Teen Vogue August 2008, Cover Girl Amanda Seyfried

Radiating bombshell good looks and an innate knack for her craft, Amanda
Seyfried has all the makings of a Hollywood heavyweight.

Yet as she takes
the silver screen by storm in this summer’s epic musical, Mamma Mia!, it’s
safe to say that Amanda is not only unique – but she’s in a league all her
own.

When it comes to Amanda – a 22 year-old ex-child model who remains best
known for her portrayal of a ditzy “Plastic” in Mean Girls, or the doomed
high-school beauty in Veronica Mars – appearances can be more than a little
bit deceiving. With long golden locks and an angelic face, it’s no wonder
Amanda has encountered an unfortunate typecast; however, once represented by
famed modeling agency Wilhelmina, Amanda’s striking face is credited with
igniting her career. Posing for Limited Too campaigns alongside fellow
future actress, Leighton Meester, Amanda remembers her insecurities budding
around the time she met the ‘Gossip Girl.’ “Leighton was very confident,”
she recalls. “And I was very shy.”

As Amanda steps out of the shadows as one of Tinsletown’s brightest young
talents, she is candid in revealing that her life as an actress was not
always a priority. When she first moved to New York from her native
Allentown, Pennsylvania a half-decade ago all Amanda wanted to do was sing.
Classically trained as in vocals from the time she was eleven, Amanda once
actively pursued her dreams of Pop-Stardom and Broadway. “I lived and
breathed singing,” she recalls. “But then when I started acting, that was
just it.”

Over the course of her versatile career, Amanda has been working on her
confidence just as much as she’s been practicing her skills as an actress.
Along with self-assurance, she also remembers feeling uneasy about the fame
that comes along with acting. Rather than share feelings about her own
success, Amanda gives insight into the nature of some of the tabloid’s
regular targets. “It really can go either way,” she explains. “I’ve met some
people who are so freaking distraught and who don’t know how to handle it,
and I’ve met some who have their head on straight and are really happy.” In
regard to her most infamous costar to date, Lindsay Lohan, Amanda is quick
to mention, “Lindsay was great on Mean Girls. I think that was before she
got a little nuts.”

Unlike so many young actresses who bask in the glow of celebrity, Amanda
Seyfried reveals that life in the spotlight has been an unexpected surprise.
“I had no trust in myself that I was made for this,” she admits - and then
came Mamma Mia!. Amanda’s role as Sophie in the film version of Broadway’s
cult-classic gave the actress a newfound faith in her gift. “I can’t believe
I was in it!” she gushes. “That helped my confidence, just the fact that I
was able to do it”… “Now” – she smiles – “I feel good enough.”

With early praise for her performance in Mamma Mia!, Amanda’s gearing-up her
wardrobe for the many red carpets she’ll soon be gracing. In choosing an
outfit for premieres, Amanda says that she’s “looking for something
sophisticated and modest.” Just like other girls, Amanda notes her physical
insecurities, though they have never caused her to shy away from fashion.
Citing a penchant for great jeans and dresses, Amanda credits Miu Miu and
Opening Ceremony by Chloe Sevigny among her favorite labels. Though she
professes a love for fashion, individuality is always Amanda’s first
inspiration. “I have my own sense of style. I don’t necessarily copy anybody
to the T.”

So what’s next for Hollywood’s newly minted starlet? More acting of course!
Amanda is currently working on Diablo Cody’s latest movie, Jennifer’s Body,
and has recently finished shooting the independent film, Boogie Woogie. In
addition to her role on HBO’s acclaimed TV series Big Love, be sure to look
out for Amanda on MTV where she’s set to make her music video debut with a
recording of Mamma Mia’s! “Gimme Gimme Gimme.”