This Is Us Star Justin Hartley Teases Kevin and Madison’s Future

This Is Us character Kevin Pearson was thrown for quite the loop when it was revealed that his one-night stand with his sister Kate’s best friend Madison Simmons resulted in her getting pregnant — with twins no less.

Justin Hartley Previews His Characters Romantic Woes

Kevin’s portrayer, Justin Hartley, sat down with TVLine in order to discuss whether or not Kevin and Madison, who no one would exactly call a match made in heaven, actually has what it takes to go the distance.

After praising the conceit which he describes as a non-traditional take on the let’s get married, have some kids, and then struggle to raise them together tale, Hartley agrees that Kevin and Madison (Catlin Thomas) are indeed “an odd pairing.”

And though he insists that, “they have an affection toward one another,” Hartley also concedes that even he isn’t aware of how deep it actually runs.

When the beloved drama returns to TV screens in the new year, fans will see the bourgeoning couple and parents-to-be continue to quarantine together and attempt to traverse the early months of pregnancy. But trouble and tension will be evident.

According to Harley, “[Kevin’s] in a little bit of a predicament…he has, his whole life, been bound by this idea that he wants to be what his father knew he could be…Kevin doesn’t give himself the breaks that maybe he should…he puts a lot of stress and pressure on himself, and that sometimes can lead to the balloon popping, so to speak.”

Hartley also believes that Kevin’s eagerness to have the babies is directly linked to the decline of his Alzheimer’s stricken mother, Rebecca. “He wants his mom to meet the babies…he’s aware that this decline is degenerative.

“I think he wants to make sure that he has these babies and his mom meets them and spends as much time with them as she possibly can have. And also maybe that might actually…sometimes when you spend time around animals or babies or whatever it slows down the demise of your disease. So he’s definitely aware of all of that.”

Hartley concluded his interview by declaring (half-jokingly) that, “Kevin’s got a biological clock…Kevin is the only man alive that has a biological clock that’s ticking.”

The second half of Season 5 of This Is Us is set to return to NBC on Tuesday, January 5, 2021. Check your local listings for airtimes.