2016 was a big year for Chrissy Metz.
The NBC show she stars in,This Is Us, premiered and was met withinstant success.
I had to be really cognizant of what I ate."
Metz has called being on a show with flashbacks to her character’s childhood “heartbreaking.”
“I remember going to Weight Watchers when I was like 11.
I was the youngest person in the damned room and it was awkward.
My mom was trying to figure it out, but it’s a process.
No matter what, somebody is going to pick on you for something.
It’s a complicated dynamic and it is heartbreaking.”
Acting came up unexpectedly
In her early 20s, Metz was a preschool teacher.
Then one day, everything changed.
But she took the chance, and it paid off.
Good for Metz for following those dreams.
As describedbyMarie Claire, she became her agent’s assistant after auditioning for roles for a few years.
Although a job, it wasn’t Metz’s reason for coming to LA.
She continued to act, but working at the talent agency became Metz’s full-time job.
She eventually became an agent, but still wanted to see acting through.
Luckily Metz did not give up.
She continued to audition, and, as everyone knows, it worked out.
She then gained back 100 pounds due to depression and “eating my feelings.”
She told the magazine, “I was so gung-ho, I lost 100 lbs.
After getting to a better place, she snatched up her role inAmerican Horror Story.
She played a character who required her to wear a fat suit.
This was also a big moment for Metz.
“It was sobering…
I was like, ‘I don’t want this for me.'”
I went on unemployment.
I bought ramen noodles at dollar stores.
Don’t give up.’
You don’t have money for acting class?
Let’s get together and read lines.'”
It was this support system that helped Metz through the tough times.
When she bookedThis Is Us, the actress had 81 cents in her bank account.
And then life changed quickly.
But what makes Metz so fabulous is that even though her fortune changed, her attitude has not.
Meeting my car payment on time?
I paid my friends and my stepdad back.
And three months ago I finally paid my credit cards off!
However, Metz understands her character and journey and seems happy to have the motivation to be healthy.
She told the magazine, “Why not have a motivation beyond me to get to a healthy weight?
Every actor does that.
And how does this make being healthy easier?
But even with this incentive, Metz wants to make one thing clear: this is all about health.
She said, “I just have to be very clear.
You go, girl.
That’s exciting for me, especially because losing weight is something I’ve struggled with and contemplated.
I have lost weight and I’ve gained weight back.
I wouldn’t have this amazing role if I’d already lost all the weight.
There are other things that make us want to eat or overspend or fill a void with something.
It’s going to be really fascinating to watch that unfold on a lot of different levels.”
Metz understands this feeling and addressed itduring her interview withTHR.
“You get frustrated.
When Metz gets down to it, she says, “Nothing is ever going to be perfect.”
Everything in life has its flows and ups and downs.”
It’s important to show that.”
This display of emotion gives the audience a chance to see these characters for who they are.
And don’t think that all of this success is going to change her.
She’s grounded and intends to stay that way.
She told the magazine, “Sometimes I cry on the way to the set still.
There is something that happens when you are grateful: You continue to keep receiving blessings.
So I will always be grateful.”
We couldn’t have said it any better.
She had to push for the opportunity and knew this project was special from the very beginning.
As Metzdescribed toDeadline, “The script was incredible from the moment I started it; it felt different.
I desperately wanted an audition and begged my agent for the opportunity to read for casting.
It was as if they were already directing me.”
The food is the symptom, it’s not the issue.
When you put the food down, the issues come up.
And that’s what we need to be talking about."
And the show does more than teach its audience; its comforts them as well.
And that is exactly what Metz wants for the viewers.
Shetweeted, “For the record, I wear what I want, when I want.
News flash it’s MY body.
Metz spoke about this revelation and her character’s goals of being a singer.
She said, “I think [Kate’s] got a little soul in her.
She likes some throwback, Motown stuff….
I know for me, I love every genre of music.
I’m excited to see where they’re going to go with it.”
