Amanda Seyfried has had a brilliant career so far, rising to fame through her role as Karen Smith in Mean Girls in 2004 (even though she nearly played another character in the iconic film).
Since then, the actress has starred in several exciting projects, including Sophie in the Mamma Mia! films, Savannah Curtis in 2010’s Dear John, and Cosette in 2012’s Les Miserables.
Opening up about the intense pressure and effort that comes with living in the public eye (including going to extreme measures to prepare for the Oscars), the actress revealed that it hasn’t always been easy to stay relevant in Hollywood.
In fact, there were moments in her past when she nearly lost movie roles for reasons that had nothing to do with her talent as an actress. So why did Hollywood nearly stop casting Amanda Seyfried?
Keep reading to find out!
Amanda Seyfried Revealed Why She Nearly Lost Some Movie Roles
Judging from her acting talent and screen presence, it’s hard to believe that Amanda Seyfried was ever turned down for film roles based on her looks. But according to Glamour, the actress revealed that she nearly did lose some roles because she was considered too large for them.
“Fun fact,” the actress tweeted back in 2014. “I almost lost out on several roles in my career because I was overweight. Wrong, America.”
In 2010, Amanda elaborated, specifically listing one film in particular that she would have missed out on because of her weight.
“If I'd been a bit bigger, I don't think they would have cast me for Mamma Mia!" she said in her interview (via Glamour).
The Lifestyle Hollywood Demands Of Amanda Seyfried
In the same interview, Amanda revealed that she has to follow a very strict diet and healthy lifestyle in order to remain at a size that Hollywood deems worthy.
“If I didn't run and work out, there's no way I would be this thin,” the actress explained. “But I have to stay in shape because I'm an actress. It's f----- up and it's twisted, but I wouldn't get the roles otherwise.”
According to Best Fit, the Million Ways to Die in the West actress follows a strict eating plan, but not a restrictive one. Her diet is mainly low in fat but still nourishing. She has three meals and two snacks a day, making sure that she consumed low-fat protein, healthy carbohydrates, fiber, healthy fat, and a sugar-free beverage at each meal.
Though Hollywood has put pressure on Amanda to stay in shape, she doesn’t follow unrealistic fad diets, instead choosing this eating plan because she is able to maintain it all year round.
The publication reports that Amanda did attempt a fully raw diet, and while she includes raw meals in her eating plan now, she needs more substantial foods to keep her satisfied.
“I tried it and it just took too much out of me,” she said (via Best Fit). “I would be hungry and tired by mid-afternoon—there just wasn’t enough to see me through. Kale, cucumber, oatmeal, blueberries, seeds, salads, shakes… these are all great, but they just couldn’t sustain me over 24 hours.”
Speaking on the unrealistic standards of beauty in Hollywood, Amanda admitted that she doesn’t want to buy into the pressure to be underweight or “promote unhealthy body types.”
“It’s not real—nobody is perfect and we shouldn’t pretend it is,” she explained. “What is real is your own body and your own plan.”
The actress, who is married to Thomas Sadoski, is currently raising her children on a farm in the Catskill Mountains, away from the intense pressure of Hollywood.
But Amanda Seyfried Still Prioritizes Wellness
Although Amanda Seyfried has previously felt the pressure to watch her weight, she ultimately sticks to a healthy eating plan and exercise regimen because it helps her keep in control of her mental health. Overall wellness is her priority, rather than a dress size or number on the scale.
In a 2010 interview with Self, Amanda revealed that she was running four to five days a week, seeing a trainer three times a week, and also going to Pilates on the weekend.
“It’s just something I crave,” she said of exercising for her mental health (via Best Fit). “It’s the release of stress that I have to feel so that I can get on with the other things, and if I didn’t have exercise, I would definitely be a very different person.
In addition to frequently exercising and watching what she eats, Amanda also meditates to look after her mental health.
“[Meditation is] a newer thing for me and I love it—I’m high anxiety so the opportunity to relax my brain as well as motivate my body is a perfect combination,” she explained (via Best Fit). “I look at how I was treating myself 10 years ago, even five years ago, and I’m in so much a better place.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiuobFdnbytuNiwpqicXajBsLzPnptmm5Gowaq6xmaYppmema5uv8SynauhlZl8