Chrissy Metz is on top of her game with her post-This Is Us career on fire and her recent major weight loss transformation. She is one hot commodity in the world of Hollywood. Yet Chrissy’s journey hasn’t always been a smooth one, between lifelong struggles with her weight, and some bumps along the road to her acting success, Chrissy hasn’t always felt on top of the world. See how she was able to make a major transformation in both her health and her life and hear her surprising secret to weight loss success.
Chrissy Metz, best known for her starring role as Kate Pearsons in the hit series This Is Us, won fans’ hearts right away. The show itself won and was nominated for everything from Golden Globes to MTV awards. In short, it was a huge hit. Yet behind-the-scenes life for Chrissy was not as glamorous as it may have seemed.
Metz opened up about her lifelong struggle with her weight in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying that she was “born chubby” and that even in childhood, she noticed a difference in what she was able to eat versus what her friends were. She went on to say “My friends could eat whatever they wanted to, but I knew that as a kid if I ate certain things I would totally gain weight.” Chrissy also felt alienated from her own family due to her ongoing weight issues. She revealed that although she felt her mother loved her, she also watched as her mother and slimmer sisters were able to go on shopping trips together which she was not included in.
Her feelings of frustration grew as even after she had finally arrived in Hollywood, she still hadn’t hit the big time. Instead, she spent her days watching and even scheduling others to find their big breaks. In order to pay bills, she worked as her agent’s assistant, but the gig was heartbreaking. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Metz revealed that “scheduling auditions for the talent was like watching your boyfriend take out another woman every single day.” She also happened to be going through a divorce — talk about a rough time. It was during this time that her relationship with food hit an all-time low as she began “eating her feelings” and soon gained 100 pounds. Eventually, her depression and weight gain culminated in a panic attack that was so severe it sent her to the hospital. That was when her journey with weight loss really began.
Chrissy put herself on a 2000-calorie diet and began walking every day and avoiding unhealthy foods. That was it. With these simple lifestyle changes, she was able to drop 100 pounds! She also prioritized her mental health and instead of helping other actresses land their dream roles, she started pursuing her own. She landed a role on American Horror Story and soon after found herself on a casting all for This Is Us. Chrissy landed her iconic role as Kate Pearsons.
Yet Chrissy explains her weight loss journey is ongoing. While her contract for the role did not require her to explicitly lose weight as in a number, she revealed in an interview with People what it did say: “In our contract, it did state that that would be a part of it, to lose the weight in the trajectory of the character as she comes to find herself.”
Chrissy continued her healthy weight loss practices with the support of the cast and the show’s creator Dan Fogelman, whose own sister also reportedly struggles with weight loss. According to the LA Times, Kate Pearson’s character is even based on Fogelman’s sister, and he opens up about how her struggle inspired the character and why he felt Chrissy was perfect for the role.
Chrissy reports that while her weight loss has increased her self-esteem and brought in more opportunities, the goal has been, and always will be, a healthier lifestyle for herself.