Glamming it up! This Is Us breakout star Chrissy Metz rocked a red swimsuit and corset in a new photo shoot for Harper’s Bazaar, which was published on Monday, March 13.
Metz, 36, opened up to the mag about her self-love and how she’s more accepting of her body than her TV character, Kate Pearson, is.
“I used to be Kate, but now I’m so far removed from that,” she said. “When I first heard Harper’s Bazaar wanted me to be sexy, I was like, ‘Who, me?’ I knew y’all were edgy but this is incredible — it’s validation…. I can get into this now because I finally have the confidence.”
In the spread, Metz proudly shows off her curves in a low-cut bathing suit by Pinup Girl Clothing, a Trashy Lingerie corset and a polka dot Unique Vintage dress. In real life, she looks to stylist Jordan Grossman for advice.
“She knows what works on me. She’s given me permission to try different things,” Metz explained. “Like, if I ever end up on the worst-dressed list, it’s not going to make me fall apart. I want to look great and feel good and be comfortable, but at the same time, none of this really matters. This is the fun stuff.”
The Gainesville, Florida, native says that she’s on a “journey to inspire people” and hopes that she is encouraging others to be themselves.
“We are all deserving of true happiness, so it’s much more than just acting. It’s like, forget you’re on this amazing television show, you’re changing lives and opening discussion… I can’t go anywhere without people talking to me or recognizing me from the show. This woman told me she never understood her daughter and her weight issues ’til she saw the show. She got teary-eyed, I started getting teary-eyed… it was beautiful,” the American Horror Story alum told the mag.
“If you can’t love who you are now, you can’t get to the place you want to be. It’s a daily lesson for all of us,” she added. “I’m paving the way for other women and men who know they’re destined for greatness but they don’t believe it yet. There’s more room for all of us now — no matter our sexuality, race, body size, gender or whatever else.”
Metz’ poise has even helped in her romantic life. She is currently dating cameraman Josh Stancil, who works on This Is Us. The couple went public with their relationship at Entertainment Weekly’s SAG Awards party in L.A. on January 28.
“I hit on him first. I knew he’d never do it first so I stepped right up,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. “[This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman] said to me, ‘Chrissy, as long as he makes you happy, that’s what I care about.’ [Dan] really is a baby angel from heaven.”
Metz previously opened up about Stancil at Vulture’s Awards Season Party at Sunset Tower Hotel in December. “I am very happy. I’ve always had really amazing men in my life, and I’m really grateful for that. I think it just enriches our lives to share our love, so it’s awesome,” she told Us Weekly at the time. “He’s an amazing guy, he’s super supportive and encouraging and that’s all I could ask for.”
