– Ron Cephas Jones’s character William passes away in “This is Us”
– Susan Kelechi Watson reacts emotionally to the death
– Watson shares the impact of her on-screen dad’s death on her character and herself
From the NBC drama series “This is Us,” Ron Cephas Jones’s character, William, dies, making a significant impact on Susan Kelechi Watson’s character and her personal experience. Watson, who portrays Beth Pearson, shares her heartfelt reaction to the on-screen father’s passing.
In an interview, Watson says she was “broken open” by the final moments of the episode titled “Memphis,” in which her on-screen father breathes his last. Beth has been emotionally connected to William, played by Jones, since the beginning of the story, making it exceedingly difficult for her character and herself.
The emotional impact of William’s death scene was so profound that Watson found herself wrapped in a blanket, crying and shaking when they first screened it to the cast. “I was completely broken open by it,” Watson shares. “I just could not stop crying and shaking for some reason.”
Although the plot had not yet reached the point of William’s passing, the cast had already been informed that William would not survive his battle with a terminal illness. Nevertheless, knowing it would happen did not prepare the actors for the emotional weight of the actual death scene.
Watson also acknowledges the tremendous work Jones has done as William, describing it as “beautifully done.” She also admits how she will miss her on-screen father, saying, “I’m definitely going to miss him.”