Five Fast Facts About Kevin Pearson on This Is Us

Kevin Pearson may not be as focused as his brother Randall or as compassionate as his sister Kate, but there is something very special about the This Is Us character. Not only is he the comic relief, but he has an amazing way of connecting with people, no matter who they are.

Despite his shortcomings, and he does have a lot, there’s so much to love about Kevin Pearson (Justin Hartley)! Here are five fast facts about the star.

Young Love
Though it ultimately didn’t work out with his ex-wife Sophie, Kevin actually started dating the love of his life (for now) when he was just 12 years old! They were together growing up and eventually got married, but they ended up splitting. The two reunited briefly later but then Kevin sabotaged their relationship.

Dreams Shattered
While growing up, Kevin always dreamed he’d play in the NFL. He was a great football player and was the star of his high school team, but his dreams were crushed after he injured his knee as a teenager. The doctors told him he’d never play football at the same level again.

Hollywood Star
After his dreams of becoming a football star were crushed, Kevin decided to move out to Los Angeles to pursue acting. He ended up joining an improv group and through that got cast in the lead role on The Manny — until he sabotaged that too.

Addiction
While filming a movie with Sylvester Stallone, Kevin winds up severely injuring his knee. He has to have surgery and takes pain pills, which leads him into the dark place of addiction (much like his father). He winds up getting a DUI, while his niece is in the backseat, and eventually goes to rehab to put his life back together.

Secret Solver
Kevin took a trip to Vietnam with his girlfriend Zoe to learn more about his father’s time there during the war. But, through doing research and talking with people, Kevin finds out his uncle Nicky, who everyone thought had died in the war, was actually still alive. Perhaps his next job should be that of detective