‘This is Us’ Actress Has Some Fun Ties to New Hampshire
Lot's of people discovered Mandy Moore when she began acting on the beloved and tear-jerking TV drama 'This is Us'. I had to stop watching because my Kleenex budget was through the roof (Jokes. Of course I still watch).
Mandy was making me weep WAY before 'This is Us'. Her performance as Jamie Sullivan in the 2002 movie 'A Walk to Remember' was so honest. I re watched it on Netflix recently and it still makes me cry after all of these years. When Nicholas Sparks novels get adapted into movies, it often results in waterworks.
And let's run it back even further, shall we? I loved Mandy Moore back when she released this absolute bop called "Candy" when she was only 15 years old.
Listening to that song makes the memories come flooding back!
My bestie and I spent hours in her basement tirelessly choreographing a dance to this song. We later performed it for our moms as they sat on the couch and pretended to be impressed.
Let us not forget she played the MEAN GIRL, Lana Thomas, in 'The Princess Diaries'. DANG what a career.
This stroll down Memory Moore Lane was prompted because Mandy was a guest on one of my favorite podcasts this week called 'Armchair Expert', hosted by Dax Shepard.
Dax was asking Mandy all about her life and childhood and she casually slipped in that she was BORN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE! How did I not know this? Nashua, to be specific.
Her dad worked for American Airlines as a pilot for 42 years, and just retired this past December. She affectionately refers to him as "Captain Don".
It is not disclosed if her dad worked at Manchester Regional Airport or Logan when they lived in Nashua.
Mandy doesn't have many memories of New Hampshire, because she was just a baby when her family moved to Orlando, FL. Her older brother Scott might remember their New Hampshire days more vividly.
I like to think that the inspiration for Mandy's hit song "Candy" was actually paying homage to her home state of New Hampshire. HEAR ME OUT! New Hampshire is home to Chutters, which has the longest candy counter in the world.
Mandy sings "I'm missing you like candy". Why does she miss candy so much? Didn't they have candy in Orlando, Florida, where she lived at the time? I think the song has a dual meaning and not only does she miss this, but maybe she misses the sweetness of her youth and her home state of New Hampshire.
Yeah, it's a stretch I know.