Comfortable with being uncomfortable
This Is Us star Metz talks about her character’s struggles and her own
Chrissy Metz burst into tears when she first read the script for Super Bowl Sunday, the much-ballyhooed episode from the second season of NBC’s This Is Us that finally revealed details about how family patriarch Jack Pearson met his tragic end.
It was the one question that had haunted fans of the time-shifting melodrama. What was the full story behind Jack’s death and why does his daughter Kate, played by Metz as an adult, feel responsible? There had been hints, of course. But the Feb. 4 episode revealed the entire tragedy in its full heartwrenching glory. It was a house fire that killed him, albeit indirectly, when Kate was still a teen. During the actual blaze, he successfully got his family out safely. But young Kate screamed for the family dog and asked Jack to go back and save him, which he does. All seems well until later, when Jack suddenly dies of cardiac arrest while being checked out in the hospital, presumably due to the amount of smoke he inhaled during his canine rescue efforts. “(Creator Dan Fogelman) sent me the script and said ‘Chrissy, do I need to have someone come over and hold you?’” said Metz, in an interview at the Banff World Media Festival last week.
“He knows how emotional I am. I’m just that person. I said ‘No, I’m going to be fine.’ Not a line into the first page, I was in tears all the way through to the last page.” It wasn’t a surprise for Metz. She knew the entire story from the start. These details have been integral in developing the guiltplagued character of Kate Pearson. But she still wasn’t prepared. For those not familiar with the tone of This Is Us, such a reaction may seem a little over the top. But breaking down in tears is a common and perfectly acceptable response to Fogelman’s series, which quickly became one of the biggest hits for NBC (and in Canada on CTV ) when it debuted in 2016. Through flashbacks and presentday stories, it tells the drama-filled saga of the now-adult Pearson siblings Kate, Kevin (Justin Hartley), and Randall (Sterling K. Brown), and their parents Jack and Rebecca (Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore). Metz quickly became a breakout star in the series, earning an Emmy and two Golden Globe nods since the show began. She was at the Banff World Media Festival recently to accept the Program Of The Year prize on behalf of the show. Metz has her own theory as to why the trials and tribulations of the Pearson clan tend to make people spontaneously weep, and why this ritual has proven to be so alluring for fans.
“We’re not taught to express our feelings, especially about things that are really difficult like death or illness or relationships that can be destroyed quickly,” Metz says. “We’re just not taught how to communicate our feelings. You’re shunned if you do: You’re too vulnerable, you’re too sensitive. I think this show allows people to dothat.”
At the midway point of season 1, NBC executives made the rare move of confirming This Is Us would be renewed for both a second and a third season. Cameras start rolling on season 3 next month.
As for season 2, Kate was certainly put through the wringer. Along with her ongoing struggles with guilt and her weight, she had a miscarriage and continued to have relationship issues with fiancée Toby, who was revealed to suffer from major depression. Still, for This Is Us, the finale ended on a hopeful note when Kate and Toby got married.
“There was some tragedy, but also so much growth for her in particular,” Metz says. “That was really important for her journey, to have a pseudo-healthy working relationship with herself and, of course, with Toby.” Questions about Toby’s mental health will play a big role in Kate’s life during season 3, weighing heavily on whether or not the two should again try to start a family. “I haven’t had a sit-down meeting yet, but I’ve been told it’s sort of an unconventional approach to parenting ...,” Metz says.
Yes, Metz is being cryptic. But these days, story arcs on heavily buzzed-about TV series are wellguarded secrets. Keeping them that way is just one of the vagaries of fame the Florida native continues to get used to after spending years as a struggling actress.
Since rising to prominence on the series, Metz has gotten used to being recognized everywhere she goes, including last week when a casual stroll through Banff brought Metz face to face with devoted fans from around the world.
She has also been open about her personal life, including her own struggles with weight and even her breakup with boyfriend Josh Stancil, who was a crew member on This Is Us.
“I have lived my life being very comfortable with being uncomfortable,” Metz says.
“I chose to talk about my exboyfriend when we were dating. We met on the show and it was romantic and it was sweet. Here’s the thing: Just because it was romantic and sweet doesn’t mean, when we break up, that it negates all of that. It doesn’t. It’s just another chapter. Not everybody is your forever person. Everybody is a student or a teacher and sometimes we’re both.”