On the NBC hit This Is Us, Chrissy Metz has an amazing bond with her TV dad, played by Milo Ventimiglia .

In real life, though, Metzs relationship with her father is far from perfect. While speaking to ETs Kevin Frazier earlier this week, the 36-year-old actress said her dad hasnt been a part of her life since she was 8, though hes recently reached out.

When my parents got divorced, we didnt have a relationship and there was a lot of resentment, if Im honest, she told Fraizer. Now, he comes on the scene and hes like, Oh, congratulations! And my mom is kind of like, Oh, now he wants to show up?

That said, Metz said shes trying to give a second chance to her dad, who was in the Navy during her youth.

We never know peoples full [stories] and I dont obviously know everything that he was going through, Metz said. And now, while I dont have a relationship with him, as a human being, I have empathy for him because theres a reason why he did what he did.

Her rocky relationship isnt the only hardship Metz has opened up about recently. Earlier this month, the actress told Glamour magazine that before she landed the role of Kate, she was flat-out broke.

When I booked This Is Us, I had 81 cents in my bank account, she said. I could cry right now just thinking about it.

Getting the role of Kate changed everything.

Now when women come up to Metz and tell her how her portrayal of Kate has changed their lives, it makes all the struggle, all the ramen noodles, all the times when I couldnt pay my bills, all the times where I was like, I cant do this, worth it.

So worth it.

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