Mandy Moore is on another level these days.
Not only is she one of the main characters in NBC's award-winning show This Is Us, she's also recently got engaged to musician Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, and she's feeling bolder and more confident than ever.
But don't be mistaken! She had to go through some slumps to get here...Divorce being one of them.
As you may recall, the actress split from her husband of six years, Ryan Adams, in 2015, and though she struggled, she ultimately came out of it a stronger woman.
She covers the latest issue of Cosmopolitan magazine—which E! News is the first to break—and opens up about the newfound level of confidence she's gained.
"It's a combination of getting older and wiser and going through the hard knocks of a divorce," she said. "You realize, I'm not going to take anyone's s--t."
She continued, "It's emboldened me. There's power in saying no and in asking for what you deserve. There is power in knowing your value...I know myself better now. I know what I want and what I deserve."
That's the confidence she's carrying with her in the current climate of Hollywood and the movement toward women's rights and equality. It's also the confidence she hopes to encourage in other women as well.
"We're having a real cultural reckoning—one that's definitely past due," she told the publication. "Men have been using their positions of power to take advantage of women, and it's so prevalent…I can only hope that what's happening encourages more women [to speak out] and it serves to put women in more powerful positions across the spectrum and in entertainment specifically…as studio heads, directors, writers, and producers. I think it's going to help women ascend to the top faster."
Speaking of ascending, Moore has certainly taken her career to the next level, too. In fact, she knew from the start that This Is Us was going to be a major move for her.
"Before I got the part, I was making massive changes in my personal life and was looking to echo that in my work," she said. "I was waiting for something different that would allow me to dig deep. I knew I was capable, but I couldn't get any momentum, and I had just been crushed by three failed pilot seasons."
Cue NBC!
"When I read the script for This Is Us, I told my agent, 'I will do absolutely anything to be a part of this,'" she recalled.
Now, she couldn't imagine being with anyone other than her awesome co-stars. When asked to describe them all in one word, she couldn't help but gush about each and every one of them.
"Milo Ventimiglia: Boundless (+ just the greatest in every way)," she began. "Chrissy Metz: Spectacular (one of the funniest / crazy talented), Sterling K. Brown: Majestic (brilliant doesn't even cover it) and Justin Hartley: Magnificent (+ tall + utterly handsome)."
Read her full interview with Cosmopolitan magazine here.