Hold onto your hats, musical theater fans! Amanda Seyfried, despite dazzling us with her singing in movies like Mamma Mia! and Les Misérables, has made a surprising decision: she won't be gracing a Broadway stage anytime soon. But why?
Seyfried recently shared with Vanity Fair that her musical endeavors will remain on the silver screen. Her reasoning? Stage fright. "I think my plan was to do a musical on Broadway, and then I made the decision to never put myself through that—because to be honest, my stage fright is like, life’s too short," she explained, adding that she's even stopped taking voice lessons.
This isn't the first time Seyfried has opened up about her struggles with performance anxiety. She's previously mentioned her experience with an off-Broadway production of Neil LaBute's play The Way We Get By.
But here's where it gets controversial... Seyfried was reportedly workshopping a musical version of Thelma & Louise. However, the actress realized during the filming of The Testament of Ann Lee that Broadway wasn't in her future, despite her love for the genre.
"I remember that day on set, actually. I was in Budapest, and I remember thinking I’d had two nightmares back to back about doing this musical on Broadway. I was just talking to my agent in a little break in my corseted dress and thinking, 'I can’t put myself through that.' It’s a devastating thing to uncover about myself, but it doesn’t mean I’m weak. It just means that I know myself well enough to know that this will break me—and that was really liberating."
The Testament of Ann Lee, directed by Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet, will see Seyfried playing Mother Ann Lee. The film, set in the eighteenth century, depicts the Shakers' musical worship. It's set to arrive in theaters on December 25, 2025.
Seyfried's impressive resume includes her role as Sophie in the Mamma Mia! films and her portrayal of Cosette in the 2012 adaptation of Les Misérables. She's also starred in films like Mean Girls, Letters to Juliet, Dear John, and Jennifer's Body. Her Off-Broadway debut was in Neil LaBute's The Way We Get By in 2015.
What do you think? Do you respect Seyfried's decision to prioritize her mental well-being? Do you wish she'd overcome her stage fright? Share your thoughts in the comments!
