Baby Jack Is Officially The 'This Is Us' Scene-Stealer

- This Is Us -
Baby Jack Is Officially The 'This Is Us' Scene-Stealer

Dear Emmy voters, I would like to formally petition that you consider baby Jack for Best Supporting Baby Actor in a Drama Series. Yes, I know that's not an official category, but the little guy who plays Jack on This Is Us is so talented the Emmys need to create a category just for him. Need proof? Then look no further than "Four Fathers," in which he steals every single scene he's in.

There's an old adage in Hollywood about how actors should never work with babies or animals, which I've always found ridiculous, because come on, there's nothing cuter than babies and animals. Sure, they can be unpredictable, but that's where the magic happens. But in the case of child actor Johnny Kincaid, I suspect he's just an actual baby genius who is either somehow already learning lines at the ripe old age of two, or is a master of improv.

Kincaid took over the role of Jack from baby twins Weldon and Poppy Barnes in Season 6, and he's instantly made the role his own. Unlike your average toddler actor, this little guy nails actual lines as he adorably says things like "love you, mama," and "see you soon" at the exact right moment. I have nothing but mad respect for all baby and toddler actors, but generally they're not expected to do much but sit there and be cute — which is understandable. They're babies surrounded by cast and crew members, lights, and noise. I'm an adult and that would be more than enough stress to send me into a meltdown even without the camera pointed at me.

That's why it's so impressive that Kincaid is naturally interacting with Chrissy Metz and Chris Sullivan. When they talk to him, he responds, and in the process he steals the scene right out from under them. That's no small feat considering they're both seasoned actors and Emmy nominees.

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Kincaid's confidence and ease in front of the camera is no doubt thanks in large part to his parents. His mom, Marisol, runs an Instagram account chronicling the toddler's childhood and advocating for albinism and low vision awareness, both conditions that Kincaid has. After he made his This Is Us debut, Marisol posted about how proud she was to see her son playing a visually impaired character onscreen.

"Last night was Johnny’s TV debut on the final season of the NBC hit show, This Is Us! He plays the role of toddler Jack Jr, the son of Kate and Toby, who is visually impaired. We are so proud," she wrote. "Johnny has albinism which comes with low vision and an eye condition called nystagmus. Although his character has a different visual impairment, we are SO thrilled for the representation and inclusion of the blind and low vision community in a television show that does so well at showing all the nuances of life with SUCH a huge reach!"

There's no doubt Kincaid is already making his mark on the show, and I for one can't wait to see what the talented little cutie does next in Season 6. With the barbeque drama looming on the horizon, Emmy voters may not need to create a separate category after all, they might as well go ahead and nominate the youngster for a Supporting Actor Emmy and let him go head-to-head with his TV dad. I, for one, like his odds of winning.

Image: Ron Batzdorff/NBC; @HoldingSunshine/Instagram

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