Amanda Seyfried claims “celibacy is insane” after playing Ann Lee
Amanda Seyfried has claimed that the experience of playing the titular lead role in The Testament of Ann Lee has made her realise “celibacy is insane”.
The actor was reflecting on the experience of taking on the role of Ann Lee, the founder of the Shakers movement in the 18th century, in a new interview with Dazed, alongside the film’s director, Mona Fastvold.
As part of this, Seyfried shared her thoughts on some of the customs which became integral to the form of the religion in its infancy, namely that people should abstain from having sex as it brings them closer to God.
Despite having grown a great appreciation for Lee and the Shakers movement as a whole, the actor made her feelings known by saying: “Celibacy is insane. It’s bullshit. But the film is timely.”
The mantra of the Shakers movement was seen as forward-thinking in other respects, however, as Seyfried noted that Lee’s desire to make all genders and races equal showed “Everything she preached was to bring people together, and to create a utopian society where everyone is equal.”
Although her personal thoughts on celibacy were clear, the actor noted that she understood the leader’s reasoning for veering towards it, having given birth to four children in her lifetime, who all tragically died within their first months of life.
“The celibacy aspect comes from her trauma. Having sex, having a baby, and losing it – I understand that. But the underlying thing is: how do we protect and nurture each other?,” Seyfried explained.
Ultimately, she noted that the message of the film, both in terms of the 18th century and the modern day, is that “Community is everything. Socialism is this beautiful idea, but we all have to promise each other that we’re going to do our best.”
The Testament of Ann Lee is currently being shown in cinemas across the UK.
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