Lyric Ross and Us | Deja Pearson

This week on That Was Us, we’re joined in studio by Lyric Ross, who grew up before our eyes as Deja Pearson on This Is Us. From booking the role at just thirteen to navigating life and her career as a young adult, Lyric reflects on her years on the show, the challenges that shaped her, and the person she’s becoming beyond Deja.

In this episode, Lyric chats about:

• Moving back to Los Angeles after returning to Chicago following This Is Us and what she hopes to find in this next chapter

• Getting her start as an actor in Chicago and the childhood moment that first sparked her love of performing

• Booking This Is Us at thirteen and Sterling’s memories of knowing she was the right person to play Deja

• The work ethic her mother instilled in her and learning to trust herself as a performer

• Cutting her hair for Deja and the complicated experience of navigating beauty, identity, and self-esteem as a young Black girl

• Her journey from struggling with low self-esteem to seeing her own beauty and finding confidence through her faith

• What it means to see herself as a child of God and how her faith has shaped her identity

• Working with Joy Brunson and Asante Black and the challenges and rewards of some of Deja’s most emotional storylines

• Why watching herself on screen is still one of the hardest parts of being an actor

• The qualities she admires in Deja, including her boldness, bravery, and self-assurance