Dear Mandy Moore…

Dear Mandy,

I’ve been feeling like something is missing lately. And Cat Stevens has been following me around. “Moonshadow,” to be exact — the song that shadowed Jack and Rebecca Pearson, (aka you — Mandy Moore — and Milo Venitmiglia) throughout the 6 seasons of the television series This Is Us. 

As per the recommendation of a few of my more sentimental friends I DVR’d the show but it sat idle for months until I couldn’t deny the larger-than-life billboards on Sunset Blvd any longer and so…one night when Adam wasn’t co-opting our bedroom TV I fumbled with all those f**king buttons on the remote and managed to access it…all by myself!

Ep #1…I was hooked. Jack and Rebecca. Who doesn’t want to be that much in love? Or at least watch 2 gorgeous specimens demonstrating being in it. Then the babies. The doctor! The adoption. The Big Three. The weaving thru generations. The back and forth in time. The struggles. The coming to terms. The Flashbacks. The guessing-who-that-new-character-is in the flash forwards. 

Composer Siddhartha Khosla’s sparse pull-at-your-heartstrings score reduced me to mush. I’m not a pushover by any means. But perhaps after too much Handmaids Tale I needed something kinder and gentler to ‘voyeur.’ 

Up until This is Us Mandy, I knew you as a teenage pop star (who had recorded a couple of my songs), not as an actress (even though you had starred in a number of films). When I heard you were cast in this series I was understandably curious as to whether you could you pull it off. I had my doubts.

But you did  — convincingly. You playing a roll that spanned the life of a 20-something ingenue to an 80-year-old grandmother. You were as good at being 20 as you were at being 80. (Though I think they could have styled you with a better later-in-life wig). But they did get your wrinkles right. 

I became very attached to you guys, Mandy (especially Kevin —Justin Hartley — can you blame me?) I felt like I knew everyone and they knew me…(you know, like the Beatles. Or President Obama). If I ran into any one of you at the mall and you didn’t know me I’d be confused…devastated even. 

Every Tuesday when an episode was over I couldn’t wait for the next Tuesday. It was my guilty pleasure. My fix. 

But sadly…the season finale of This Is Us aired a couple of months ago and 😩 I’m NOT HAPPY. 


Thus…Cat Stevens is following me around. I’m writing this blog and look what comes on.

Back when we met, two decades earlier than This Is Us was born I wrote a song for you called “17”. It was Todd Chapman’s studio where you came to record vocals. You were so young. Sweet. Starry eyed. Baby skinned.

But it was “I Wanna Be With You,” a lyric I wrote to a melody Keith Thomas sent me for the movie Center Stage, that clinched my crush on you. Your vocals were so charming and sincere. How could I have doubted your acting abilities? 

I know you’ve been through a lot. I’m sorry about what (allegedly) happened with Ryan Adams. I had to ween myself off listening to him and it wasn’t easy because of my long time obsession with “Come Pick Me Up.”  But I did it for you, Mandy. (And for Phoebe Bridgers). Sadly he just gives me the icks now. 

But here’s the thing. I miss your face. I miss the show. I miss the Tuesday nights. I’m going thru withdrawal, Mandy. Can’t you do something? I didn’t even mind the fumbling with the stupid remote. It was worth it. Or the constant commercials. (I finally got Adam to upgrade hulu so I don’t have to watch them any more.)

I suppose all good things must come to an end. (Thank God there’s at least another season of Ted Lasso). 

I guess I’m just writing to say…good job. Well done! Your latest albums Silver Landings and In Real Life are solid. I love that you keep going. Writing…singing…maturing…following your heart. And your muse.

Congrats on your marriage to Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes. I’m a fan. He’s an outstanding songsmith. When you’re ready to make another album, if the two of you need some space from each other I’m here for you. But of course, Taylor can come too! 3-way co-writes are awesome. 

Anyway Mandy, thank you for singing my song(s). I’m honored to have been part of your journey.  

Please tell Kevin I say hi! 

I mean……

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