Amanda Seyfried Is Having The Time Of Her Life

Amanda Seyfried seems to be everywhere. First, she has two projects premiering this month: Peacock’s eight-episode police thriller Long Bright River and the feature-length psychological drama Seven Veils — and the promotional circuses that accompany those, which have already included singing Joni Mitchell’s “California” while playing the dulcimer on The Tonight Show.

It can all be... a lot. So the Emmy-winning actor has created ways to stay grounded, like standing check-ins with her kids, 7-year-old Nina and 4-year-old Thomas, whom she shares with husband and fellow actor Thomas Sadoski.

This regular video-chat practice is one she shares with her character, Jeanine, in Seven Veils (out March 7). “People need so much out of you, and you have to decide who you want to be and what you want to create,” Seyfried, 39, tells Bustle.

In the film, Jeanine is a theater director who’s tapped to remount a production of Richard Strauss’ chilling 1905 opera Salome, which her late mentor had staged years before. (Filming took place during a real-life staging of the production in 2023.) Through her work, Jeanine confronts personal trauma associated with both her mentor and her father, which the violent biblical tragedy brings to the fore.

The portrait of attempting to balance a creative life is something Seyfried found “incredibly relatable,” she says — although, of course, “there’s so much that I couldn’t relate to.” As Jeanine revisits a dark chapter in her life, her grasp on her personal and professional lives grows increasingly precarious.

Fortunately, Seyfried’s real-life reduxes have been less fraught. “There are some movies where you just need to leave it alone, and Mamma Mia is not one of them,” she says, referring to Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. “You can just keep going with Mamma Mia. We’ll never get sick of hearing ‘Super Trouper.’ I won’t.”

Below, Seyfried opens up about intimacy coordinators, her upcoming adaptation of Freida McFadden’s psychological thriller The Housemaid, and another career path she wouldn’t mind exploring.

Can you tell me about reuniting with your Big Love brother, Douglas Smith, in Seven Veils?

I said, “There’s no chance in hell you’re playing the love interest. I’m so sorry to say, but you understand, right?” He’s like, “No, I get it.” Because he’s like a brother to me. It ended up evolving into him playing [a very charged] role, but I did make [director] Atom [Egoyan] remove a kiss from a scene. He was absolutely fine with that. I was like, “Not important... but there’s no way I can do this.” And then we found the eroticism in the hair, which is so symbolic of Salome and the head. It was a better way in.

That’s so interesting. It helps that there’s this kind of simmering, unspoken thing.

That’s what’s so fun about Atom Egoyan and the worlds he creates. Like, he’s not afraid to go there. If he feels moved by something, he’s going to explore it.

Speaking of the intimacy of the hair, there’s a scene where Jeanine says “Do we really need an intimacy coordinator?” As those conversations continue today, what would you tell someone like Jeanine?

You know, it’s better to have them there than to need them and they’re not around. Everybody has different needs. And when there’s anything sensual or intimate, I think it’s essential. Having lived without them for so long, and having been in many uncomfortable circumstances too many times, I feel like this is a really important way to find common ground to collaborate on, so everybody feels safe and secure.

It was fun watching you play a director. It felt very meta. Is that something you’d be interested in doing?

No, it’s just fun to play. I would love to direct actors, but I wouldn’t love to direct a big event or film or project. It would be fun to be an acting coach — I don’t know if I’d be good at it, but I definitely would enjoy it, because I love talking shop. That would be something I could see myself doing.

I think people would hire you for that.

Maybe! I guess we’ll see. I’ve noticed, like, “I wish I could give an actor a note,” because I have a really good idea — but it’s always when I’m not in the scene. I’m just in video village watching.

It felt realistic watching Jeanine try to FaceTime her family while putting on this production. It’s such an important part of her day. Do you have any practices on set to help you stay connected at home?

Yeah, there’s timing stuff, like around 6, 6:30, I always get a call for dinner, and then around 8:30 in the morning, when [my kids are] on their way to school, we get some time. Those are the times I always try to make myself available. I’m all over the place, you know? We finish a scene, go to the next scene, go to the next location. It’s always unpredictable, so it’s grounding to know where they’re going to be.

I’ve also read that you’re a Bachelor super fan. Have you been keeping up with the franchise lately?

To be honest, I may have gone on Reality Steve today.

Oh, same! What do you think of those spoilers?

I’m actually glad, because I really like her. I hope it works out. I mean, I loved The Golden Bachelor. I think that was the best idea, because these women are not about getting followers. It brought it back to innocence.

And is it correct that you recently wrapped filming on The Housemaid?

We sure did.

What are you excited for viewers to see in that film?

Oh, my God. The wackiest sh*t I’ve ever done. I had some of the most memorable experiences playing Nina. I was having the time of my life, truly. I love Paul Feig, and [Sydney Sweeney] and I play such different characters, but the girl power in this movie is insane. I think fans of the book are going to be wildly happy.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.