This Is Us: Jon Huertas Knows a Lot of You Still Hate Miguel

This Is Us doesn't have a villain, but if you had to pick one, most fans would probably assign that title to Miguel (Jon Huertas).

It's a little unfair because the show turned fans against him so early on. Miguel was first introduced as Jack's (Milo Ventimiglia) best friend, but then Episode 2 of the first season revealed that Miguel is also Rebecca's (Mandy Moore) second husband. For a long time it was a mystery how Miguel made that transition, but it was assumed by many that Miguel spent years pining for his best friend's wife and waited for the right opportunity to step in and woo her himself.

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It turns out that Rebecca and Miguel's romance was far from nefarious -- at least with what we know so far. Season 2 revealed that the two didn't talk for eight years following Jack's death. They reconnected over Facebook before pursuing any kind of romantic relationship, so Jack's memory shouldn't feel disrespected. Jon Huertas, the man assigned with the task of bringing Miguel to life and making him likable is relieved to have some of the doubts about him cleared up.

"I loved the reaction. I kind of knew that it would start turning people," Huertas told TV Guide while promoting the United Way HomeWalk 5K, which he'll be hosting Saturday, Nov. 18 in Los Angeles to raise awareness of the city's homeless issue. "The reaction that people have, for me, is a relief."

Huertas knows that people assume the worst of Miguel, but recommended rewatching Miguel's advice scenes with Jack. If you look closely, it turns out that Miguel is actually the couple's biggest fan.

"People thought from the beginning that there was some nefarious plan that Miguel might have had to take Rebecca from Jack, but I think maybe if people start looking back and thinking, 'Wait a minute, everything Miguel was saying to Jack was actually trying to keep Jack and Rebecca in a good place, keep them together.' A lot of people thought Miguel might have been in love with Rebecca, but he was in love with the idea of Jack and Rebecca and in love with the idea of their relationship because his relationship was nothing like that."

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Still, he knows that a lot of fans are still holding out on giving Miguel the benefit of the doubt. Huertas is excited for the challenge of converting those people though and knows they need more to get on the bandwagon.

"I actually personally like that there's still more work to be done in regards to bringing people on Miguel's side a little bit. It presents a challenge for an actor," he said. "For me, the challenge of bringing people around into liking Miguel and rooting for him and Rebecca to be happy is nice."

There's one misconception that Huertas wants to make sure that viewers aren't making about his character though.

"I think it's important that people don't think that Miguel is trying to replace Jack," he explained. "That's the most important thing that we have to be careful with when we approach these scenes, both with my choices as an actor and the writers."

Are you ready to cut Miguel some slack?

Huertas will be hosting the United Way HomeWalk on Nov. 18 in downtown Los Angeles with his former Castle co-star Seamus Driver. You can register to participate in the event here.

This Is Us continues Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.