This Is Us Promotes Melanie Liburd to Series Regular Ahead of Season 3
This Is Us
Melanie Liburd, who plays Beth's cousin Zoe, has been promoted to series regular for Season 3.This Is Us is making a firm commitment to a Kevin-Zoe romance, promoting the latter’s portrayer, Melanie Liburd, to a full-fledged series regular in Season 3. The actress’ status upgrade was foreshadowed in the Season 2 finale when a flash-forward revealed Zoe (aka Beth’s cousin) to be Kevin’s new girlfriend.
Of course, a series regular promotion on This Is Us doesn’t necessarily guarantee a long-term presence on the show. Last summer, producers promoted Kevin’s on screen ex-wife Alexandra Breckenridge (Sophie) to series regular, only to write her out at midseason.
As previously reported, This Is Us‘ Season 3 premiere — which is set to air on Tuesday, Sept. 25 (9/8c, NBC) — once again centers on the Big 3’s big day. “We are picking up with [Randall, Kate and Kevin] turning 38,” co-showrunner Isaac Aptaker recently revealed, adding, “Our storylines are going to catch up to all of those [flash-forward scenes from the Season 2 finale] over the course of this year.”
Aptaker also confirmed that “we are going to be spending a lot of time [exploring Jack’s war-torn origin story] in Vietnam,” which is where Kevin and Zoe were headed in the aforementioned flash-forward. Added Berger: “There’s something very freeing about being past the mystery of Jack’s death and moving into this new chapter and being able to tell a completely different kind of story.”
TV Line: Can you explain (if there is such an explanation), how that works? How a TV promotes someone to series regular and then can just let them go? Is there some sort of status with series regular the TV show needs to maintain? Does the actor still get paid because they are under a series regular contract? What are the benefits of being a series regular if they can just write you out/let you go at any moment? I’ve seen this so much in shows, and I don’t understand the behind-the-scenes need for this.
The main reason to promote someone to a series regular is to make sure they’re always available for you, if you need them. They have the first priority. That’s what I’ve always thought anyway. No idea how payments work. I’d guess they get paid for the contract they signed.
Not all contracts are exactly the same. Pay or play deals popular 20 years ago, where actors were paid for all episodes whether they appear on them or not are almost non-existent today. The last I heard of was Charlie Sheen in Two and a Half Men. I’m sure huge stars on TV probably still have this deal, but the actresses we are talking about here aren’t Julia Roberts, Kaley Cuoco or Ellen Pompeo. Many contracts guarantee you a minimum number of episodes. In a 22 epísode season, that’s usually 13. I don’t know how many they’d be for an 18 episode season. I’d think at least 7. You might get severance pay if they don’t give you your minimum.
Depends on the contract. Liburd might have a one season contract, with a guarantee for a certain amount of episodes that she will appear in this season, and she will only be paid for those episodes. As for long term contracts, Homeland had to payout part of the contract for Damian Lewis at the end of season 3 (per an interview with Lewis), it is safe to assume that actors are owed a portion of the money on a long term contract.
Thanks everyone!
Wasn’t Alexandra Breckinridge written out because of her real life pregnancy though too?
Unless they confirm it for other reasons, I think that’s the case. They should’ve just written in the pregnancy. It would’ve been cool to see Kevin grappling with becoming a father and we could see aspects of Jack he wanted to be like and aspects he didn’t want to be like. It would’ve been a better storyline than the addiction, but that’s just my two cents
Is that what happened? I wondered because she was promoted to series regular last season but was barely on. I wonder why they didn’t want to write the pregnancy in.
That’s what I heard. And for the record, I love Kevin with Sophie and Justin Hartley with Alexandra Breckinridge
Me too!!!!
I also loved the twist that when Kevin was vacillating between the actress and the playwrite, and someone asked him to choose his true love, we were introduced to Sophie, who first, was the same Sophie from when they were kids, and second, that they had been married! It’s one of my favorite things about This Is Us–that they constantly surprise me
They were cute together and had some easy chemistry together.
Cancel this show please
One of the most popular shows on TV, with millions of viewers? I’m sure they’ll get right on that just for you.
Or you could just not watch it…
I’m so happy about this!! What a great addition to an already amazing cast. I am very much looking forward to seeing Kevin and Zoe’s relationship blossom and grow!!
I loved Kevin and Sophie. I think mostly because of the nostalgic aww they were sweethearts type of thing. I will like Kevin with anyone as he deserves happiness.
Let’s see how much she’s actually on the show. As pointed out it didnt work for the last actress.
Very excited to watch the Kevin and Zoe storyline!!