Actress Pittman Shares How Acting Helped Heal Her Trauma and Find Purpose

Last month, acclaimed actresses Reese Witherspoon, Mariska Hargitay, and Pittman sat down to discuss their notable careers at Hello Sunshine's Shine Away event. While the trio are now household names, Witherspoon, 49, was surprised to learn that Pittman, 39, had a very different life before stepping into the spotlight.

Pittman disclosed that she previously worked in finance, a job she described as a "cash grab." However, she soon realized that money was not everything and found a new passion in acting. Pittman shared that her acting roles have been instrumental in helping her reconcile with her past and move forward in a healthy way. "Acting became that for me, a way to manage my hurt and my pain," she explained.

The And Just Like That... alum further elaborated on how acting has been a healing process for her. "You get to a certain place in your work though, and that trauma that woundedness becomes -- it becomes a crippling obstacle to actually doing good work. And so you have to go back in and find another way." Pittman believes her acting journey has led her back to herself in many ways.

In addition to her personal growth, Pittman also feels a responsibility to inspire others, particularly women of color, through her work. "I know that I represent something to women of color when they see me as Mia Jordan or Dawn Edwards or Naya Wallace. So that's also inspiration for me to keep going and that's needed."