean? But he's really not."

"He's misunderstood, but maybe kind of an a--hole, you know?" he continued. "So, so you just, you sit there and you go, 'Man, I wish I could help this guy.' But you just can't."

When asked if “there is some Justin Hartley in Kevin,” the Tracker actor replied, “I think later on as we saw him grow up and mature, I think I had more in common with him in that sort of iteration. But I do love him. And I hold him with me every day.”

Related: Justin Hartley and Sofia Pernas' Relationship Timeline

The actor also delved into why he immediately felt a sense of connection when taking on the role, specifically noting how the part spoke to a key aspect of parenthood.

"I'm a parent,” he said. “And when you see your kids either getting picked on or lonely or upset or needing something, especially when you know what it is that they need, and you can't give it to them. There's no way that you can help them, really, except to just tell them that you understand what they're going through. And you can just put your hand on their shoulder. You can hug them. But you can't take the pain away."

Hartley has previously discussed how his experience playing Kevin helps inform his other performances. In a 2023 interview with Today, he talked about his role in the Netflix holiday film The Noel Diary.

“You know it’s hard not to [draw from Kevin], because Kevin went through so much, didn’t he, in those six years. He did everything you can imagine. He had substance abuse issues. He lost his father. He ended up losing his mother. He nursed her through her illness. He was estranged from his brother, and then they reconnected. [...]  A lot of things — it would be hard not to relate to Kevin — if you’re anybody.”

“It’s hard not to draw on things from This Is Us.” he continued. “Not just Kevin, but all the characters, really. They’re all so relatable.”

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This Is Us is available to stream in full on Netflix and Hulu.

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