Griffin Dunne Says He Never Actually Auditioned for His Role on ‘This Is Us’

Griffin Dunne is giving us all the deets about his experience on NBC’s hit show This Is Us, including the unusual way he snagged his role. 

PureWow recently sat down for a Skype interview with Dunne (who plays one of the newer additions to the Pearson family, Uncle Nick) to discuss his Netflix documentary Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold. And while the 64-year-old revealed what it was like directing the documentary feature about his aunt (you read that correctly), he also took some time to open up about how he landed the role of Jack Pearson’s younger brother. 

“I didn’t [audition], actually,” he stated. “Quite honestly, as thrilled as I am to have it, I don’t know that I would have thought of me as the first person for this role. I got a call from my agent saying that I was going to get a call and ‘get on with the writers, but it sounds like if you’re into it, it's yours.’” Seems easy enough, even though Dunne initially wasn’t sure if he was the right fit.

“They went on to describe a man well into his 70s who's got diabetes and is an alcoholic, with trauma from the Vietnam War,” he continued. “I guess we see ourselves differently from how the outside world sees us, but I’m too young to have been in the Vietnam War and I always see myself as more of a comedic actor. This was really a substantial, great and tortured role that I was thrilled to get. I have no idea what their process was in coming up with me, but they’re absolutely right—I’m perfect for this part.”

We couldn’t agree more.