>>> SHE LANDED A ROLE ON ONE OF
THE HOTTEST SHOWS ON TV, SCORING
AN EMMY NOD AND A GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATION. AND A GOLDEN GLOBE
NOMINATION.
>> BUT THE ROAD TO HOLLYWOOD STARDOM WASNT ALWAYS SMOOTH FOR
"THIS IS US" STAR CHRISSY METZ.
>> WE SPOKE TO CHRISSY ABOUT
THAT AND HER NEW MEMOIR "THIS IS
ME," LOVING THE PERSON YOU ARE TODAY.OVING THE PERSON YOU ARE
TODAY.
>> THE PICTURE ON THE COVER OF YOUR BOOK ALREADY TELLS A STORY.
THATS A SELFIE YOU TOOK.
>> IT IS A SELFIE, WHICH IS SUCH
A GREAT LITTLE ANECDOTE.
WE DID A PHOTO SHOOT.
I WAS LIKE, WHAT ABOUT THIS
SELFIE?
LITERALLY, FUN TRANSPARENCY, I TOOK IT IN THE BATHROOM.NCY, I
TOOK IT IN THE BATHROOM. GREAT LIGHTING.
GREAT LIGHTING. I THOUGHT, HOW MUCH MORE OF ME
COULD THIS BE IF I TOOK THE
PICTURE OF MYSELF AND NOT
COMPLETELY GLAMMED UP. >> ITS PERFECT.MED UP.
>> ITS PERFECT. BEAUTIFUL.
BEAUTIFUL.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WE KNOW YOU AS THIS VERY
SWEET-NATURED, CHEERFUL HUMAN
BEING EVERY TIME YOU COME BY
HERE, BUT YOU GO INTO SOME REAL DEPTH OF PAIN THAT YOU WENTREAL
DEPTH OF PAIN THAT YOU WENT THROUGH AS A CHILD.
>> YEAH, YEAH.
AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SO IMPORTANT TO BE HONEST BECAUSE
THEN IT OF COURSE ALLOWS OTHER
PEOPLE TO BE HONEST.
>> GIVES THEM PERMISSION.
>> GIVES THEM PERMISSION TO SAY,
YEAH, THIS HAPPENED TO ME TOO.
IVE ALREADY HAD FLOODS OF MESSAGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHO
COULD RELATE TO MY STORY.
VERY DETAILED.
VERY DETAILED. >> THE ONLY THING YOU REALLY
WANT IN LIFE WHEN YOURE
STARTING OUT IS FOR YOUR PARENTS TO LOVE YOU AND RESPECT YOU ANDS
TO LOVE YOU AND RESPECT YOU AND TO LOOK AT YOU WITH HAPPY EYES
ALL THE TIME, AND YOU FOUND
AFTER YOUR FATHER LEFT, YOUR
STEPDAD, YOU SAID WHEN YOU WERE
YOUNGER, DURING THAT TIME IN
YOUR LIFE, LOOKED AT YOU WITH
ALMOST LIKE HE WAS REPULSED OR ANGRY AT YOU OR SOMETHING.D OR
ANGRY AT YOU OR SOMETHING. >> YEAH, AND I DONT KNOW WHAT
IT WAS AND I DONT KNOW WHERE IT
CAME FROM, BUT I KNOW YOU CANT
GIVE FROM AN EMPTY WELL.
THERE WAS SOMETHING GOING ON
WITH HIM.
WITH HIM. BECAUSE I KNEW WHO I WAS AS A
KID.
KID.
I WASNT GOING TO TRY TO BREAK UP THEIR MARRIAGE OR TRY TO BE
THE PROBLEM CHILD.
I WAS TRYING TO DO THE BEST I
COULD AT 11 AND 12 YEARS OLD.
>> HE HIT YOU AND WEIGHED YOU
REPEATEDLY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
JUST EMBARRASSING AND HORRIBLE
THINGS.
THINGS.
>> AND I THINK THAT -- AS CRAZY AS THIS SOUNDS -- WAS TRYING TO
COME FROM A PLACE OF HELPING ME,
BUT IT ACTUALLY HURT ME.
>> OH, DAMAGE.
WEVE OFTEN SAID THIS.
HURT PEOPLE, HURT PEOPLE.
SO THATS WHY ITS EASIER FOR
YOU TO FORGIVE THESE THINGS,
ISNT IT.
ISNT IT. YOU REALIZE THAT SOMEBODY HURT
HIM.
HIM. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN MOVE
PAST THAT IS TO FORGIVE THE
PERSON, THE PERPETRATOR, AND IN
TURN, THATS THE GIFT YOU GIVE
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF.
>> TURNING YOUR LIFE AS A YOUTH, AS A YOUNG PERSON INTO WHAT YOU,
AS A YOUNG PERSON INTO WHAT YOU ARE TODAY, LIKE, TO THINK ABOUT
THAT JOURNEY, HOW DIFFICULT WAS
THE PATH FOR YOU TO WIND UP ON
"THIS IS US"?
>> OH, MY GOODNESS.
WE ALL HAVE OUR JOURNEYS, AND
THEYRE ALL DIFFICULT,
RELATIVELY SPEAKING, BUT THERE
WERE SOME REALLY TRYING TIMES.
IF I SIT AND THINK ABOUT IT AND
REMINISCE, IM LIKE, WOW, I
DONT EVEN KNOW HOW I GOT
THROUGH THAT.
THROUGH THAT.
>> HOW DID YOU? >> WELL, YOU WORKED, DIDNT YOU,
AS AN AGENT FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS.
>> YEAH, NINE YEARS.
SORT OF REALIZED MY JOURNEY
LOOKS DIFFERENT THAN ANYBODY
ELSES, AND I HAD TO TAKE A
DETOUR EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.
THAT HAPPENED TO BE FOR NINE
YEARS.
YEARS.
BUT I GOT TO LEARN SO MUCH ABOUT
MYSELF.
I WAS BEING OF SERVICE.
I WAS ABLE TO GIVE BACK TO THE
PEOPLE THAT WERE DOING WHAT I
LOVE TO DO.
I THOUGHT, OH, LOOK AT ALL THE
AMAZING THINGS I GET TO LEARN
THAT I GET TO NOW TAKE INTO THIS
NEW LIFE I HAVE AS A TV ACTRESS.
>> YOUR OPTIMISM IS CONTAGIOUS,
I HAVE TO TELL YOU.
>> AND HER GRACE.
ITS A BEAUTIFUL THING TO SEE.
NBC NEWS DID REACH OUT TO YOUR
STEPDAD.
HE TOLD US, I LOVE HER LIKE I ALWAYS HAVE.I LOVE HER LIKE I
ALWAYS HAVE.
>> AND HE WROTE YOU A LETTER OF APOLOGY WHERE HE SAID TO YOU,OF
APOLOGY WHERE HE SAID TO YOU, LIKE, YOU HAVE MORE COURAGE THAN
HE COULD HAVE EVER.
>> HOW BEAUTIFUL IS THAT? >> THATS GREAT, SWEETIE.?
>> THATS GREAT, SWEETIE. YOURE GIVING PEOPLE HOPE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> CHRISSYS BOOK IS CALLED
"THIS IS ME."
>> WELL BE BACK WITH MUCH MORE
RIGHT AFTER THIS.