Amanda Seyfried says working with Meryl Streep comes with one avoidable complication, getting so intimidated that it affects the scene.
The actress, 40, discussed her Mamma Mia! costar during an October 4 conversation with Alec Baldwin at the Hamptons International Film Festival, according to PEOPLE.
Seyfried was 22 when the 2008 ABBA musical opened, playing Sophie, a bride-to-be trying to identify her father before her wedding. Streep played her mother, Donna.
The hourlong career discussion accompanied Seyfried’s festival visit for The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd. Her new film, directed by Tim Blake Nelson, screened on October 3 and 4, according to the festival program.
Seyfried Says Nerves Can ‘Ruin the Vibe’
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Baldwin brought his own experience to the question, admitting that he had felt intimidated when he worked with Streep on It’s Complicated. “She’s super chill and always honest in every performance,” Seyfried said.
She also praised Streep’s ability to make dialogue believable, joking that even material written by “the worst computer” could sound authentic in her hands.
“You can’t go wrong, unless you are intimidated,” Seyfried said. “And then you can, you can totally just ruin the vibe.” Seyfried said she “just had to remember to stay present.”
Her ‘Mamma Mia!’ Audition Was Easier Than She Expected
Seyfried also recalled expecting a much tougher process when she auditioned for Sophie. She already knew producer Gary Goetzman through Big Love, so the team was familiar with her acting and professionalism.
She still needed to demonstrate that she could sing and get the director and other producers on board. While she was based in Los Angeles, she was also sent to Las Vegas to see the stage musical. Seyfried recalled thinking she had “no chance” of landing the part and said “getting that call was everything.”
Seyfried Wants Another ‘Mamma Mia!’ Reunion
Both actresses returned for 2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Donna had died before the sequel’s present-day story began, with Streep making a brief appearance as her spirit.
Streep has since expressed interest in another installment. Asked on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in April whether she wanted a third film, she answered, “Damn, yes!” BroadwayWorld reported.
Seyfried discussed the project’s progress separately with USA TODAY on September 25. She said producer Judy Craymer wanted to reunite the cast, while acknowledging that they still needed to work out how to bring Donna back. “I wish there was a script,” Seyfried said. “I feel like we’re all kind of too busy right now.”