Metz reveals that under her contract she needs to lose weight to reflect the trajectory of her character on the NBC series.
- Nov 19, 2016
AceShowbiz - Chrissy Metz's contract for "This Is Us" requires her to lose weight. The actress, who has struggled with her weight since she was a young girl, reveals that to be part of the NBC series, she had to agree to lose weight as her character, Kate, did in the storyline.
"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," she tells TVLine. "That was a win-win for me. Because it's one thing to try to do it on your own. But as human beings, it's an ego thing: We're more likely to do something for someone else."
For Metz, the job that comes with the requirement to lose weight is not bad at all since she gradually improves her health. She sees it as a "different kind of motivation, so I was excited about it." In an interview with PEOPLE, she emphasizes that she and Kate will be shaping up "in a healthy manner."
Sharing her diet plans, the 36-year-old says that she "started incorporating a better eating regimen and started to do things personally, but not something so drastic because it's going to be a lifestyle change not just for Kate but for me." She adds, "I have to be aware of not losing too much weight because of the show. ... I want to do it in the right way. It's a gradual process."
On the show, Kate realized on her 36th birthday that her childhood visions of having a husband and family were not going to happen unless she made significant changes. She decided to join Overeaters Anonymous-like group and her life has since changed for the better as she met Toby who later became her boyfriend.
But before you criticize her decision to lose weight for the sake of a job and fame, Metz wants to make it clear that "whether or not I lose weight or stay the same, it's purely a choice of mine for health. Not because I think that plus size, curvy, voluptuous, big bodies aren't attractive - because I think they're awesome and sexy."
"This Is Us" airs Tuesdays at 9 P.M. ET on NBC.
