This Is Us is adding some major star power to the show. According to Entertainment Weekly, both Helen Hunt and Denis O’Hare will be working on the show in the upcoming months.
Hunt will be stepping behind the camera to direct the show’s Christmas-themed episode. Currently, there’s no air date for the episode and there aren’t any plot details that are being released from the network.
Hunt is no stranger to NBC or to directing. From 1992 through 1999, she starred in the NBC comedy Mad About You, where she played Jamie Stemple Buchanan. During the show’s run, Hunt directed some of the episodes of the show. She has also directed episodes of Californication, Revenge, House of Lies and Life in Pieces.
Sterling K. Brown, who plays Randall on the show, spoke to Entertainment Tonight about the upcoming episode, saying “We’re in the middle of shooting our Christmas episode right now and I had a scene on Friday night that started at 5 p.m. and we didn’t finish till around three in the morning and it was just one scene … Helen Hunt is directing it. And it was quite extensive. That’s all I can say about it.”
As for O’Hare, he’ll be playing Jessie, a friend of William (Ron Cephas Jones), who will be appearing later in the season and will be featured in a few episodes.
With O’Hare guest starring on the show, he’ll reunite with Chrissy Metz, who plays Kate on the show. The two appeared in American Horror Story: Freak Show together when it aired on FX.
Other well-known actors and actresses who have appeared on the show so far include Katey Sagal and Brad Garrett, who played Kevin’s (Justin Hartley) agent and a network executive, respectively, in the second episode of the season.
The show has maintained strong ratings since it premiered in September. It has yet to fall below a 2.0 rating in the 18 to 49 demographic, which is even more amazing considering it’s been going up against the World Series and the various postseason baseball games the last few weeks. This Is Us was also the first new show to be picked up for full season this year.
This Is Us airs Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. on NBC. There’s no episode on Nov. 8 due to election coverage and the show will return on Nov. 15.