Dan Fogelman (C '97) has hit the jackpot with his new show This Is Us, which has struck a chord with the hearts of both viewers and critics.
This Is Us begins with the premise that “the average human being shares his or her birthday with over 18 million other human beings.” The fact, taken from Wikipedia, offers viewers with a basic yet thought–provoking idea that inspired Fogelman to develop the story.
“I could have all these friends who went to the same high school as me and our lives were so different: Some of us were married, some never married, some had grown children,” Fogelman said.
The show centers on the lives of three families that the viewer soon learns are all interwoven, and reflects on this very interconnectedness of people of the same age who lead seemingly different lives.
The show had captured the hearts of viewers and gained the approval of the critics within the first few weeks of its airing.
Many have appreciated the ability of This Is Us to fill the gaping hole of emotion we were left with after Parenthood was cancelled in January 2015.
“Thank you, NBC, for filling the Parenthood–sized hole in my heart,” said Billy Niles, a critic from E! Online.
But whether or not his most recent work makes you laugh, Fogelman has been an impactful figure in comedy and television in Hollywood for some time
In 2008, Fogelman co–wrote the screenplay for the animated film Bolt, which he followed up by writing Tangled, the animated adaptation of the classic story of Rapunzel.
Both films were widely acclaimed, but Fogelman considers his film with Al Pacino, Danny Collins, his greatest accomplishment.
“I never thought that I would say this, but I now am good friends with Al Pacino,” Fogelman said.
In trying to clarify the difference between writing for television and writing for film, Fogelman said that there's a difference in the way the audience relates to the characters.
“In film, there is a finite story to tell. In writing for television, the characters don’t stop existing,” he said.
