Amanda Seyfried: From "Mean Girls" to Kensington’s Cop on "Long Bright River"
Amanda Seyfried, the actress known for her roles in comedies like "Mean Girls" and musicals such as "Mamma Mia!", has taken on a grittier role in the new Peacock series "Long Bright River." But for Seyfried, this cop show set in Philadelphia isn’t just another job; it’s a deeply personal project, a connection to her roots, and a civic duty fulfilled.
Seyfried grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, just an hour north of Philadelphia. She fondly recalls spending "magical experiences as a kid" in the city. When she received the offer to star in "Long Bright River," she felt "overwhelmed" with a desire to represent the city accurately. The series, despite being set in Philadelphia, was to be filmed in Brooklyn, placing the responsibility on Seyfried to ensure the authenticity of her character’s regional dialect.
"I felt like I owed it to Philly, and I trusted that my own Philly pride would show through," Seyfried shared in a Zoom interview while casually enjoying rosé and whole-grain Cheez-Its. Her anxieties were eased after a ride-along with local Philadelphia police officers. "They were like, ‘You’re one of ours!’ I was like, ‘I’m not, but thank you.’ And they said, ‘Nah, it’s close enough!’"
"Long Bright River" casts Seyfried as Mickey, an empathetic police officer patrolling the Kensington neighborhood, a low-income area in Philadelphia. Mickey is also a single mother striving to raise her young son, Thomas. The series takes a dark turn when several sex workers are found dead, leading Mickey to suspect a serial killer is preying on the vulnerable women.
This role marks a continuation of Seyfried’s dramatic streak. Her career began with the iconic "Mean Girls" in 2004, followed by roles in comedies, musicals ("Les Misérables," the "Mamma Mia!" franchise), and horror-comedies like “Jennifer’s Body.” In 2021, she received her first Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Marion Davies in David Fincher’s "Mank," a throwback to Old Hollywood. The following year, she won an Emmy Award for her transformation into Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced biotech entrepreneur, in the Hulu series "The Dropout."
Seyfried was vaguely familiar with Kensington’s reputation as an "epicenter of the opioid epidemic." Before filming "Long Bright River," she dedicated time to engaging with volunteer programs and harm-reduction services in the neighborhood. She discovered "a community that supports each other and is incredibly resilient." The actress, who lost an uncle to addiction, hopes the series will "breed compassion" for individuals struggling with substance abuse.
The decision to take on "Long Bright River" was a significant one for Seyfried, who is now 39. She has two children, Nina, 7, and Thomas, 4, with her husband, actor Thomas Sadoski. "If I was going to leave my family five nights a week, it was going to be for something that was really important," she stated. "Would I rather do comedy? Of course. The levity and challenge of that is really fun. But this strikes so close to home for so many people with the addiction storyline, including me."
Seyfried recently reunited with filmmaker Atom Egoyan for the haunting thriller "Seven Veils," currently in theaters. In the movie, she plays an opera director grappling with repressed trauma. The pair previously worked together on the 2009 film "Chloe," which Seyfried considers the first time she felt she had a genuine voice on a set.
"I remember Atom asking me questions and really creating a rapport that made me feel like I was a peer at that age," Seyfried reflected, recalling that she was 24 at the time. "I look back, and I didn’t feel like a kid on that film; I felt like I had an opinion that mattered."
Seyfried has continued to amplify her voice as an executive producer on projects like "The Dropout," "Long Bright River," and the upcoming "The Housemaid," starring Sydney Sweeney. She is also known for advocating for equality in the industry. While promoting "Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again" in 2018, Seyfried publicly criticized the studio for its hard-line negotiating tactics, suggesting they could simply recast her for the sequel.
"The ‘Mamma Mia!’ thing felt very personal because it was someone I had worked with for years," Seyfried explained. "It felt dirty because I don’t work that way; what you see is what you get with me. But for the most part, I try not to go into situations where I think it’s even possible to be undermined. Life’s too short. I can see it from a mile away and I don’t need to be part of it."
Now, Seyfried confidently asserts, "I definitely know my value, and what space I want to fill and hang out in. At the end of the day, it’s all about principle, and I feel very respected at this moment."
In conversation, Seyfried is described as drolly funny and easygoing. She playfully contemplates which ABBA song she’d like to see incorporated into the long-awaited "Mamma Mia 3," suggesting a "crazy" inclusion like "King Kong Song." She is surprised by the enduring popularity of her early rom-coms. She revealed she meets "Letters to Juliet" fans more often than one might expect. And while she appreciates the positive feedback on her viral "Tonight Show" performance of Joni Mitchell’s "California," she dismisses any possibility of portraying the folk icon in a biopic, citing "immense pressure."
Seyfried, who resides on a farm in upstate New York, has already planned her 40th birthday celebration in December, which includes brunch with friends and a trip to Target. "I have it all mapped out," she joked. "Get drunk, grab a double espresso, stand around Spot’s Corner (discount aisle), don’t put anything in the cart, and move on to the crafts section."
Looking ahead to her 40s, Seyfried says, "I’m excited about knowing as much as I can about menopause before it hits me. I want to know everything." She also expresses a desire to "build more trails on the land, and I just want to be around for my kids. It’s hard to think about the future—I’m where I want to be, truly. I’ve got a lot of balls in the air, but that’s never going to change."
She shared a recent dream, where she found herself in Budapest, working on a subpar project. “Then I was like, ‘I don’t want to be away from my kids for this! Seems dumb!’ So I had to tell everybody I was leaving and they’d have to recast me, but I stood by my decision."
"That shows you where you are in life when you’re dreaming about it!" Seyfried concludes, highlighting her priorities at this stage in her life and career.
