Highlights
- Amanda Seyfried felt supported and seen by Hugh Jackman during the difficult scene in Les Misérables. His warmth and compassion helped her feel more comfortable and confident.
- Seyfried initially had confidence in singing live for the film but later realized her voice wasn't as strong as she wanted it to be. She regrets her performance and wishes she could redo it.
- Since Les Misérables, Seyfried has been working on strengthening her voice and improving her vocal technique. She believes her singing has improved and feels she could now play the role of Cosette.
Amanda Seyfried first got the world's attention as Karen Smith in the teen cult classic Mean Girls. Her portrayal of the hilarious, less-than-smart member of the Plastics earned her rave reviews and added to the film's comedic genius.
She won the hearts of audiences again when she starred as Sophie in the film adaptation of the musical Mamma Mia. This time, she co-starred alongside Meryl Streep and showed viewers her singing chops. Needless to say, fans were very impressed.
However, it has been a long time since Seyfried sang by the time she shot her performance in Les Misérables. Her role in Tom Hooper's film adaptation of the famous musical earned her positive reviews. However, Seyfried herself has since said she wasn't happy with her singing voice.
It would be her scene partner, Hugh Jackman, who would help her through the tough shoot.
Amanda Seyfried Said She Felt Seen By Hugh Jackman While Shooting Their Scene Together
Seyfred did rave about working with Hugh Jackman and Hooper's directing, saying, "I love Hugh. Tom Hooper really knew what he was doing."
"I think Tom Hooper just wanted to find the humanity and keep it as grounded as possible, knowing that to start singing is abstract and a bit absurd," Seyfried said. "He was able to marry the two in a way that felt so natural. He created a world that just felt as real as it could get. And it didn't feel so crazy to start singing. We had months of rehearsal and he just got to the bottom of everything. It was so gritty."
"This scene with Hugh, it's very intimate. It's very beautiful and I love working with him. He's amazing. Yet, it was so quiet and it felt almost too quiet for me to feel comfortable singing and confident."
Seyfried shared some details on how Jackman helped her through the difficult scene.
"I wasn't breathing well enough," she said. "And I just remember him being so warm and knowing that I was struggling and just feeling like he was there for me. It's a beautiful scene. There's so much reality happening for me and when you trust your partner like that, even if you're feeling like s***, something real comes through and I'm able to speak-sing, which is a little better than hitting that high E."
Amanda Seyfried wasn't the first choice to play Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout.
"Hugh Jackman is the most present, really kindest person, human being who walked this earth. Everybody who has met him completely agrees. There's nobody like him. He's a good friend, but he's very paternal as well. And I think that I just felt totally seen by him. And when you're scared and the person you're with knows you're scared and accepts that you're scared, you feel less scared. That's his ability. It's his compassion."
"I just remember feeling like it didn't matter how it came out, that he was just right there with me and he didn't agree with me, that I was s***, and that's what a good parent does, a good friend does."
Amanda Said She Was Initially Confident About Singing Live In 'Les Misérables'
In a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair, Seyfried discussed her performance in Les Misérables and mentions the unique way director Tom Hooper filmed the musical numbers.
"I thought singing live was the best idea ever," she said. "I knew how tricky it was going to be. I was very scared by it, but I also knew that so much comes out of singing your emotions and it's such a beautiful expression of where you are in your feelings."
"I knew that I was taking a risk by doing it," Seyfried added, mentioning she auditioned six times for the role.
