Mandy Moore Says It’s ‘Funny’ to Rewatch ‘This Is Us’ Now as a Mom (Exclusive)

Life imitated art for Mandy Moore.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the actress, 41, says playing a mom on This Is Us prepared her to become a mother in real life.

“The overwhelming takeaway [from the show] is just being a parent now,” Moore says. “Watching the show through that lens is really fascinating for me and for [costar] Chris [Sullivan], because we both were parents towards the very end of the show.”

“Looking back on those earlier seasons, I think, ‘How the heck did I know what I was doing?’ I didn’t know how to change a diaper, I didn’t know what was going on,” she continues. “It’s pretty funny to think back to those early days.”

Moore, who has partnered with anti-RSV medication Beyfortus, shares three children — sons August “Gus” Harrison and Oscar “Ozzie” Bennett, plus daughter Louise “Lou” Everett — with husband Taylor Goldsmith.

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This Is Us, which ran from September 2016 to May 2022, followed the Pearson family and all the ups and downs they went through over the years.

Moore starred as matriarch Rebecca Pearson, who shared three children with husband Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia).

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Chrissy Metz, Sterling K. Brown, Justin Hartley, Susan Kelechi Watson and Sullivan are among some of the others who starred on the show.

During its run, This Is Us was nominated 39 times at the Emmy Awards, winning four accolades overall. It also scored the Television Academy Honors in 2017.

Moore, Brown, 49, and Sullivan, 45, currently host That Was Us, a This Is Us rewatch podcast. 

Getting to revisit the series in full as a viewer, Moore tells PEOPLE, has helped her recall all the different plot points from the fan-favorite show.

“I think we’re discovering we have a real blind spot for a couple of seasons, where it wasn’t the beginning of the show, and it wasn’t the end,” the mother of three tells PEOPLE.

“So things are a little hazy, and it’s pretty revelatory when we watch these episodes again. Like, ‘Oh wow, I totally forgot about that, ‘ ” Moore adds.

This Is Us is available to stream now.