'This Is Us' star embraces being 'the different one'

This Is Us's Chrissy Metz happily accepts the responsibility of representing people who feel different.

Her character, Kate, who struggles with her diet, gingerly steps on the bathroom scale and attends group meetings that focus on weight issues, receives a welcome surprise — a potential love interest — in the first episode of the much talked-about NBC dramedy.

"First off, I feel incredibly lucky, I don’t know many plus-size women who are starring in a television show that is going to be seen by so many people who are affected by being overweight; or even if they are different in some capacity, whether it’s their status or their race or whatever," she said Tuesday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour. "Anyone that feels discrimination can really relate to the character."

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Metz embraces her character, who has a close relationship with her brother, Kevin (Justin Hartley).

"I feel so lucky that I get to be, you know, the different one. But I’ve been different all my life. So I’m like, 'Yay, I get to be me, but not me,' " she said. "I’m not exactly like Kate, but I’m a lot like Kate. So I’ve already had people reaching out to me, like, 'Oh, my God,' like, the fact that they are addressing, you know, being plus-size or being overweight and still being attractive and still sort of finding yourself through the story. Women, men have reached out to me. So it’s a sense of responsibility, and I’m really grateful for that because, I mean, I hope to bring hope.”

She noted trepidation with one scene where she's clad only in her underwear.

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Castmate Milo Ventimiglia, whose bare behind has been seen by millions in the show's Facebook and YouTube trailer, countered.

"I didn't even have the luxury" of underwear, he said.

Metz responded: "If I had a butt like yours, I wouldn't wear underwear."

This Is Us premieres Sept. 20.