Chrissy Metz on Booking 'This is Us' When She Had 81 Cents in Her Bank Account

Hugely popular NBC drama “This Is Us” has built a devoted (and almost cult-like) following since it premiered in September 2016, and it has been life-changing for star Chrissy Metz.

She was on the verge of being completely broke when she booked the series, with only 81 cents in her bank account, but now that she’s earning a little more dough (to say the least), that hasn’t loosened her purse strings. She said of her first big purchase, “I just bought myself a laptop, guys. Everyone’s like, ‘That’s a writeoff. That’s for work.’ And I’m like, that doesn’t matter, that was a lot of money for me.”

Her character, Kate, is on a weight-loss journey, and Metz says the prospect of slimming down for the job was appealing: “It’s obviously a dream role. And also it’s like, I’m going to be getting healthier in the process? That’s exciting. There’s nothing that’s been mandated, or like a specific number. They’re so respectful of my health and the trajectory of the storyline and the integrity of that.”

Watch to see Metz talk about her recent People mag cover and why she prefers baking to cooking.