Amanda Seyfried Doesn't Take Herself Too Seriously

Photography CAMERON MCCOOL

Styled by ELIZABETH STEWART

"We probably shouldn’t hug," is the first thing Amanda Seyfried says when we meet at an Upper West Side diner in late December. “My son threw up all over me.” The incident happened a few days prior, and Seyfried, in mom mode, is worried about spreading germs. She hasn’t had an appetite lately but decides to order a bowl of chicken noodle soup the size of her head. Two waiters buzz around us like hummingbirds, and I can’t tell if they recognize the 39-year-old Oscar-nominated actress or are just being hypervigilant. Fortunately, the soup quickly works its magic. “I can’t believe I ate that like a normal person,” Seyfried says. 

Despite starting her career at 15 and all of her subsequent success, Seyfried hasn’t been hardened by this business of show. She is a Swiss Army Knife of talent—she’s got pipes to sing (as evidenced in Mamma Mia! and Les Misérables) and has acting chops galore. She’s been nominated for an Oscar (Mank), and won a Golden Globe for her performance as Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout. Her most recent project, a limited television series for Peacock, is an adaptation of the bestselling novel Long Bright River by Liz Moore. Seyfried plays a cop (Mickey Fitzpatrick) whose sister is in the throes of addiction. 

L’OFFICIEL: Let’s start with your newest project, Long Bright River. 

AMANDA SEYFRIED: I think Liz Moore’s intention for this show is for us to learn about people in Kensington [a neighborhood of Philadelphia, where the book is based]. It's not just a TV thriller; it's about what sex workers and addicts go through. It is about humanity and empathy. It also features police corruption, and then, of course, there's a tie-in with this cop who is missing her sister, who is a severe addict. When you go to Kensington, you see a place where people struggle. Sitting in the back of a car driving through for the first time was eye-opening. It was quite a world to jump into. I feel so glad to have learned more about it. I never knew about harm reduction programs. There are so many blind spots in my life as a 39-year-old. This is why I love acting; I can take jobs and grow from them.

L’O: And you get to play a cop—a first! 

AS: It has been my dream to play a cop because my best friend [Jennifer Carpenter] always plays a cop or an agent. [Carpenter played a homicide detective in Dexter.] I got some good tips from her. 

L’O: The topic of addiction and family is very close to Liz personally. Was that hard to convey?  

AS: This book didn't come out of nowhere. She has deep feelings and respect for this place where people can find themselves. It’s about the opioid epidemic and how, at some point, you can get lost along the way. And everybody’s story is different. The founder of the Savage Sisters recovery program came to the set for a couple of days to consult. She's a survivor. She's saving a lot of people. Nobody is worthless.

L’O: Have you had to deal with addiction within your own family? 

AS: I lost my uncle. It's the story of finally getting clean and then [having] that one dose. It's awful. For my grandmother, it was horrible. You never know when it's going to be the end. It's a fucking disease. Everybody has a chance to survive, but society doesn't give them a lot of allowances or space to do that. That’s another reason this show will get across. We’ve got to be more creative and have less fear and judgment, even when talking to people who aren't politically in line with you. If you want to hear each other, you must listen. It makes a big difference. Fear begets judgment.

L’O: Not to get too political, but it seems we’re in for more fearmongering in the years ahead. 

AS: I choose to... compartmentalize. Because of all the things that are just not fair; criminals shouldn't run the country. Sexual abusers shouldn't run the country. Those are things that I believe wholeheartedly to my fucking core. I don't like to feel disrespected as a human being. I don't know if this is even healthy, but I wanted to not project my fears for once when it came to that. I project my fears everywhere else, like when my son throws up. 

L’O: You’ve got a farm in upstate New York. Being in nature is healing, so that must be helpful. 

AS: This city is fantastic, but I don't want to live here full-time. I want to, you know, survive mentally and emotionally. Upstate, we have six big horses, 20 hens, goats, and a donkey. Goats are the best. I have a lizard, too. He got X-rayed today because we were like, He hasn’t pooped in two months’ But he was hibernating. My dog, Finn, is 15 now. I wake up every morning and wonder if he is still alive. He’s not coming to work with me anymore. I’m currently shooting The Housemaid with Sydney Sweeney and asked her, ‘Do you have a dog to bring to set?’ Thank God she does. 

L’O: Are you excited to work with [director] Paul Feig on The Housemaid? 

AS: Yes, I have been wanting to work with him for years. Bridesmaids is in my top 10 all-time favorite films.

L’O: Who else do you want to work with? 

AS: I’m obsessed with Ruben Östlund. I loved The Square and Force Majeure. I was desperate to be in his new movie The Entertainment System is Down. It’s with Kirsten Dunst and Daniel Brühl. That sounds like the funniest movie of all time. 

L’O: You were so young when you started in this business. How did you stay the course? 

AS: I never got uber-famous. I didn’t have [social media] growing up. I remember the first time I got an Instagram account, I was 25. Plus, I’ve always had the same friends. I never took myself too seriously. Taking yourself too seriously, for me, ties into having expectations. And very early on in life, I discovered that having expectations leads to disappointment. 

I’ve been acting since I was 15. When I didn’t get a job, I was devastated. So, I never believed that I would get the job; I just hoped I would. And when I did, it was great! Mamma Mia! was huge for me. When I auditioned for Mean Girls, I didn’t know what it was. I was 17 and was just happy to have a speaking role. Having low expectations is not the healthiest way to live in the world, but it has helped. Also, my parents have always been very supportive of my sister and me. And that goes a long way. And then of course having the place upstate. 

L’O: Of course, it’s your sanctuary. 

AS: I have a little stone house and a lot of land. I built my dream kitchen. It took a year but it’s finally finished. You have to pull the trigger [on house renovations]; otherwise, you’ll never do it. There’s no time like the present because you could be dead next week. Wow, that’s so dark. [Laughs.]

"I never got uber-famous. I didn’t have [social media] growing up. I remember the first time I got an Instagram account, I was 25. Plus, I’ve always had the same friends. I never took myself too seriously."

L’O: I want to build a She Shed, like a little writing studio. 

AS: Barn Raiser in Amish Country. I bought one for the goats. It’s so cool. They insulate it, and there could be windows wherever you want.

L’O: You recently launched Make It Cute, a business that creates sustainable children’s playhouses—how’s that going? 

AS: If you open the back window, you can fit half your body and make that your She Shed! [Laughs.] It’s the little company that could, and it’s finally getting traction. We’ve been attending these events and meeting other makers, all women. They’re fucking inspiring rooms to be in, and it’s supposed to inspire, but it can frustrate me. Is it all in who you know? Is it all about how much money and capital you initially have? I didn’t go to school for this. I didn’t go to school for anything. 

L’O: You were working, and that is an education in itself. 

AS: True. I couldn’t attend my first class [at Fordham University] because I was working [on Mean Girls]. I’ve had a life education for sure. And a love education, too. A lot of love in there. [Laughs.] 

"Is it all in who you know? Is it all about how much money and capital you initially have? I didn’t go to school for this. I didn’t go to school for anything."

L’O: As someone focused on sustainability, what’s your approach to fashion? 

AS: I love sweaters. I love The Elder Statesman. I love The Row. I think they’re amazing. I won’t buy them because I can’t. 

L’O: There are always sample sales! 

AS: But then I would have to go somewhere! [Laughs.] You know what else I love is old jeans. You can’t buy new anymore because it’s so bad for the environment. When I buy denim, it’s from Reformation, and I send it straight back if it doesn’t fit. I just took everything back [from her house in LA, which she calls “a giant storage unit”]. I love Givenchy blazers. I have a Stella McCartney suit I bought when I was 21. Nicholas Kirkwood crushed velvet boots. I never even looked at them. What was that kind of privilege? 

L’O: Your career is intertwined with fashion. How was your time working as a face of Givenchy?

AS: I love Riccardo Tisci and Clare Waight Keller. I wore Riccardo a lot. Then, I did four years of fragrance, which was hard. I wasn’t really into perfumes at the time. And I don’t want to be inauthentic about it. 

L’O: You just left the waiter a $50 tip. That’s pretty authentic. 

AS: I brought cash today! 

HAIR: Renato Campora MAKEUP: Genevieve Herr MANICURE: Jolene Brodeur

CREATIVE CONSULTANT: Mariana Suplicy PHOTO ASSISTANT: Coop Alexander STYLING ASSISTANTS: Jordan Grossman & Jamie Spradley