Chrissy Metz’s transformation in photos: from ‘invisible’ schoolgirl to Hollywood star
The This Is Us actress has had a difficult journey to get where she is today
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Hannah HargraveUS Deputy Editor
5 hours agoAug 12, 2026, 1:56 PM GMT+1
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Long before Chrissy Metzbecame a household name, she was an ordinary schoolgirl living in Gainesville, Florida, where she was navigating a world that often made her feel invisible
In her own admission, Chrissy, confessed her childhood was far from easy as she endured “mental, physical, emotional abuse” about her weight from an early age, especially from her stepfather.
But despite her hardships over the years; from surviving being “broke” to extreme weight gain, divorce and depression, Chrissy persevered to become an inspiration to all.
Refusing to give up on her dreams of becoming a star, she learned to love herself. Here’s her transformation and life in photos.
School photo
Chrissy celebrated National School Picture Day with a sweet snap of herself as a blue-eyed school girl.
She previously said she was naturally heavier as a young child and was enrolled in Weight Watchers when she was just 11.
A complicated childhood
Chrissy has spoken about feeling isolated and sad as a child. When her father left, her mom raised her and her siblings and they sometimes couldn’t afford food or electricity.
When her mom remarried, her stepfather was emotionally and physically abusive to Chrissy. But her mother was largely unaware of the situation as she was working so hard to make ends meet
Her relationship with her mom
Despite the hardships from her childhood, in later years, Chrissy expressed affection and gratitude for her mom’s sacrifices, saying she was a tough cookie with a heart of gold.
Bangs and brows
Chrissy shared a throwback image of herself as a teen and making a playful joke about her hair.
In the snap shared on Instagram, she wrote: “That Florida humidity #tbt playing with my bangs and my emotions! And those brows!And that paint splattered background! When we know better, we do better.” She added a laughing face emoji.
© NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via
Early roles
Chrissy starred in the fourth season of My Name is Earl in 2008, when she played a high school cheerleader. But these small roles were far and few between and weren’t paying the bills
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Gaining 100lbs
Chrissy struggled through her twenties working mostly as an agent rather than the actress she wanted to be.
She became depressed and gained 100lbs. When she had a panic attack on her 30th birthday it was a wake up call.
Chrissy lost the weight she gained over the next five months and “got into self-help and spirituality.”
© NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via
This Is Us
Landing the role of Kate Pearson in This Is Uswas a major career move for Chrissy. She said she only had 81 cents in her bank account when the job offer came through
Chrissy embraced the groundbreaking story with real human emotion and weight struggles at the core and quickly became and adored household name.
© Getty Images
Saying yes to GP1
Chrissy has been candid about her lengthy weight journey, which was even used as a plot line in the ABC drama
After years of trying different approaches to weight loss and showing skeptism over GLP-1s, she has finally tried them and has zero regrets.
Chrissy is now an ambassador for Ro and explained to People: “I’m in perimenopause, and there were obesity issues within my family and with my father, and I felt like I’ve tried so many modalities, whether it was diets or therapy, and none of it really worked for me.”
Losing weight and adding muscle
Chrissy said of her decision to use weight loss jabs: “I know it’s not a magic wand, and I need to change other things, so I’ve been working with a trainer, and I’m lifting and putting on muscle and and it’s really about how comfortable I am, and learning what I’m capable of, so I really try not to have a number.
“I just want to feel strong and not have my morning ruined because I stepped on a scale and I’m several pounds above what I think I should be.”
