Amanda Seyfried Recalls Intense Stage Fright During Off-Broadway Play

Though Amanda Seyfried has showcased her vocal chops in musical movies like Mamma Mia! and Les Misérables, her stage work has been limited to one off-Broadway production. In 2015, Seyfried starred in Neil LaBute's play The Way We Get By, the first- and so far, only- theater credit from the Mamma Mia! star.

"[The experience was] terrifying and beautiful," she said in a recent appearance on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, adding that she also had intense stage fright during the production, including panic attacks on stage. "What does that do to someone? Kills them, slowly." She explained: "I've never been challenged like that in my life. I felt like I was flying...and other times, I was like 'I can't go on stage.' So from now on, everything I do live has to be under 3 minutes." The two-person play featured Seyfried opposite Thomas Sadoski, with direction by Tony Nominee Leigh Silverman. It ran at Second Stage's Tony Kiser Theatre in 2015.

Also, during the interview, she discussed the 2012 adaptation of Les Misérables. In recent interviews, the performer has talked about her struggles with singing live on the production, noting that she has honed her vocals in the years since. She praised the film, but admitted, "If I could redo it, I would."

Seyfried's next musical project is Ann Lee, based on the life of the founding leader of the Shaker Movement during the 1700s. Though a specific release date has yet to be confirmed, the original movie musical is expected to be released later this year. Seyfried stars as the titular character alongside a supporting cast that includes Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Christopher Abbott, Tim Blake Nelson, Stacy Martin, Matthew Beard, Scott Handy, Viola Prettejohn, David Cale, and Jamie Bogyo. 

The movie is directed by Mona Fastvold, from a script he co-wrote with Brady Corbet. Daniel Blumberg, who just won an Academy Award for his score for The Brutalist, wrote original music for the film.

Amanda Seyfried was seen as Sophie in the film of Mamma Mia! and its sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. She also appeared as Cosette in the 2012 film Les Misérables along with roles in films like Mean Girls, Letters to Juliet, Dear John, Jennifer's Body, and more. Seyfried made her Off-Broadway debut in Neil LaBute's The Way We Get By in 2015.

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