Chrissy Metz plays Kate in the TV series This Is Us. Her acting in this show was highly appreciated by critics even before the official premiere of the series. But the path to success was not easy.
Getting the role
You may have previously seen the actress in the TV series American Horror Story: Freak Show, where she played Barbara. Producers needed a very big actress, they did not want to use special pads. Everything had to be as realistic as possible. Chrissy got the role, but she still had to wear a special suit.
After this project, Metz was sure that she would receive one call after another. But the phone was silent. She was perplexed and started thinking about going back to Florida to her mother. A year later, This Is Us happened. She only had 81 cents on her account. And when a call came, it turned out to be Dan Fogelman, the creator of the show. The actress still gets emotional when she tells this story.
Weight struggle
Metz said that under the contract, she needs to lose weight together with her character. Chrissy identifies herself with Kate who is suffering from obesity and overeating, so she went for it knowingly. According to the plot, her character constantly struggles with trying to lose weight.
Metz understands Kate like nobody else. She has lost weight, and then, she has gained it back, being stuck in a never-ending circle. As the actress admitted, it was a win-win option. Losing weight alone would be an impossible task because we are all more used to doing something for others than for ourselves. When you know that something is expected from you, you have enough motivation and strength not to give up.
Advice from Stallone
Chrissy is happy to work with many famous actors on set. This Is Us cast includes such known stars as Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, and Sterling Kelby Brown.
And it is wonderful when your coworkers can support you and give a valuable advice. While shooting Season 2, Metz had an opportunity to work with Sylvester Stallone, who is most known for his role of boxer Rocky Balboa. He told actress that it is important to have thick skin and be resilient.
Guess we all can follow such a great advice!
