Amanda Seyfried Walks Through Spiritual Light—and Suburban Darkness

In the past year, Amanda Seyfried delivered two performances that couldn’t look more different on paper, yet together they underscore her instinct for psychologically rich roles. First, there was The Housemaid, Paul Feig’s adaptation of Freida McFadden’s best-selling novel, in which Seyfried stars as Nina Winchester, a suburban housewife whose perfect exterior conceals something far more sinister. Then, in Mona Fastvold’s musical epic, The Testament of Ann Lee, Seyfried embodies the real-life 18th-century founder of the Shaker movement with quiet authority, stripping away the sensationalism often attached to religious leaders—a turn that earned her a Golden Globe nomination for best actress. “She was just trying to make her life mean something, and create a space where people's lives meant the same thing,” Seyfried says of Lee. “There are no hierarchies: any race, ethnicity, gender—it didn't matter. We were all walking on the same planet together, and that was so beautiful.” For W’s Best Performances Issue, Seyfried spoke with Editor at Large Lynn Hirschberg about working with Sydney Sweeney, her preferred iteration of The Bachelor, and why she’s more likely to be starstruck by lizards than humans.

What was it like to play a messiah in The Testament of Ann Lee?

I was very intimidated by the idea of playing someone who had that much control and power over people. But then, when I got into the preparation of relating to the character, I realized that the similarities are plenty. She led with compassion, and I dream about a society where we can be more socialist.

Much of the film takes place in the woods.

I love being in the woods. I love dancing through the forest to the beat of my own heartbeat. But I also like to think that we can’t survive without each other, and that’s the same kind of belief system that Ann Lee had, even though she was doing everything through her devotion to God. The Shaker movement had around 6,000 followers in America, but she didn’t really have a long game because she—and the religion she preached—believed in celibacy. If you don’t reproduce more disciples, then the religion will die off.

Ann Lee is completely different from The Housemaid, which is very fun.

People need a laugh! I star opposite Sydney Sweeney, and we have the same shoe size, are the same height, and we giggle the same way. It was so crazy—in some ways, that film is like Black Swan or Single White Female, but funny. I got to play so hard. The director, Paul Feig, would give me the strangest directions. He’d say, “Okay, make [Sydney] think you’re going to kiss her!” I felt so liberated.

Do you have a favorite reality show?

Bachelor in Paradise. I love it because it has more chaos. It’s a bunch of men and women who have an idea of who they want to date, but the producers create this puzzle where this person likes this other person, who really likes this third person, so we’ll then bring in another person to ruin their relationship. It’s a human experiment: Bachelor in Paradise teaches people that many things can be true at once. It’s also a reminder that people just want to be seen, understood, and loved.

Where was your first kiss?

My first on-screen kiss was with Michael B. Jordan. He was Reggie and I was Joni on All My Children. Our characters met, and we had feelings for each other. We were so young. I think he was 15, and I was 16 or 17. Michael was always really good. It’s interesting to think back that long ago and to see that we’re both still as passionate as ever about what we do as actors. I like that trajectory.

Do you get starstruck?

I get starstruck by reptiles in a way that I'm exploring.

Reptiles?

Yeah. There was a reptile party, and this guy took out this tegu, which is the biggest lizard I've ever seen in real life. And then, no joke, six days later I met another tegu, and I was able to put the tegu on my body. I’m always starstruck by pythons and boa constrictors. They're just so exotic. And incredibly starstruck by monkeys. In terms of people, I met Martha Stewart recently. I was very starstruck by her. And I would love to meet [Barack] Obama.

What is your sign?

I’m a Sagittarius. We are impulsive, chaotic, fiercely loving, love to socialize, get exhausted quite easily, and run on fumes.

Style Director: Allia Alliata di Montereale. Codirector: Frank Lebon. Director of photography: André Chemetoff. Hair by Jawara for L’Oréal Professional at Art Partner; makeup by Lauren Parsons for Sisley Paris at Art Partner; manicure by Jolene Brodeur for Dazzle Dry at the Wall Group. Set design by David White at Streeters.