Amanda Seyfried made her film debut alongside a talented cast in Mean Girls with her role as Karen Smith, a member of The Plastics who provided comical relief in the movie. The film would begin her long career in Hollywood, and her acting talents were clear from her standout performance in the film. After her success in Mean Girls, she won a leading role in Mamma Mia!, and her success found new heights due to the popularity of the musical movie.
Seyfried continued to win many movie roles which proved her versatility as an actor, and was eventually nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2021 for her work in Mank, where she played Marion Davis opposite the great Gary Oldman. Next, Seyfried is set to appear in The Dropout, a Hulu series about Theranos Founder and con woman Elizabeth Holmes, and in The Crowded Room, an Apple TV+ anthology series led by Tom Holland. While we wait for both series to release, here’s a look at Amanda Seyfried's best movies, ranked.
8 Letters to Juliet
In 2010, Amanda Seyfried starred in Gary Winick’s Letters to Juliet as Sophie, a young writer who discovers a letter which is decades old and uses it to help reunite the writer of the letter with her lost love from all those years ago. She is on a mission to reunite the couple whose names are Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) and Lorenzo (Franco Nero). Keeping true to rom-com style, she ends up discovering love for herself along the way with Charlie (Christopher Egan). It’s a charming film that, even though cliché, is brought to life by Seyfried’s performance.
7 Chloe
Amanda Seyfried starred alongside Julianne Moore and Liam Nesson in director Atom Egoyan’s erotic thriller Chloe. Seyfried stars as Chloe, who is a call-girl hired by Catherine (Moore) in a mission to catch her husband David (Neeson) having an affair. The web of lies spins out of control and things become heated between all parties. It’s a departure from her usual roles, and it was refreshing to see Seyfried play a role with more grit and edge, which she hadn’t done up until this point in her career.
6 Lovelace
Amanda Seyfried ventured into a different kind of role when she starred as the famous pornography actor Linda Lovelace — one of the most famous adult film actors of all time — in Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s Lovelace. The film depicts her life and the abuse she suffered at the hands of the porn industry and her husband. Seyfried’s performance is very strong, and she embodies the difficulties Lovelace faced well.
5 Mamma Mia!
After her success in Mean Girls, Amanda Seyfried would find new levels of success when she starred in Phyllida Lloyd’s Mamma Mia! as Sophie. She stars alongside huge names like Meryl Streep who plays Donna, an independent woman who lives in the Greek islands. Sophie is her daughter who is getting married and invites three men to the wedding from her mother's past in the hopes of finding her biological father. The film’s soundtrack features ABBA’s greatest hits, and it was a huge blockbuster success. Mamma Mia! spawned a hugely successful sequel that Seyfried also starred in, and it’s clear that she can master acting in any role that is presented to her.
4 Mean Girls
Mean Girls was the role that first launched Amanda Seyfried into the international spotlight. The film was a huge success starring Lindsay Lohan in the lead role as Cady, a girl who relocates from Africa to the USA and has to adapt to the cutthroat social cliques at North Shore High. She encounters The Plastics, led by Regina George (Rachel McAdams), and quickly becomes sucked into their way of life. Seyfried plays Karen, who acts as comic relief with her naïve remarks. It’s a very strong debut and has gone down in history as one of the most iconic teen movies.
3 Jennifer’s Body
Amanda Seyfried succeeded in the horror genre when she starred alongside Megan Fox in 2009’s Jennifer’s Body. The film centres around Jennifer (Megan Fox) who becomes possessed after she is sacrificed to Satan by a popular band who are visiting her town. Seyfried plays Anita who is her best friend and starts to notice the concerning changes in her friend’s behavior after she becomes possessed. It’s a great horror film that despite mediocre reviews has endured to become a cult classic. Seyfried adds to this by playing the perfect good character opposite Jennifer’s evil.
2 Les Misérables
Tom Hooper brought the stage musical to life on screen when he directed 2012’s Les Misérables, which featured an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Eddie Redmayne, and Helena Bonham Carter, to name a few. The plot follow Jean Valjean (Jackman), who after years as a prisoner is freed by Javert (Crowe). After he breaks his parole, he is pursued by Javert for decades. Seyfried plays Valjean’s adopted daughter, Cosette, and the ensemble performance received a SAG award.
1 Mank
Mank was directed by David Fincher and tells the story of 1930s Hollywood through the eyes of screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish "Citizen Kane." The film details his struggles with alcohol addiction and captures the Hollywood era of the time. Seyfried plays Marion Davis, and captures the smartness and talent that she radiated, giving strength to the character. She was nominated for an Oscar for her role, and it proves her strength as an actor.