--- title: Mandy Moore Gives This Is Us Kids a Birthday Challenge description: Ahead of the season 2 debut of 'This Is Us,' Mandy Moore gave her on-screen children a challenge inspired by the first episode of the show. canonical: https://time.com/4923516/mandy-moore-this-is-us-challenge/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-08-31T17:25:22.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:32:14.587Z og:title: Mandy Moore Gives the 'This Is Us' Kids a Birthday Challenge og:description: In honor of the Big 3's birthday og:url: https://time.com/4923516/mandy-moore-this-is-us-challenge/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdabb60bca8962803/6988dbffcf40a8779bc4933c/this-is-us-mandy-moore-challenge.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: This Is Us - Season 1 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Mandy Moore Gives the 'This Is Us' Kids a Birthday Challenge twitter:description: In honor of the Big 3's birthday twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdabb60bca8962803/6988dbffcf40a8779bc4933c/this-is-us-mandy-moore-challenge.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Watch Mandy Moore Surprise the Kids From _This Is Us_ With a Birthday Challenge > Sponsored content. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=a71f5e36-e432-4c13-bde6-b9115eed0786&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: This Is Us, NBC [Watch (HLS stream): This Is Us, NBC](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/8shVhYuL.m3u8) (2:34)  _Published 2016-08-23_  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Aug 31, 2017 5:25 PM UTC  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Aug 31, 2017 5:25 PM UTC Anyone who’s seen the moving show [_This Is Us_](http://time.com/4643022/this-is-us-nbc-review/) knows that birthdays play a significant role in the Pearson family — especially since the Big 3 (triplets Kevin, Kate and Randall) share their August 31 birthday with their [dad, Jack](http://people.com/tv/this-is-us-milo-ventimiglia-jack-death-funeral/). Today, to celebrate the birthdays of the Big 3 and Jack, [Pearson matriarch Mandy Moore](http://time.com/4819554/quick-talk-with-mandy-moore/) issued a challenge for Parker Bates (Kevin), Mackenzie Hancsicsak (Kate), and Lonnie Chavis (Randall), who play her on-screen kids as 10-year-olds. Moore asked each of the kids to recreate the memorable “banana nut muffin Twinkie cupcake situation” that Moore made for Jack’s birthday in the Season 1 premiere — in just one minute. As might be expected, hilarity (and plenty of banana cream frosting shenanigans) ensue. While Season 2 of doesn’t start until Sept. 26, you can keep up with the Pearsons by watching the challenge below. > [](https://twitter.com/TheMandyMoore/status/903276741757616128) ## Transcript Okay, I'm ready. Suits on? Yes Ma'am. Your birthday suit. Only one I've got. [ LAUGH ] How could you possibly want me right now? In [ UNKNOWN ] my wife. You arouse me. I bet I could make that go away. There's nothing you could say. My water just broke. Yup. Yeah. [ MUSIC ] I'm 36 today. You don't look 36. This is the biggest moment of your life. Now, which one of you is pregnant? [ LAUGH ] [ MUSIC ] I'm sorry, guys. I need a cut. Kevin, I know you care about the character. I do care. So, say the line. Or find another job. I found him. My father. He is looking good. You hear that baby you've got a boy. Jimmy not right now. Some oxygen for her please. Sorry what's happening? [ SOUND ] Your wife is in distress Jack. [ MUSIC ] 36 years ago you left me at the front door of a fire station. Tell me [ UNKNOWN ]. Tell me to lose the damn weight. We lost the third baby. But you have two healthy children, Jack. [ MUSIC ] I quit. **** you. [ SOUND ] You want to meet your grandchildren? [ UNKNOWN ] Single day that goes by that I don't think of the child I lost. Go see your babies. They're excited to meet their father. I think maybe they got a good one. [ MUSIC ] Hi. You wanna be fat friends? I can't fall for a fat person right now. I guess I'll lose the weight then. 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