Podcast Summary: Call It What It Is – “Call It Sex, Socialites, and Hunting Wives with Chrissy Metz”

Podcast: Call It What It Is, iHeartPodcasts
Hosts: Jessica Capshaw & Camilla Luddington
Guest: Chrissy Metz
Date: August 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This lively episode welcomes Emmy-nominated actress, singer, and author Chrissy Metz to the “Call It Crew.” Chrissy comes on to discuss her role in Netflix’s breakout summer series The Hunting Wives, and to open up about her creative journey, body image, new ventures in music, reality TV rumors, and plenty of hilarious, relatable talk about anxiety, tornadoes, and secret college societies. The episode’s tone is warm, irreverent, and open-hearted, with Capshaw and Luddington’s real-life friendship setting the stage for honest conversation, belly laughs, and a glimpse into the wild run of modern female friendship.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Meet Chrissy Metz: Triple Threat & Woman of the Hour (02:31–04:14)

• Introduction: Jessica and Camilla hype up Chrissy as an “actor, singer, and now children’s album creator.”
• Chrissy’s new children’s album, “Big Feelings,” gets a shoutout.
• Camilla shares excitement about digging into “all the things” with Chrissy—emotional eating, body image, faith, and more.

On “The Hunting Wives” – Netflix’s Summer Sensation (04:14–21:17)

Beginnings and What Makes It a Hit

• Everyone acknowledges The Hunting Wives as “the runaway hit of the summer” (03:18).
• Chrissy describes the show as “a little engine that could” – it almost landed elsewhere, then exploded in popularity after its release on Netflix (12:14).
• The cast of powerhouses is celebrated, especially the impressive group of women: “These are beautiful women… and so many people are offended because they’re like, ‘Why does it have to be so much sex?’” (13:13 – Chrissy Metz)

Reactions to the Show's Content

• Discussion on the show’s boldness: “Half speed. Like, you know, these are beautiful women… And then so many people are offended because they’re like, why does it have to be so much sex?” (13:13 – Chrissy Metz)
• Chrissy checks the comments out of curiosity, but no longer lets them affect her: “Now I’m like, I can’t attach to the good or the bad.” (13:36)
• Reality TV rumors: Chrissy discusses the possibility of a real-life Hunting Wives show, comparing it to Real Housewives but “even wilder.” (14:17–15:01)

Inside the Characters & On-Set Stories

• Playing Star: Metz shares how her character, Star, was crafted as an outsider—a feeling she related to personally from her own life. “I know what it’s like to feel like the outcast or like I’m not in the pretty girl group” (19:02–19:55).
• Chrissy reveals a behind-the-scenes story: her attempt at an authentic East Texas bob haircut for the role was vetoed after three scenes because it was “too sad.” (17:19–18:42)
• The experience of switching between loving cast friendships and playing outsider roles is “such a weird thing when you’re shooting.” (18:31–19:10)

Star’s Arc and Season 2 Speculation

• Chrissy relishes the opportunity for her character to stand up for herself: “Rarely do we see that woman get to avenge or actually speak her mind… I love that she actually confronts Jill.” (19:55)
• The infamous shotgun scene: “My boyfriend… when it caught the shotgun, he goes, OK.” (24:54–25:04)
• On fan reactions: “People are shouting at the air. They’re like, justice for Star. I was like, you’re right. Justice for Abby.” (24:15–24:50)
• Hints about the plot’s unresolved mysteries and fan conspiracy theories are dropped (26:16–26:41).
• Is there going to be a season 2? “I think so… Listen, if there’s money around…” (26:47–27:04)

Reflections on Art, Controversy, and Relatability (27:16–31:12)

• The show’s “controversial” nature is debated: while some find it shocking, others say, “Yeah, that’s my life.” (27:31–27:44)
• On what makes the series stick: “There’s something in it for everyone, whether you’re in line with the beliefs or not.” (27:45–28:09)
• Chrissy on empathy for flawed characters: “Why these people have become this way… your stuff shouldn’t be someone else’s stuff, but you can also understand.” (29:44–30:09)
• Jessica and LeAnn Rimes’ texts about the show’s wild moments—“Turns into like a maelstrom… what the episode six…” (31:19–31:23)
• Fun, shocked reactions to the show’s “sex scene innovations”: “After that scene I literally… was like, what just happened? What was that move?” (32:10–32:21)

Career Transitions & Personal Growth (33:04–40:22)

• The Hunting Wives blowing up on Netflix came as a surprise even to the cast: “To cut through 400, 500 shows on Netflix? Get out of here.” (33:04–33:46)
• On shifting from This Is Us fame to a new chapter: “It hasn’t calibrated yet for me… this time it was ‘you’re Star’… it means so much to me and so many people.” (34:38–35:32)
• Chrissy admits to post-show insecurity: “Am I gonna ever have a job again?... Am I going to be a one note actress?” (19:41–20:07; 36:13–37:58)
• Both Capshaw and Metz discuss how their real comedic instincts haven’t always been at the forefront of their best-known roles: “I was the entertaining class clown growing up… then I’m not sure how I got to be the woman who cries a lot. And I don’t mind, it’s cathartic for me, and I have a lot of issues, so it’s good.” (36:33–37:08)

The Current State of TV & Acting Industry (38:09–39:55)

• Market contraction after the strike: “Now it’s 5,000 actors and 10 pilots. Cool.” (38:09–38:19)
• “There’s less opportunity,” Metz says about industry changes, and discusses moving out of LA for work. (38:52–39:23)

Chrissy Metz on Songwriting & Music (40:22–41:41)

• Chrissy’s music journey began in childhood, joining choir as a way to be included: “I was like, oh, I love to sing… music was so healing for me.” (40:40–41:41)
• Her new children’s album, “Big Feelings,” is available on all major streaming platforms.

Hilarious Brainstorm: Rush Coaches & Secret Societies (44:33–49:52)

• Jessica and Camilla “pitch” Chrissy on a comedic movie about ultra-competitive sorority rush coaches and Southern college secret societies.
• Chrissy enthusiastically joins in, offering insights into real-life “underground college governments.”
• Standout moments of absurdity and comedy as the three riff on southern culture, sororities, and conspiracies.
• “What if we’re aliens in the future trying to connect with ourselves?” (47:34–47:43 – Chrissy Metz)

Close: The Magic of Friendship & Genuine Connection (50:01–52:27)

• The hosts and Chrissy agree that the best thing to come out of these projects is genuine new friendships: “I love it when you get a friend out of a job. This is amazing. We’re friends.” (50:01–50:08 – Jessica Capshaw)
• Final praise and love for Chrissy and her work: “The phone should be ringing off the hook for her, always.” (51:08 – Camille Ludington)
• Jessica reflects on how meeting Chrissy exceeded all expectations and underscores the difference between public persona and getting to know the real person (51:19–52:11).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the show’s boldness:
  “Some people are like, I fast forward to all this stuff… And I’m like, great. There’s something for everyone.”
  — Chrissy Metz (12:36)

• On navigating reactions:
  “I can’t attach to the good or the bad. It just. It’s their opinion and I hope it’s good. And if it’s not, okay.”
  — Chrissy Metz (13:36)

• On personal resonance with her character:
  “My mom was a single mom in the South… being a plus size girl, being… just a plus size person all my life – I know what it’s like to feel like the outcast or like I’m not in the pretty girl group.”
  — Chrissy Metz (19:00)

• On handling fame and fan reactions:
  “It hasn’t even calibrated yet for me… this time it was you’re Star Jackson. And I’m like, oh yes! …That role obviously changed my life completely, and it still means so much to me—and so many people.”
  — Chrissy Metz (34:48–35:32)

• On post-hit career anxiety:
  “I come from the world of like, please, am I gonna ever have a job again?...”
  — Chrissy Metz (19:41)

• On the acting industry now:
  “Now it’s 5,000 actors and 10 pilots. Cool.”
  — Chrissy Metz (38:19)

• On music’s personal meaning:
  “Music has always been in our lives… But it wasn’t really until choir that I was like, oh, I love to sing… music was so healing for me.”
  — Chrissy Metz (41:36–41:41)

• On conspiracy theories and college secret societies:
  “Supposedly… every [campus] has a representative from each fraternity and sorority, and they come together… they’re the underground government of these schools.”
  — Chrissy Metz (46:33–47:13)

• On female friendship and creative collaboration:
  “I love it when you get a friend out of a job. This is amazing. We’re friends.”
  — Jessica Capshaw (50:01–50:08)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:31 — Chrissy Metz’s introduction & career highlights
• 04:14–13:58 — Discussion about The Hunting Wives and reactions to its explosive popularity
• 15:01–19:10 — Inside the show's cast, filming stories, and playing outsider roles
• 24:15–27:04 — Star’s big moments, fan reactions, hints of Season 2
• 27:31–31:12 — The show’s controversial themes and character empathy
• 33:04–35:32 — Blowing up on Netflix & navigating fame after This Is Us
• 36:13–40:22 — Real talk on shifting careers in Hollywood
• 40:22–41:41 — Chrissy’s music background and “Big Feelings”
• 44:33–49:52 — Pitching a “Rush Coach” comedy and college conspiracies
• 50:01–52:27 — Reflections on friendship and connecting beyond the screen

Tone & Atmosphere

Casual, hilarious, candid, and heartfelt. The conversation balances vulnerability (body image, self-worth, anxieties), pop culture gossip, and genuine celebration of female accomplishment and kinship. Fans of Grey’s Anatomy, This Is Us, and The Hunting Wives will feel right at home.

Summary Takeaway

The episode is a ride through Chrissy Metz’s multi-hyphenate talents and the phenomenon of The Hunting Wives, but its real value is in the warm camaraderie and honest talk about what happens after a hit show, how to find yourself in new roles and creative pursuits, and the importance (and hilarity) of showing up for your friends—onscreen and off.