Mamma Mia actress Amanda Seyfried has opened up about her lifelong battle with anxiety, in an interview with US Vogue.
The actress spoke about her latest role in a play, The Way We Get By, where she plays a guest who gets drunk at a wedding and has an impromptu hook-up. It’s Seyfried’s first time starring in an off-Broadway production, she’s better known for her film work. She says of the pressure: ?There’s a layer of insecurity that this brings out, of course, but I am trying to throw it away. Although I can’t, really, because insecurity, a little bit of it, is always important for any actor.?
The 29-year-old also spoke about how she sought counselling in the past for anxiety issues. She appeared on David Letterman’s talk show in 2012 as part of a promotional tour for Les Miserables and had done shots of Jameson before going on air in a bid to conquer her fears. While it was fun at the time, the aftermath and headlines were not so much. ?It made it fun for me, but then I watched it and was like ?That is not what I want to promote about myself,?? she said.
Seyfriend sought out a specialist to talk about how anxiety was affecting her, telling the magazine: ?I have a lot of anxiety that I’ve been struggling with my whole life,? she says. ?So I have been working through it. I’m terrified, but this is exactly what I wanted.?
It’s refreshing to see an actress of Seyfried’s profile talk about taking care of her mental health. It puts a relatable and human face to a struggle many people try to hide. Emma Stone is another young Hollywood star who isn’t afraid to talk about her insecurities. In a recent interview the Crazy Stupid Love actress said that she was afraid to try out-of-the-ordinary roles for some time, but eventually signed up for Cabaret on Broadway, ?I think I was really scared of that for a long time. And if something was really challenging, I thought that I was just going to fall on my face and embarrass myself. I’m just less scared of that now; of failing.?
Follow Jeanne Sutton on Twitter @jeannedesutun
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