This Is Us: Lyric Ross, Eris Baker and Faithe Herman

As This Is Us draws to a close with a sixth and final season, TelevisionAcademy.com looks back at the beloved NBC drama with help from three of the youngest cast members: Lyric Ross, Eris Baker and Faithe Herman, who play the daughters to parents Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) and Randall Pearson (Sterling K. Brown).

Meet the actresses below, then read on for their favorite moments on camera and behind the scenes.

Lyric Ross as Déjà
Photo credit: Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Name: Lyric Ross
Age: 18
Character: Eldest daughter Déjà
Then and Now: Ross joined in the second season at the age of 13 when her character was adopted into the Pearson family. Now Déjà is at odds with Beth and Randall as she looks to leave high school early and move to Boston to be with her boyfriend.

Eris Baker as Tess
Photo credit: Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Name: Eris Baker
Age: 16
Character: Middle daughter Tess
Then and Now: Baker joined the cast at 10 years old. Over the seasons, her character Tess has discovered her sexual identity, come out to her parents and continued to navigate a delicate relationship with Beth as she moves toward adulthood.

Faith Herman as Annie
Photo credit: Ron Batzdorff/NBC 

Name: Faithe Herman
Age: 14
Character: Youngest daughter Annie
Then and Now: Herman was just 8 years old when she started on the show. Her character Annie continues to be a source of tension-breaking knock-knock jokes and sweet asides.

First Day Jitters

Eris Baker: I don't think I fully comprehended that I was on this NBC show with Mandy Moore and all these incredible actors. So I was just like, "Hi guys!"
Faithe Herman: My first day was when we filmed the soccer scene. I was on the middle of the field, braiding someone's hair and it was super cold. I was so nervous.
Lyric Ross: The first day, I heard a knock on my trailer door. It was Sterling, Eris and Faithe. They all came in the trailer to welcome and congratulate me.

Sterling Advice

FH: If I'm saying a line and mess up, Mr. Sterling says it's okay and it's a part of learning. He always gives great advice — so does Miss Susan. They're always there for us if we ever need anything.
EB: Sterling has taught me to appreciate the moment while it's there.
LR: Sterling indirectly taught me the importance of freedom in my craft. Just watching him, experiencing his performances, and feeding off of that showed me how beautiful mistakes can be.

Favorite Scenes

FH: There's a scene where I was sitting on the stairs and Grandpa William [Ron Cephas Jones] was walking out, and I tried to convince him to stay. I think that was a really nice, touching scene.
EB: The scene with Tess and Beth on the bed... she doesn't want her mom to [have to go out of her way] to accept her [as gay]. She wants it to be real. That scene was cool, because it was just straight honesty.
LR: The scene where Déjà messes up Randall's car. I loved doing that. It was only two takes. I was scared out of my mind. I was like, "How can y'all trust me? I've only been here for what, eight episodes?"

Most Likely to Laugh During a Scene

EB: Before Lyric even says me, I'm just gonna shut that down.
LR: Sterling would definitely be the one — he has such a hearty laugh, and it's so contagious. Right after him, certainly, it would be Eris.
FH: Eris always makes me laugh on set. Definitely. And Lyric and Mr. Sterling.

Keepsakes

LR: Déjà's [tailored] jeans.
EB: I'm definitely going to be "forgetting" to return Tess' jewelry. I want all of it.
FH: I'd probably want to take Annie's jewelry, too.

Who's the Real "Big" Sister?

LR: Basically, Faithe.
EB: Yeah, she's very mature for her age. But Lyric and Faithe are like my little sisters. When you're working with these people every day for years and years, you're gonna form a relationship. And we've just grown to be sisters in real life. Like, these are my sisters. My little sisters.
FH: We've hung out off-set, before COVID. We've been to the mall, and we've had dinner together. So, we definitely feel a great bond. They feel like older sisters to me, because I'm the youngest in my family with my sisters. It definitely feels like family.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

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