Amanda Seyfried is at peace with how things turned out when she didn’t land a role in the Wicked films, and she says she truly believes it all happened the way it was supposed to.
Speaking on the Thursday, Dec. 18 episode of Chelsea Handler’s Dear Chelsea podcast, the 40-year-old actress made it clear there’s no lingering disappointment.
“I’m over it. It’s all happened [exactly how it is meant to]. I truly believe that,” Seyfried said. “It was for the best, for sure, for everyone involved because I got to do [The Testament of Ann Lee] too.”
Seyfried had auditioned for the role of Glinda in director Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical. The part ultimately went to Ariana Grande, whose performance earned both Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.
While Seyfried didn’t get the role, the experience still left a lasting impact on her, particularly when it came to understanding her own voice.
She explained that preparing for Wicked pushed her to reassess what kind of singer she is.
“I completely let go of the need to access something that I might not ever be able to access in terms of, like, control of the vibrato and the stamina and the breath work,” she told Handler, adding that she now understands she’s unlikely to pursue a demanding Broadway musical run.
Although Seyfried admits she often avoids listening to her own singing, she did revisit her Wicked audition tape, and surprised herself.
“I sang better than I thought I would,” she said. “I think it came with the excitement, the momentum of how much I was training for it, and I was very proud of myself. That will never go away.”
Ultimately, the process helped her embrace her individuality.
“I realized, ‘Maybe, I’m not that kind of singer, and I don’t need to sound like anyone else,’” she shared.
Reflecting on her past performances in Les Misérables, she added that her voice was “exactly how it needed to be for that time.”
Her upcoming project, The Testament of Ann Lee, is also a musical, and one she feels is perfectly suited to her voice.
“[When] Ann Lee came, the opportunity was amazing,” she said. “It was just perfect for where my voice was in that it’s a human voice [and] not a trained voice.”
Looking back, Seyfried isn’t focused on what she missed out on, but on what she gained in the process.
