{"id":770053,"date":"2025-12-12T15:43:04","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T14:43:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/numero.com\/?p=770053"},"modified":"2025-12-12T15:43:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T14:43:08","slug":"interview-with-amanda-seyfried-darkness-is-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/movies\/interview-with-amanda-seyfried-darkness-is-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Amanda Seyfried: \u201cDarkness is reality\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Amanda\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Amanda Seyfried at MoMA Film Benefit event hosted by Chanel in New York on October 23rd, 2024. \u00a9 Taylor Hill\/WireImage via Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Since her early roles in House<\/em>, Veronica Mars<\/em>, and Mean Girls<\/em><\/strong> (2004), the former American model Amanda Seyfried<\/strong> has established herself as one of Hollywood\u2019s most talented and endearing actresses. Audiences grew up with cult films, like Mamma Mia!<\/em>, Jennifer\u2019s Body<\/em><\/strong>, Letters to Juliet<\/em>. Her performances in Chloe <\/em>(2009), The Dropout<\/em> (2022), and David Fincher<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s Mank<\/em> (2020), which earned her an Oscar nomination, also captivated thousands of viewers.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

Beyond her acting skills and magnetic presence, Amanda Seyfried<\/strong><\/a>, 40, is a fascinating personality off-screen too. Between shoots, she lives on a farm surrounded by animals and crochets while watching The Bachelor<\/em>. She also has an impressive musical talent as a singer and musician. On The Tonight Show<\/em> with Jimmy Fallon<\/strong>, the star of The Testament of Ann Lee<\/em> (2025) recently amazed audiences with a soft rendition of a Joni Mitchell song, which she also played on the dulcimer – a string instrument.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

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Actress Amanda Seyfried in the film
The Housemaid<\/em> (2025) by Paul Feig. \u00a9 Lionsgate.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Amanda Seyfried made a big comeback in 2025<\/h2>\n\n

But since March 2025, the Time Out<\/em> (2011) actress has been spotted in one of the year\u2019s best shows, titled Long Bright River<\/em><\/strong>. Amanda Seyfried<\/strong> embodies Mickey, a police officer investigating a series of murders of local sex workers in a poor neighborhood of Philadelphia devastated by the opioid crisis.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

In a dark, emotional tone reminiscent of the brilliant Mare of Easttown<\/em><\/strong>, starring Kate Winslet<\/strong><\/a>, the show stages a complex female character. A single mother, haunted by her sister\u2019s addiction and her own traumas, who must face her demons all the while trying to crack a difficult case.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

With the release of this gripping crime series on HBO Max and the upcoming premiere of the feature film, The Housemaid<\/em><\/strong>, on December 24th, 2025, Num\u00e9ro<\/em> sat down with the Emmy Award-winning actress.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

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Amanda Seyfried in the series
Long Bright River <\/em>(2025). \u00a9 Peacock\/Max.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Interview with actress Amanda Seyfried, star of Long Bright River<\/em><\/h2><\/h2>\n\n

Num\u00e9ro<\/em>: What first caught your attention in the series Long Bright River<\/em><\/a>?<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n\n

Amanda Seyfried<\/strong>: It was really fun. Well, dark, but fun. It\u2019s the kind of show you want to watch on rainy days. Actually, I\u2019d never had the chance to play a cop before. And I thought it would be really interesting to wear the uniform on screen. You know, it is gratifying to wear it, even if you’re not an actual police officer. People dress up as cops for Halloween. My kids do too. It\u2019s an iconic character.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

Did you meet with police officers in order for your role to be as realistic as possible?<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n\n

Yes, I went to Kensington district in Philadelphia last January, before the filming began. Nikki Toscano, the show\u2019s creator, and Liz Moore, who wrote the novel the series is based on, came with me too. She also helped write the film adaptation of Long Brigh River<\/em><\/strong>. Some of our producers were there as well. We met up, and then we got a tour of a precinct. The one we use in the series is an exact replica of the police station we visited in Philadelphia. There, I met a lot of police officers.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

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Amanda Seyfried in the series
Long Bright River <\/em>(2025). \u00a9 Peacock\/Max.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

“I\u2019ve stayed in touch with one of the police officers while shooting the series<\/em>.” – Amanda Seyfried<\/h2><\/h2>\n\n

I believe you also shadowed them on the job, including during patrols\u2026<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n\n

Yes, I went on a ride-along with them. I watched them go about their day and work. It was truly wild. The things police officers deal with on a daily basis are just incredible. It was very eye-opening to shadow them. I really spent time with them, and I\u2019ve stayed in touch with one of the police officers, who\u2019s a single mother (like Mickey in the series, ed.). She was a tremendous help throughout the filming. We had a great connection, and it really shaped the way I approached people and communicated as a cop in the show.<\/p>\n\n

You grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and the series is set in a nearby location in Philadelphia\u2026<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n\n

Yes, the show takes place in a place I more or less knew, in Kensington, a district in Philadelphia. I wouldn’t really go to Kensington, but I would go to Philadelphia a lot as a kid, since the place I grew up in was close by. So, it was a world I understood for many personal reasons. And Mickey is a character I connected with to some extent (Amanda Seyfried<\/strong> lost an uncle to addiction, and in the series her sister is a drug addicted, ed.). But she is also a flawed character who challenges me in many ways. I felt it was a great opportunity to develop new acting skills. I also really appreciated the show\u2019s compassionate perspective on addiction. Addiction is portrayed in a way I’ve never seen before.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

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Amanda Seyfried for IMDb at the Gotham Awards in New York on December 1st, 2025. \u00a9 Bryan Derballa\/Getty Images for IMDb.\u00a0\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

\u201cDarkness is reality. It\u2019s important to show it and to make clear that there should be space to recover for people struggling with addiction<\/em>.\u201d – Amanda Seyfried<\/h2><\/h2>\n\n

Long Bright River<\/em> portrays the dark side of a district in Philadelphia corrupted by violence and the opioid crisis\u2026<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n\n

Among many other things, the show mainly tackles the opioid crisis and the harsh realities that come with it. We don\u2019t shy away from anything. Darkness is reality. It\u2019s important to show it and to make clear that there should be space to recover for people struggling with addiction. A space for the community to function as it should, instead of being dismissed or swept under the rug. There are so many elements in this series that were necessary to build compassion, because a lot of people don\u2019t know what\u2019s really going on in these neighborhoods. It\u2019s happening in so many places. It\u2019s universal. Every country, every corner of the world has an area like Kensington. The more we know about it, the better. \n<\/p>\n\n

In your opinion, what are some of the series\u2019 strongest messages? It explores themes like family, marginalization, and motherhood.<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n\n

A lot of people try to label it a crime drama, but that\u2019s not quite accurate. It\u2019s a series about crimes, about murders (a serial killer is targeting sex workers, ed.), and about people trying to investigate those murders. But above all, it’s a story about a family, and, more generally, about generational trauma, about growing up in a place that\u2019s very diverse and deeply marginalized by law enforcement and the surrounding community. That narrative is told from the point of view of someone who grew up there (Liz Moore, who wrote the book the series is based on, ed.), who has a lot of perspective and compassion, and who wants to protect and support that community.<\/p>\n\n

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Une publication partag\u00e9e par The Tonight Show (@fallontonight)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\r\n