The Untold Truth Of Caitlin Thompson
Fans of NBC's hit drama "This Is Us" probably know Caitlin Thompson best for her role as Madison Simmons, a crucial love interest of Justin Hartley's character, Kevin Pearson, and best friend of Chrissy Metz's character, Kate Pearson. The Ohio native has been on the TV series since its first season in 2016 but began in a very small role before eventually becoming an important part of the show in later seasons. Yet, "This Is Us" isn't Thompson's first acting part. In fact, she's been working as an actor since 2008 and even appeared in well-known films like "Crazy, Stupid, Love" and the 2012 TV reboot of "90210," according to her IMDb.
When Thompson isn't acting, it's safe to say she keeps busy since she welcomed son Benjamin, in 2020. The mom often posts about her baby as well as her husband, Dan Fogelman, on her Instagram. Fogelman is also in show business but stays behind the scenes, working as a producer and screenwriter. But that doesn't mean that two haven't worked together — more on this later.
While Thompson stays out of the spotlight, for the most part, she doesn't seem to mind discussing her family and her acting or writing projects in interviews. She also uses her social media to share scenes from whatever she's working on and to post about her personal life. It's clear, though, that fans are more curious to learn about Thompson since becoming a key character on the popular primetime series, so let's break down her untold truth.
Caitlin Thompson has been acting for years
Fans may just be getting to know Caitlin Thompson thanks to her role on NBC's "This Is Us" but she's actually been acting for quite some time. The mama told The Italian Reve that it was a school play that made her first realize her calling. She dished, "The first time I remember acting and really feeling a connection to it, was during my sophomore year of high school. I was in a production of 'The Sound of Music.'" Thompson revealed that when she made the audience laugh she knew she was hooked to that feeling. "I think that instant gratification became a feeling I started to chase," she said.
After high school, Thompson started working right away, landing roles in a few short films in 2008, according to her IMDb. It appears though her first major part was in the Freeform series "Greek" in 2011. While Thompson was only on that show for its final season, her role on that teen show may have helped her land her next big part, on the 2012 TV reboot of "90210."
Yet, Thompson confessed that it wasn't always smooth sailing in the early days of her career. She recalled, "In one of my first big roles, I had to dance a hip-hop routine on a stage ... I think I lied on my resume and said I could dance." She continued, "I'll never forget the look of utter disappointment on the director and producers' faces ... It was a nightmare!"
Caitlin Thompson started as a minor character on This Is Us
It's safe to say that "This Is Us" really launched Caitlin Thompson's career but it's something that the actor herself definitely didn't see coming. She told People that when it came to playing Madison, "It's definitely evolved beyond what I expected." She continued, "I definitely in the beginning had no idea that it would be what it is today."
Thompson realized that it meant she had to bring more to her character. She explained to The Italian Reve, "She was such a small part of the show. Just a few lines here and there ... But as the role grew, I learned more about her and could dig in deeper." Thompson did that by playing Madison as a woman she could personally relate to. She dished, "I made a choice ... that a lot of her behavior would be driven by her insecurities." She added, "I was a very shy child with my own insecurities, so for me, accessing those was a way for me to tap into her."
Yet not all of the show's fans immediately took to Thompson's character since they were rooting for Justin Hartley's character's previous romance. It's something that Thompson said she's learned to deal with, telling People, "I try to stay off Twitter 'cause I see people being very opinionated." She did point out though, "You want people to be invested ... For those that you win over, you win over and for those you don't, I respect them too."
Caitlin Thompson's husband is the show's creator
"This Is Us" fans might not know that Caitlin Thompson is actually married to the show's creator, Dan Fogelman. The two tied the knot in 2015. Thompson revealed in a 2017 Instagram post that they had met at a party, writing, "Dan asked me for my phone number and out on a date. A year and a half later, I moved in. Six years later, we got married." The two don't seem to care about keeping their relationship too private since she frequently posts photos of her "hunny bunny." In one post, she even gushed how he "reeled me in and had me hooked from day 1."
Yet that doesn't mean that working together on "This Is Us" doesn't come with its challenges. She explained to On TV Today, "He's always like, 'Come look at this scene!'... but I try not to. I like watching it as a fan if I'm not in the episode." But Thompson told People, "He's working from home, so I can't help it if I overhear things," adding though, "I feel lucky that I get to be fully immersed in it."
Then there's the time that Fogelman ironically tweeted in 2018, "Madison is my wife in real life..And if you thought I was letting her sleep with @justinhartley on national television you're nuts." Of course, that ended up happening anyway, with executive producer Isaac Aptaker telling EW, "We've just been slowly wearing Dan down since he tweeted that!"
Caitlin Thompson kept her pregnancy a secret
Caitlin Thompson has a big role offscreen these days, as mom to son, Benjamin. The "Greek" actor announced his arrival with an Instagram photo in August 2020, writing in the caption, "Hey world, meet Benjamin." The news came as a surprise to her fans since she didn't share that she was pregnant. She explained to She Knows, "It wasn't calculated by any means ... I wanted it to be when it's the right moment." Thompson did reveal, "I was fortunate to have a really easy pregnancy." However, there were some shaky moments during that time. She recalled to People, "I was pregnant when the quarantine started ... we were kind of freaked out."
Thompson also admitted that she didn't necessarily feel prepared, confessing, "I had never changed a diaper before. My husband was in the same boat; we just didn't know how to do anything with a baby." Of course, Thompson learned a lot along the way, dishing, "I've realized that I can function on a lot less sleep than I ever thought I could." She even used what she learned from her own experience when her character on "This Is Us" was pregnant. "It was definitely great research ... I felt like I was pregnant for two years," she said.
While Thompson hasn't shown Benjamin's face on her Instagram, she still often posts photos of him, sharing his growth and even him walking. It seems from her posts that Thompson is really enjoying her time as a new mom.
Caitlin Thompson's son is a quarantine baby
Caitlin Thompson's experience as a new mother was different than most since she had her son, Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The "90210" actor joked to People, "I have a full quarantine baby, I take him outside and he's like, "What is this light?" Thompson acknowledged that the pandemic did allow her to have more time with him than she normally would have if she had been working. She explained, "I haven't missed a lot of things ... So it's been nice in a lot of ways just to have that focus time at home and to be with him."
While Thompson gushed to She Knows that she got to "just fully dive into being a mom," she did admit that having a new baby amid a pandemic had its challenges, saying, "It's kind of isolating." At the time, she felt, "it's crazy, crazy that he's almost a year old and so many people haven't met him yet," and that "I almost feel like Ben knows people better with a mask than without."
Yet luckily for Thompson, a lot of her "This Is Us" costars, like Chris Sullivan and Mandy Moore, also had babies around the time she did, so she had friends to relate to. She revealed amongst them, "There are all these little text chains swapping stories and trying to get them together." She added, "It's funny, we've all had boys. I'm not sure what's in the air, what's in the water over there."
Caitlin Thompson lives like a millionaire
Caitlin Thompson may not be a major movie star but it looks like acting has been good to her bank account. According to Glamour Path, Thompson is said to be worth around $1 million, presumably from her steady acting career, as well as her work as a writer. It's safe to assume her role on "This Is Us" helped her bring in more money than ever, since it's a popular primetime show on a major network.
It also doesn't hurt that her husband, TV producer and screenwriter Dan Fogelman, makes bank. Celebrity Net Worth reports that the "This Is Us" creator is worth $120 million, with most of his money also being attributed to the success of the series. In 2019, Fogelman even landed a super impressive deal with Disney's 20th Century Fox Television, with them reportedly paying him $200 million, and reaching a five-year $125 million deal for his producing.
It seems the couple have spent some of those millions on real estate. They had first purchased a $4 million home in Toluca Lake in 2016, but then decided to majorly upgrade in March 2021, dropping $17.5 million on another nearby mansion. According to the Dirt, that's the most ever anyone has ever paid for a home in that area. The mansion sits on 1.4 acres and includes a large pool, sports courts, and a three car garage, plus motor court. So one could say Thompson is living better than those who are even more famous than her.
Caitlin Thompson is passionate about animals
Caitlin Thompson appears to have a major soft spot when it comes to animals. From the looks of her Instagram, the "Crazy, Stupid, Love" actor has two dogs, as well as several chickens and horses. Thompson obviously knows how adorable her pups are since she frequently posts about them, sharing photos of them snuggling with her, greeting her and her husband with lots of love, and just being plain adorable. She's also taken them hiking, showed off their summer haircuts, and of course always gives them a shoutout on National Dog or Puppy Days.
But Thompson isn't just a dog person, she also keeps chickens. The "Happy Endings" actor posted a photo of herself caring for baby chicks in 2018, where she wrote in the caption, "Caitlin, Mother of Chickens." Additionally, she has posted other photos of herself snuggling full grown chickens, hanging out in their chicken coop, and even taking selfies with a rooster.
It can be assumed Thompson's passion for horses, in particular, began at a young age. She apparently even rode horses competitively since she posted a photo of herself in what looked like a competition in 1993. These days, it seems she loves to spend time with horses for fun, calling it her "happy place." She often shares photos of what appear to be her horses in their barn, and of course, of herself riding. Acting may be Thompson's career, but it's clear spending time with animals is her hobby.
Caitlin Thompson is a writer
Many may not know that Caitlin Thompson isn't just an actor, she's also a writer and has earned money that way as well. In fact, Showbiz CheatSheet reports that Thompson had a gig writing for Hollywood's Open Fist Theatre Company, where she also acted on stage. As of 2020, Thompson is working on converting the book "Learning To See" into a screenplay. She explained to The Italian Reve, "I reached out to Elise Hooper, the author ... and she gave me the great gift of trusting me to adapt her book ... I've been working hard on developing her book for television." She added that this might be something she does more of as a writer, dishing, "I'm a big reader, so I'm sure it won't be long until I find another book I want to option."
Even when it comes to acting, Thompson said how the script is written is a big reason behind why she chooses a role. She revealed what she looks for when reading for a part saying, "Besides good writing? The first time I read a script, I read it as an audience member. I want to be engaged and immersed in the story."
For Thompson, it seems writing has always been something she's been into. She recalled, "I've always had a very active imagination as a child ... I also remember writing scripts and short stories from a very early age. I think my passion is storytelling and bringing those stories to life."
Caitlin Thompson made a Christmas movie in Ireland
Caitlin Thompson seemed to have a very special experience filming a Christmas movie for Lifetime. Thompson starred in the TV movie "Christmas Perfection," which according to On TV Today is about a woman consumed with having the perfect holiday. The mom of one explained how she related to her character, dishing, "I host Thanksgiving every year, so I was laughing to myself through this because I was like, "This is me!" ... I want everything to be organized and planned perfectly, and any wrench in my plan throws me off."
The film was shot over about 16 days overseas in Ireland. Thompson gushed that when it came to the location, "I really felt transported. I had never been there, and the producer found such great locations, it just felt magical overall." She added that having horses being part of the story made it even more remarkable, saying, "I love horses, and they had horses and carriages, so everything fed into the world that they created."
Thompson apparently couldn't help but share some of her adventures on set with her Instagram followers. In one photo near a waterfall she wrote, "That's a wrap on week 1 on Christmas Perfection... Having a great time," and in another she shared photos from filming, writing "this week was full of horses, sheep, snow, and harnesses." When the film wrapped, Thompson shared a selfie with some of the cast, writing, "What an unforgettable adventure it was making this film."
Caitlin Thompson is a homebody
While Caitlin Thompson apparently loved the experience of shooting a movie in Ireland, the "LA to Vegas" actor is actually quite the homebody. She even admitted to The Italian Reve that her happy place is her "little ranch in Santa Ynez, California." Thompson gushed, "For me, it's heaven on Earth. It's a magical place. Every chance we get, we spend there." She continued, "It's a great place to recharge, relax, and re-connect with yourself and nature." What's more is that Thompson even claimed her favorite word is "Home."
It probably helps that Thompson likes to spend her free time doing things that are mostly done in the comfort of one's house like binge watching TV. She confessed, "When a new "Queer Eye" comes out, I've finished the season in less than 24 hours." Thompson also says she's "a big reader" and when it comes to the books she keeps on her nightstand she revealed, "I have a stack!"
Thompson also has some adorable companions that probably make staying home even more special. She's made that clear by sharing photos cuddling up with her two dogs, as well as them napping together. She even joked in another photo of her pup in bed, "Okay, you win... I'll cancel my plans and stay home with you tonight." And let's not forget Thompson is a mom to son, Benjamin. She told She Knows that when "hunkering at home," she's "had that time to be there, be present, hang out with him."
Caitlin Thompson is close with her family
From the looks of Caitlin Thompson's Instagram, it appears that she's close with her family, other than just her husband and baby. The "Christmas Perfection" star made that clear when posting an old photo of her mother, writing in caption, "Feeling lucky to be able to spend Mother's Day with my ma." In another photo with her mom, Thompson even thanked her for "always being by my side." The actor seemingly has a special bond with her father, as well. She posted a photo of them together in 2018, captioning it, "To the guy who supported me through 12+ years of horse shows and horse shoes... thanks dad!"
Thompson apparently has a good relationship with her brother too. In 2019 she shared a photo of herself beaming at him, gushing, "My brother graduated from dental school!" and joked, "As you can see, I am not impressed or proud." Of course, she gave him a shoutout on National Siblings Day by sharing a photo of them playing together as children. Then there's Thompson's Grandma Thompson and Grandma Dolly, whose portraits have also been shared with her followers.
As you can see, Thompson isn't just that girl from "This Is Us" but has an interesting life of her own outside of the series that made her famous. While she's been in Hollywood for several years, it's evident her career is just taking off and we can expect to see a lot more from this rising star.
Caitlin Thompson was invested in Madison's journey
It seems that Caitlin Thompson was super invested in her "This Is Us" character, Madison, and was happy with how she evolved on the show — so much so, she took to her Instagram ahead of Season 6 to say as much. As mentioned, Madison was originally just a small part on the series, but eventually progressed into a more complex character. When it came to that change, Thompson told People, "I'm thrilled that I get to do this ... It's a great opportunity to be able to flesh out a character more."
Thompson was also apparently proud with how Madison finally came into her own too, like when (spoiler alert!) she decided not to marry Kevin. Thompson explained why that was an important moment for her character, telling EW, "I think it shows a lot of growth on her part. Maybe in the past ... she would've gone through with it, but that's just the embodiment of how she's grown."
In the end, Thompson seemingly just wanted the character she became attached to and spent six years developing to have her story end on a positive note. "I feel like as long as she's happy and finds love, I'm good," she said. However, Thompson feels that didn't necessarily have to be with Kevin. She explained to Deadline, "I think if they can find love, then that'd be awesome. But if not, then I hope they each find it in their own respective relationships."
Caitlin Thompson bonded with her co-stars
From the looks of Caitlin Thompson's Instagram, it seems like she had a close bond with her "This Is Us" co-stars, considering she often posted behind-the-scenes photos of the cast having fun on set. One of those photos was of her and the other leading ladies holding cardboard cut-outs of Justin Hartley's head, with Thompson writing, "fan club" in the caption. She even posted a video of the cast doing the wobble dance together. "It can be surprisingly light-hearted on set, especially for the scenes where a lot of the cast is together," Thompson told The Italian Reve.
Yet just because they teased each other, doesn't mean they didn't take their job seriously. Thompson explained, "As soon as 'action' is called, everyone drops in and is ready to go." They just apparently had time to hang out in between takes. Thompson has shared photos of those moments too, like her selfie with Susan Kelechi or when her and Alexandra Breckenridge did an impersonation from "The Shining."
Even when they're not necessarily filming, they seemingly still support each other, like when Thompson posted about Mandy Moore crashing a funeral scene she wasn't in. Thompson made it clear how she felt about that, writing in the caption, "So much love for these ladies." That wasn't the only time that Thompson expressed her admiration for the people she worked with either, since when she tweeted a photo of the cast, she wrote, "So much love for this show and these people."
How Caitlin Thompson feels about This Is Us ending
It should come as no surprise that Caitlin Thompson had strong feelings about "This Is Us" ending in May 2022. She took to her Instagram to share an emotional black and white selfie where she wrote, "That's a wrap. What a gift. What a ride. Thank you for all the love and support these past six seasons." It makes sense that Thompson would post about her final day on set considering she's taken her followers along for the journey from the beginning, sharing photos from the actual show as well as behind-the-scenes snaps. Thompson even shared a post comparing her selfies from her first day of filming to her very last. Ahead of the finale, she told Page Six she's content with the way the character's story arc wrapped up.
It's clear that Thompson understands just how important the series was not only just to her, but to all of its fans, and hopes they take something positive away from watching. She told Variety, "I hope it makes people just look at what's in front of them and at their own families, and to cherish those times together ... because as the show shows there's so many things that happen in life that you can't plan for." She added, "As long as you can stick together as a family ... then that's what's most important."