(1985-)

Who Is Amanda Seyfried?

Amanda Seyfried broke into acting via soap operas, before making a splash with supporting roles in the hit film Mean Girls and the HBO series Big Love. Her first major lead film role was in Mamma Mia!, co-starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan. Seyfried went on to appear in the Oscar-nominated Les Misérables and earned critical acclaim for starring in Lovelace.

Early Life

Seyfried was born on December 3, 1985, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Her father, Jack, worked as a pharmacist, and her mother, Ann, was an occupational therapist. Seyfried grew up in a close-knit family: "My older sister, Jenn, is like my best friend," she has said. "My parents are still together. They were amazing parents."

Seyfried started modeling at age 11 and appeared on the covers of three Francine Pascal books. By the next year, Seyfried was modeling for the retail company The Limited Too with future Gossip Girl actress Leighton Meester.

From an early age, Seyfried suffered from anxiety attacks. She claimed these were assets: "That kind of anxiety in me, that obsession, was helpful," she told Allure. "I use it in my acting. It's something I don't want to give up feeling, because it gives me an edge."

Seyfried studied opera with a voice coach during her teen years. On the acting front, her first contract role came at age 15, playing Lucinda Marie “Lucy” Montgomery on the soap opera As the World Turns (2000). She next appeared as Joni Stafford on another soap opera, All My Children (2002).

Her acting commitments meant she missed a lot of classes at William Allen High School in Allentown, Pennsylvania, though she still managed to graduate in 2003. She secured a place at Fordham University in New York City, before a career-changing role in a teen flick changed her plans.

Movies & TV Shows

'Mean Girls'

Seyfried’s big break came playing Karen Smith, a ditzy popular blonde, in the hit film Mean Girls (2004), written by Saturday Night Live alum Tina Fey. After appearing with co-stars Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams, Seyfried later said, "Oh, thank God for Mean Girls! That put me on the map!"

'Big Love'

Seyfried acted in several supporting TV and film roles over the next two years, such as in Nine Lives (2005), American Guns (2005), Alpha Dog (2006) and Veronica Mars (2004-06). Her next prominent role came in 2006 with the HBO drama series Big Love, in which she played one of the daughters of a polygamous Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints family alongside Bill Paxton, Chloe Sevigny and Jeanne Tripplehorn. Seyfried stayed on the show for four seasons before leaving to focus on her film career.

'Mamma Mia!' Movies

A lead role in the ABBA-based musical film Mamma Mia! (2008) lifted Seyfried to A-list status. Co-starring with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth, Seyfried played Sophie, a girl looking to find out the identity of her father before getting married, and also sang one of the lead songs, "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)," on the film’s album. A smash hit, Mamma Mia! grossed over $600 million globally. Seyfriend repressed her role in 2018's Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

'Jennifer's Body,' 'Chloe'

Seyfried appeared in several more films over the next year, including Jennifer’s Body (2008), Boogie Woogie (2009) and Chloe (2009). She was set in 2009 to play the lead role in Sucker Punch, but withdrew due to scheduling conflicts with Big Love.

'Dear John,' 'Letters to Juliet'

2010 and 2011 were also busy years for the actress. She took lead roles in films that did not garner critical acclaim but did produce decent box-office results, such as Dear John (2010), Letters to Juliet (2010), Red Riding Hood (2011) and In Time (2011).

'Les Miserables,' 'Lovelace'

In early 2012, Seyfried appeared in the thriller Gone and played Cosette in the Oscar-nominated film adaptation of Les Misérables. Seyfried's 2013 projects included voicing the role of M.K. in the animated movie Epic, as well as appearing in the drama The End of Love and the biopic Lovelace, in which she portrayed adult film star Linda Lovelace to critical acclaim. In 2015, she appeared in the comedy Ted 2 and Pan, in which she played Peter Pan's mother.

'First Reformed,' 'The Art of Racing in the Rain'

Seyfried went on to roles in The Last Word (2017), First Reformed (2017) and Gringo (2018). She then featured prominently in the 2019 family film The Art of Racing in the Rain, alongside Milo Ventimiglia, before voicing the character of Daphne for the 2020 Scooby-Doo reboot, Scoob!

'Mank'

Seyfriend received several award nominations for her role as actress Marion Davies in the 2020 movie Mank, including the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Personal Life

In 2016, Seyfried began dating actor Thomas Sadoski, her co-star in The Last Word (2017). The couple married in March 2017 and later that same month, Seyfried gave birth to their first child, a daughter. The couple welcomed their son in fall 2020.

Previously, she was romantically linked to fellow actors Dominic Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Josh Hartnett and Alexander Skarsgard.

Seyfried’s hobby of taxidermy also sets her apart from other Hollywood starlets. "When taxidermy is done well it’s an amazing piece of art," she told British talk show host Jonathan Ross. "I love animals and they’re very easy to look after when they’re dead."

QUICK FACTS

  • Birth Year: 1985
  • Birth date: December 3, 1985
  • Birth State: Pennsylvania
  • Birth City: Allentown
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Female
  • Best Known For: Amanda Seyfried is an American actress best known for her roles in 'Mean Girls' and 'Mamma Mia!'
  • Industries
    • Television
    • Film
  • Astrological Sign: Sagittarius
  • Schools
    • William Allen High School

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CITATION INFORMATION

  • Article Title: Amanda Seyfried Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/amanda-seyfried
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: May 14, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

QUOTES

  • That kind of anxiety in me, that obsession, was helpful. I use it in my acting. It's something I don't want to give up feeling, because it gives me an edge.