On This Is Us, Chrissy Metz plays Kate, an overweight character who struggles with weight loss, size discrimination, and serious emotional issues that are, in part, responsible for her size.
While the role has thrust Chrissy into the spotlight as a major player in the body size acceptance movement, it turns out Chrissy has previously been asked to accentuate her appearance onscreen by wearing a fat suit, according to a People interview in which she reminisced about another role that helped propel her acting career.
In the interview, Chrissy spoke of a panic attack that landed her in the hospital on her 30th birthday, a wake-up call that provoked her to lose 100 pounds by eating a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet and walking for 20 minutes a day. Shortly after, she was cast in American Horror story as “Fat Lady” Ima Wiggles.