Sterling K. Brown exudes consistency. The multi-talented performer won an Emmy a decade ago for portraying Chris Darden in the fantastic crime drama, The People v. O. J. Simpson. Brown has also earned critical acclaim on the big screen, earning an Academy Award nomination in 2023’s American Fiction. Brown is now the star of the post-apocalyptic thriller Paradise, which returns to Hulu for its sophomore season on February 23.
In Paradise, Brown displays a new side of his acting persona—an action hero—as Special Agent Xavier Collins. While Brown has the look and charisma of a warrior, his best work happens when playing an emotionally vulnerable character. Brown’s top performance came as Randall Pearson in This Is Us, NBC’s Emmy-winning drama that ran for six seasons from 2016 to 2022.
This Is Us features a spectacular pilot
Meet Randall Pearson
In today’s streaming landscape, the art of a pilot episode has lost its luster. There are some recent examples of riveting pilots—The Last of Us, The Boys, and Severance prove the importance of a terrific premiere episode, one that establishes the tone and stakes of the series. However, television pilots have lost their sense of urgency. Since many shows now receive a series order immediately, there is less pressure to hook an audience immediately. Shows can now take their time in the pilot episode and establish the world before raising the stakes in future episodes. Until recently, many shows on broadcast television could not afford to punt on the pilot for fear of cancellation.
This Is Us premiered in 2016, and the pilot, which can be streamed on Hulu, did not pull any punches during its premiere. I will tread as lightly as I can to avoid spoilers because the pilot includes a twist that shaped the landscape of the show. Essentially, This Is Us is an ensemble drama with several intertwining storylines: Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) are expecting triplets; Kevin (Justin Hartley) is an actor suffering from a midlife crisis; Kevin’s sister, Kate (Chrissy Metz), is in a support group to lose weight; and Randall (Brown) is searching for his biological father, who abandoned him at birth.
The twist revealed the characters’ connection, and at the very least, it will convince you to watch at least one more episode to witness the payoff. It’s difficult to protect a twist in the social media age, where spoilers surface online immediately after an episode airs. In 2016, you could still latch onto a show late without having things spoiled.
Regardless of the twist, it’s a fantastic pilot that feels like a show from a different time, one where a drama can captivate an entire family. Many current shows are made for niche audiences. I love dragons and backstabbing as much as the next person, but I wouldn’t say my parents are spending time in Westeros. This Is Us is a drama about the family dynamic and how the past shapes our present. What’s more relatable than that?
This Is Us
Release Date
2016 – 2022
Network
NBC
Showrunner
Dan Fogelman
Directors
Ken Olin, Chris Koch, Kevin Hooks, Anne Fletcher, George Tillman Jr., Jessica Yu, Milo Ventimiglia, Rebecca Asher, Catherine Hardwicke, John Fortenberry, Jon Huertas, Roxann Dawson, Sarah Boyd, Uta Briesewitz, Zetna Fuentes, Justin Hartley, Craig Zisk, Helen Hunt, Joanna Kerns, Kevin Rodney Sullivan, Mandy Moore, Regina King, Sarah Pia Anderson, Silas Howard
Milo Ventimiglia
Jack Pearson
Mandy Moore
Rebecca Pearson
Sterling K. Brown
Randall Pearson
Chrissy Metz
Kate Pearson
Sterling K. Brown shines as Randall Pearson
Watch the episode about Randall’s trip with his father
Credit: Ron Batzdorff/NBC
It can be difficult to stand out in an ensemble drama. There’s a finite amount of screen time that can be spent with one character before the show cuts to its next storyline. In the pilot, it’s obvious that This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman, who also developed Paradise, knew that Brown and his portrayal of Randall Pearson would carry the show, especially during that first season.
Randall was adopted as a baby after his father, William (Ron Cephas Jones), left him at a fire station. Most of Randall’s storyline during the first season involves him trying to reconnect with William and develop a relationship with his father that he never had. Time is limited for Randall, as William is dying of cancer. Toward the end of the season, Fogelman smartly gives Randall and William the spotlight in Memphis, an episode dedicated to a road trip to William’s hometown.
Memphis is a wonderful episode of television that will leave most people in tears. It’s the perfect encapsulation of vulnerability and a heartwarming display of the bond between a parent and child. Brown and Jones are sensational in this episode, especially in the closing moments as a son says goodbye to his father. Brown’s ability to elicit strong emotional reactions from an audience is rare. Brown’s performance in Memphis resulted in a win for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series at the 2017 Emmy Awards.
Sterling K. Brown brings that same vulnerability to Paradise
Paradise returns for season 2
This Is Us was a dramatic showcase for Brown, who delivered a raw and uplifting performance as Randall Pearson. Paradise is not a family drama; it’s a post-apocalyptic thriller following a disastrous event that forces society to live in bunkers underground. Paradise is also a mystery show, as Collins, a Secret Service agent, becomes a prime suspect in the death of President Cal Bradford (James Marsden).
The genre might be different from This Is Us, but Brown still delivers an immersive performance in Paradise, one backed by ferocity and sensitivity. Even if psychological thrillers aren’t in your wheelhouse, Paradise is worth the watch because of Brown. Paradise season 2 premieres on February 23 on Hulu.
Paradise
Release Date
January 26, 2025
Network
Hulu
Showrunner
Dan Fogelman
Directors
Gandja Monteiro
Sterling K. Brown
Xavier Collins
Julianne Nicholson
Samantha ‘Sinatra’ Redmond
Sarah Shahi
Dr. Gabriela Torabi
If you’re looking for more thrillers, check out Netflix’s selection of political dramas set in Washington, D.C., or give Jason Statham’s Expendables franchise a shot if you need some action.
