Amanda Seyfried, known for her roles in movies like “Mean Girls,” “Mamma Mia!,” and the critically acclaimed Hulu series “The Dropout,” recently shed light on a glaring issue in the entertainment world: body shaming. Seyfried candidly shared that her weight almost cost her significant roles in her career—a shocking revelation that throws Hollywood’s problematic body image standards into the spotlight.
Before we get into the courageous truths Seyfried has shared, let’s rewind a bit and walk through her Hollywood career. She began her acting career with soap operas like “As the World Turns” in the late ’90s and made a splash in TV shows such as “All My Children” and “Law and Order: SVU.” But her claim to fame came in 2004 when she landed the role of Karen Smith in the blockbuster teen comedy “Mean Girls.”
After that, Seyfried’s star ascended swiftly. She had her breakthrough with the HBO drama “Big Love” in 2006, and she’s since starred in a range of box office hits and critically acclaimed projects like “Dear John,” “Les Miserables,” and “Jennifer’s Body.”
In 2022, Seyfried received numerous accolades for her portrayal of Elizabeth Holmes in the Hulu series “The Dropout.” And while her talent is evident, Seyfried hasn’t shied away from discussing the less glamorous aspects of her job. In past interviews, she’s spoken about the pressure she’s faced to maintain a particular body shape to secure roles in the industry.
“If I didn’t run and work out, there’s no way I would be this thin,” Seyfried stated in a 2010 interview with Glamour. “But I have to stay in shape because I’m an actress. It’s messed up and it’s twisted, but I wouldn’t get the roles otherwise.”
After that, Seyfried took to Twitter to call out the Hollywood industry for its practices of body shaming. “Fun fact: I almost lost out on several roles in my career because I was overweight,” Seyfried wrote. “Wrong, America.”
Living on a farm and maintaining an active lifestyle, Seyfried also emphasizes the importance of moderation. In a 2016 interview with Vogue, she advocated for a balanced life: “Eat that bread and butter, have that drink if you drink. This is what we live for, these moments. Moderation is a healthy thing.”
Almost 20 years after “Mean Girls” became a cult classic, several original cast members, including Amanda Seyfried, Lindsay Lohan, and Lacey Chabert, were spotted filming a secret commercial project in Los Angeles on October 6, 2023.
Earlier this year, Seyfried dropped hints that she and her former co-stars were more than willing to work together again. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight in February, she mentioned that all of them are “100 percent into” making a cameo. “It’s been a long legacy for Mean Girls, and I think we all kinda just need to hang,” Seyfried reflected.
