HBOThe Year of Amy Schumer just keeps getting better…
She's already seen a successful film with Trainwreck, snagged an Emmy Award for her work on Inside Amy Schumer and become everyone's favorite comedienne, but today the 34-year-old is showing a different, more emotional side of herself when talking about another very important role in her life: being the face of empowerment for women.
Schumer sat down with Maria Shriver on the Today show Friday to explain how she learned to fight body image issues in Hollywood and how she hopes to teach other women to do the same.
"It's an emotional thing," she reveals. "It's been a struggle for me my whole life, and especially just being in the entertainment industry. Standing on a stage in front of people, I can't perform my best or be confident if I'm not sure — if I'm pulling at something [I'm wearing]. And sometimes I would just want to throw in the towel and be like, 'I'm not gonna go do standup tonight.'"
Schumer admits she's just one of those people who's missing "that chip" where she knows how to dress. However, that all changed when she met stylist Leesa Evans on the set of Trainwreck.
"My sister and I, we both have always dressed badly," Schumer explained. "Leesa had given me this gift of showing me how to dress and feel good. And she didn't have to do this, she just did. She shopped for my sister also, and seeing my little sister wearing a little blazer and a shirt and looking just like a strong, beautiful woman, it was…to see this person I care the most about being given those tools was really moving for me."
At this point, the actress couldn't prevent the tears from welling up in her eyes—an overwhelming sense of happiness she hopes to share with all women.
"It was such a gift to be given to learn how to dress, to feel good about myself, and that's the gift we want to give to everyone, everywhere."
Thus, she's teamed up with Goodwill of Southern California to co-host a style empowerment workshop to educate, inspire and transform women through fashion.
She will also be releasing an HBO special—Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo—in which she hopes to open women's eyes to the reality of Hollywood in which these crazy body standards aren't exactly what they seem.
"I'm coming out, like, 'OK here's what's going on: no one's just naturally thin. Everyone's starving,'" she jokes. But in all seriousness she hopes to just "make everybody laugh and feel better," which she says is her ultimate "goal across the board with everything."
Schumer's HBO special will air Saturday, Oct. 17. Check out a sneak peek below!