Hard to let go. Mandy Moore is opening up about moving on now that her time on This Is Us has come to an end — and it hasn’t been an easy road. 

“Clearly, nothing will ever hold the same place in my heart as [This Is Us], and, quite frankly, nothing will probably mean the same thing to the world in the way that that job did,” Moore, 38, told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published on Monday, August 1. “I love working and I feel so incredibly lucky to have had the best job in the world for the last six years. I think every creative person is definitely afraid of not working and feels like their last job is their last job. I’m dealing with some of that and thinking about what’s next, but it’s daunting.”

The “Candy” songstress starred on the hit NBC family drama for the entirety of its six-season run from 2016 to 2022, portraying Rebecca Pearson — a woman who must raise her three children after losing husband Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) in a tragic house fire. Following the series finale, which aried in May, Moore has found it hard to let go of her close-knit TV brood. 

“I drove by Paramount the other day and just had this, ugh, long sigh and a little bit of heartbreak thinking that for six years, normally would be going back to work right now at this time of year,” the How to Deal star explained. “I really miss my friends. I miss the work. I realized, ‘Oh, we said goodbye to the Pearsons.’”

She added, “I’m sad about that. But I’m also excited about figuring out what’s next while I try to enjoy a little bit of downtime.”

The family drama was largely expected to nab a slew of nominations for the 2022 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Moore’s performance in the show’s final installment.

However, when the nominations were released early last month, the beloved series only received a single recognition in the Best Original Song category for “The Forever Now” — a ballad Moore sang herself in the penultimate episode. The lyrics were written by the Saved star’s real-life husband Taylor Goldsmith, who shares the nomination with composer Siddhartha Khosla.

While fans were outraged by the snub, Moore took to social media to reflect on how “grateful” she was to have been a part of such an “incredible legacy” and show her support for Goldsmith, 36. 

“So unendingly proud of @siddkhoslamusic and @taylordawesgoldsmith for getting an Emmy nom for their song ‘Forever Now’ on our final season of #ThisIsUs,” the A Walk to Remember actress wrote via her Instagram Story at the time. “Do I wish our show was recognized in what I think was [its] finest hour? Sure.”

The Florida native went on to point out creator Dan Fogelman’s “brilliant writing for 6 seasons,” praising “our insanely, wildly talented cast and crew” before reminding fans that “nothing can take away what our show meant to SO MANY (us included).”

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight that was published on Thursday, July 28, Moore further reflected on the lack of recognition. 

“We’re really lucky we were there every other year, besides this year. So, can’t be too upset when things don’t swing your way, and you celebrate the breadth of the show,” she explained. “I don’t think you can say that about too many jobs and too many shows. So, I think that’s our biggest takeaway.”

Throughout the show’s run, This Is Us was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series four times: from 2017 to 2019 and in 2021. The cast also racked up plenty of acting nominations over the years, with Sterling K. Brown taking home the win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2017.  The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel alum, 46, has been vocal about asking Emmy voters to support Moore after her final performance as the Pearson Matriarch in season 6. 

“Mandy Moore is killing the game, son. She is killing the game and she deserves to be recognized,” the Black Panther star said in an Instagram video shared in April. “There’s never a moment on set where I’m like, ‘Mandy Moore’s too young to play my mama.’ No, she is my mama. And the beautifully subtle nuanced work and the portrayal of someone going through what her character’s going through, it’s just exquisite, man.”