Amanda Seyfried talks Mamma Mia 3, her religious new role, and why she doesn’t envy “spotlight” on Sydney Sweeney

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Amanda Seyfried, originally from Pennsylvania, started her film career with a memorable role in 2004’s Mean Girls. Since then, she’s appeared in a wide range of movies, including the musical Mamma Mia!, the biopic Lovelace, and Mank, which earned her an Academy Award nomination.

She’s known for her roles on television, including David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return. She also received an Emmy and a Golden Globe award for portraying Elizabeth Holmes, the former CEO of a disgraced company, in The Dropout.

Critics are praising her performance in the new film, The Testament of Ann Lee. The movie is a historical musical drama telling the story of Ann Lee, who founded the Shakers religious group in the 1700s.

Your director, Mona Fastvold, chose you to play Ann Lee because she saw you as strong, a great mother, and a bit unconventional. How do you feel about that description?

You know, I really think she gave that ‘mad’ direction as a compliment. It wasn’t about being angry at all! She meant letting go of everything – total freedom. As an actor, your ego can really get in the way, and you have to be able to ditch it. I’m finding that, later in my career, directors are starting to trust me to really commit like that. Take the scene with Ann and the speaking in tongues, for example. How many directors would actually let me react like that? To just freely improvise, and go completely over the top? It was honestly an amazing feeling.

But you’ve also said making the film was “hard as f**k”. How?

Being wet and cold all day on a film set is really unpleasant, though it wasn’t exactly hardship. The emotional toll was significant, as the character experienced a devastating loss – losing all four of her children very young. No one wants to feel that kind of grief. I haven’t personally gone through something like that, and it’s honestly my biggest fear, so I really had to tap into that imagined pain. After filming those scenes, I just needed to take a moment to compose myself.

You brought your husband, Thomas Sadoski, and your children to Budapest while you were filming. Did they enjoy the trip?

The trip was amazing, and the kids had a fantastic time. It was my son’s first time traveling outside of the country – he was born during the pandemic, so we hadn’t been able to before. We visited beautiful palaces and some really unusual spots. We even brought our dog, which was a bit of a challenge, requiring us to pack 80 pounds of frozen dog food! It made me wonder if that was even allowed, and I suddenly panicked about the possibility of getting in trouble for it.

Having a religious fundamentalist as the heroine is quite a bold choice. Are you a person of faith?

I don’t share Ann’s strong religious beliefs, and honestly, not many people did. I was raised in a fairly laid-back United Church of Christ – it wasn’t very exciting, and there wasn’t much in the way of dramatic displays of faith. I stopped going to church a long time ago. These days, I find my spiritual connection through spending time in nature.

With all the recent accolades, like the Golden Globe and Critics Choice nominations, are you staying grounded?

I’m genuinely pleased with how everything turned out. While I don’t do this for awards, positive recognition definitely benefits my work. I was especially happy with the Ann Lee project, and enjoyed reviewing the final product. There are a few minor things I’m not thrilled with – mainly some moments where my accent slips – but overall, I’m proud of the work and stand by it.

This isn’t your first musical, of course. Are you confident there will be a third Mamma Mia!?

Let’s be real, another Mamma Mia! movie is going to happen eventually. I’m just waiting for the announcement! Even if it means Meryl Streep has to appear as a vision, I’m sure she’d be game. Seriously, ABBA wrote enough hits to fuel almost twenty films! If they can keep churning out Fast & Furious sequels, surely we can get a third Mamma Mia! to give us a proper trilogy, right?

You tried out for the part Ariana Grande played in the movie Wicked a total of six times. Have you moved on from that now?

I’ve been doing a lot of interviews and appearances lately, and it’s made me realize things often happen for a reason. While I wasn’t upset about not getting the role, I do wish the decision had been explained to me more clearly. I prefer to be kept informed and feel valued for my work.

The movie’s premise revolved around the striking physical resemblance between us. Although she’s much younger, I’ve fully embraced playing the older character, something I used to worry about. I’ve no regrets about getting older and am completely comfortable with where I am in life now – I don’t long for my 20s or early 30s.

I don’t feel jealous of her situation. It must be difficult dealing with so much public attention and everyone’s expectations. I’ve never experienced that level of scrutiny. But whenever I see Syd, she genuinely seems content. Life is always an emotional balancing act, but hers is particularly challenging. While I face my own struggles, hers are on a completely different scale.

You’re 40 now. Are you looking forward to the next decade?

I’ve noticed a lot of my friends in their 40s seem really happy, and it makes sense. By that age, people generally have a strong sense of self and a clear idea of what they want out of life.

The Testament of Ann Lee is in cinemas now

Authors

Paul Kirkley

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2026-02-23 20:36