'This Is Us' star Chrissy Metz stuns in swimsuit and lace lingerie for pinup-inspired shoot

Va-va-voom!

"This Is Us" star Chrissy Metz is a modern-day Marilyn Monroe in a new pinup-inspired photo shoot with Harper's Bazaar. The actress wowed in several bold looks, from a cherry red halter swimsuit to a lacy strapless bustier.

"When I first heard Harper's Bazaar wanted me to be sexy, I was like, 'Who, me?'" she said. "I knew ya'll were edgy but this is incredible -- it's validation."

She had some nervousness about the salacious shoot, but after getting past the jitters, she knew she could rock it: "I can get into this now because I finally have the confidence," she said.

Harper's Bazaar

Metz has spoken openly about her lifelong weight struggle, which is in some ways paralleled through Kate on "This Is Us." And while her journey is ongoing -- she said recently she would love to dive into an intensive weight-loss boot camp -- she's not letting her current size stand in the way of sexiness.

"If you can't love who you are now, you can't get to the place you want to be," she said.

Quickly becoming one of the most beloved actresses in Hollywood, Metz has said she's constantly stopped on the street by fans of the NBC hit series. But for her, it's personal.

"I'm on this journey to inspire people, and to encourage them," she said. "We are all deserving of true happiness, so it's much more than just acting. It's like, forget you're on this amazing television show, you're changing lives and opening discussion."

See photos from the first season of "This Is Us":