‘This Is Us’ star Chrissy Metz defends co-star Chris Sullivan’s prosthetic suit
This is an odd world we live in where some people are criticized for their weight, and then others are criticized for not having enough weight. Basically, all of this just goes to show that there are some people out there who are impossible to make happy, so you just have to focus on yourself and tune out some of the noise.
The latest story today comes from the world of “This Is Us,” as Chrissy Metz has been on a bit of promotional tour as of late promoting her role on the NBC show. This took her to “Watch What Happens Live!” earlier this week, where a viewer put her on the spot on the subject of her co-star Chris Sullivan’s weight. Specifically, he was criticized for having to wear prosthetics for the role to make him appear far heavier than he really is in life. Metz does a great job here of understanding where the commenter is coming from, but then giving her a nice dose of reality and truth when it comes to the acting world:
“I appreciate your opinion — everyone has one and that’s great. We tested a lot of gentlemen who were bigger, and I get it that a lot of people think that authenticity is ruined by [Sullivan being lighter]. But, Chris has been heavier, so he understands the plight of being overweight. And he’s the best man for the job. People wear prosthetics all the time — [here it’s just] weight as opposed to a nose or a chin.”
Being the “best person for the job” is something that we always advocate for when it comes to casting, which is why we think projects are best when they don’t limit their options to a given type. A great example of that is the current search for the next star of “Doctor Who” — it would be wrong for producers to look at only white men for the role; if a white man turns out to be the best person for the part that’s fine, but there should be some other candidates, whether it be of a different gender or race, that should be considered. The biggest thing for Sullivan is that he brings a great deal of life and heart to the character of Toby.
There are more new episodes of “This Is Us” coming your way on NBC Tuesday nights, so we’re certainly interested in learning more about what’s coming for Kate and Toby. Want to read up further? Then be sure to head over to the link here now! (Photo: NBC.)