Amanda Seyfried Reveals the Acting Performance That Changed Her
Amanda Seyfried opens up about the one acting performance that set the bar for her career, sharing a surprising source of inspiration and what makes it unforgettable.
There’s no shortage of tall tales in showbiz, but one of the more frustrating ones is when a stunning actress is made out to be plain by simply popping on a pair of specs and a bit of beige lippy. Amanda Seyfried copped this treatment in the 2009 comedy Jennifer’s Body, and plenty of punters are still a bit miffed about it. Another tired myth is that someone with Seyfried’s looks—blonde, striking, and with a background in soaps—can’t be a proper actor. Thankfully, she’s well and truly put those ideas to bed in recent years.
Just look at her Oscar-nominated turn as Marion Davies in Mank (2020), or her bold take on the founder of the Shaker movement in Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee, due out in 2025. Seyfried’s not shy in front of the camera, and her growing list of roles shows she’s up for anything.
Finding Inspiration in an Unexpected Place
There are heaps of actors who could have inspired her journey. Plenty of women in Hollywood have dodged typecasting and shown off their range, and Seyfried’s own start in daytime TV and theatre isn’t exactly rare. But the person who’s left the biggest impression on her is a bit of a curveball. In a 2022 chat with Backstage, Seyfried shared that her guiding light in the industry is none other than Thomas Haden Church. That’s right—the bloke known for playing Sandman in Spider-Man and Lyle in George of the Jungle is the one she looks up to most.
It’s not just any role, either. Seyfried singled out his early work as Lowell Mather in the ‘90s sitcom Wings. She explained,
“He’s able to play idiotic yet truthful, and relatable and hilarious. I just think it’s a master class… Playing characters like that is just so satisfying and harder than it seems. He’s so consistently present.”
She even mentioned using his performance as a reference point when prepping for her part in Mean Girls.
The Lasting Impact of a Sitcom Standout
Wings might not have the same cult following as Friends or Seinfeld these days, but it had a solid run from 1990 to 1997. At its peak, it even outperformed The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and The Simpsons in the ratings. Set in a small airport on Nantucket, Haden Church’s character is a lovable, slightly clueless mechanic who, like many sitcom regulars, goes through some wild changes—including a stint in the Witness Protection Program.
What really stands out for Seyfried is how Haden Church managed to blend a simple-minded character with genuine, believable acting. She reckons every actor could learn a thing or two from watching him work. Despite never picking up any major awards for the role, getting a nod from a fellow actor might be just as good as an Oscar—though, let’s be honest, that’s probably taking the mickey a bit. Still, it’s all part of the game in Hollywood.