Mandy Moore Stuns Fans as She Joins Forces with ‘This Is Us’ Castmates Chrissy Metz and Jon Huertas at SAG-AFTRA Picket Line

Mandy Moore, along with her former costars from This Is Us, remains united and committed to each other, no matter the circumstances. On Friday, July 14, Moore took to Instagram to express her pride in standing alongside her fellow SAG-AFTRA and WGA West members, advocating for a just contract. She shared a photo from the picket line in Los Angeles, featuring herself, Chrissy Metz, and Jon Huertas.

Several of their friends, including Seamus Dever, Juliana Dever, Rachel Leah Cohen, and Gerardo Celasco, who is married to fellow This Is Us alum Jennifer Morrison, joined the group.

In a show of solidarity for their labor union, which has yet to come to an agreement with TV and film studios regarding fair wages and the use of artificial intelligence in media, the stars proudly held up "SAG-AFTRA On Strike" posters.

Chrissy Metz, Jon Huertas, and Mandy Moore. Courtesy of Mandy Moore/Instagram

SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher announced on Thursday, July 13, that the union's members, totaling over 160,000 performers, have voted to go on strike. This decision was made after the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) did not agree to any of their demands. In a press conference, Drescher expressed the seriousness of this move, acknowledging the significant impact it would have on countless individuals both within and outside the industry. She emphasized that the union felt compelled to take action as they saw themselves as victims of an exceedingly greedy entity.

The AMPTP, the governing body for TV and film studios and streaming platforms, expressed their disappointment that SAG-AFTRA has chosen to abandon negotiations and initiate a strike. The strike prohibits unionized actors from participating in TV and movie projects, as well as promoting any of their past, present, or future work. Consequently, numerous actors have joined the Writers Guild of America in their existing strike against the AMPTP and have been seen picketing alongside them.

Huertas, 53, expressed his excitement through an Instagram Story on Friday, sharing photos from the front lines. Moore and Metz, 42, also posted the group photos on their individual Instagram pages. Metz expressed her love for the group by stating, "Fam for life," on Friday.

Moore, Metz, and Huertas all played key roles as members of the Pearson family in the acclaimed NBC drama series, This Is Us, throughout its entire six-season run. Premiering in September 2016, the show followed the multigenerational family's journeys through various timelines while focusing on the growth of the "Big Three" siblings, portrayed by Metz, Justin Hartley, and Sterling K. Brown. Moore and Milo Ventimiglia portrayed the parents, Rebecca and Jack Pearson, while Huertas brought life to Jack's best friend and Rebecca's second husband, Miguel Rivas. Notably, the series concluded in May 2022, also featuring Susan Kelechi Watson and Chris Sullivan.

Reflecting on the end of the show, Huertas expressed mixed emotions, stating, "Part of me felt a profound sense of happiness that we were able to conclude the story as we had envisioned. However, there is a significant part of me that feels a deep sadness knowing that I won't have the opportunity to work alongside these talented actors and dedicated crew members on a daily basis. I will genuinely miss that aspect."

He expressed at that time, "It's truly satisfying to be able to say, 'We accomplished that,' and leave without any regrets or thoughts of missed opportunities. We are content and proud of what we achieved."

As for Metz, she mentioned in April that she missed the company of her friends since the acclaimed series concluded. "I'm always open to working with the entire cast again," the former American Horror Story actress hinted, even expressing interest in a potential reunion movie. "Of course, we would all evolve as individuals, and that would naturally impact the performances and the content of the script. But I am willing to explore it."