This Is Us Star Chrissy Metz to Star in Memoir Adaptation The Impossible

The Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated star of the hit NBC drama This Is Us, actress Chrissy Metz, is set to star in the faith drama The Impossible. Not to be confused with the 2012 Naomi Watts drama about the tsunami in southeast Asia, this film is based on Joyce Smith’s 2017 memoir, titled The Impossible: The Miraculous Story of a Mother’s Faith and Her Child’s Resurrection.

Metz will play Smith, the mother of the 14-year-old boy who fell through the ice of a Missouri lake, according to THR. The boy was rushed to a hospital, where he lay presumably dead for a little over 60 minutes. Joyce was not ready to give up her son, so she sat there and prayed, pleading for her son’s life to return. Soon enough, her son’s heart soon began to beat again. The film will follow Joyce and her journey through prayer resulting in her son’s awakening and complete healing. The film is set to begin production in Winnipeg, Manitoba next month.

Metz first came to prominence in her brief recurring guest role on season four of American Horror Story, titled Freakshow. Her career lunged to superstardom with the success of her show This Is Us, which has gathered not just a massive fan following but also critical and awards praise. Metz is coming off of her second Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Kate Pearson on the drama. The show recently picked up the SAG award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

The actress has also experienced a similar journey of faith and miracles as a struggling actress. In a Hollywood Reporter Drama Actresses’ Roundtable, Metz talked about being on unemployment and keeping her dream alive even when she had only 81 cents in her bank account. Check the video out below at the 2:54 mark to hear what Metz has to say about faith and following dreams.