The movie Amanda Seyfried was “very unhappy with”
Actors can regularly be the harshest critics of their own performances, and in the case of Amanda Seyfried, that extends to one of the biggest hits of her career.
The second highest-grossing movie she’s ever appeared in, Tom Hooper’s lavish blockbuster musical Les Misérables took the world by storm following its release in late 2012. In addition to earning $442million at the box office, the big-budget adaptation of Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, and Jean-Marc Natel stage production – itself based on Victor Hugo’s novel – was an awards season juggernaut.
Winning three Academy Awards from eight nominations, the ‘Best Picture’ nominee saw its ensemble cast praised almost entirely across the board for their performances on both a dramatic and musical level, although Seyfried was left less than thrilled with her own contributions.
Speaking to Variety, the star admitted: “In my career, I have had a lot of moments where I just felt complete regret,” before expanding on her personal disappointment: “I wish I could redo Les Misérables completely because the live singing aspect, I still have nightmares about it,” she said. “Singing is more indulgent than acting in some ways. I feel like when I have emotional scenes, where I get to really cry and feel what I’m actually feeling and be present in that, it feels really good and cathartic because crying is really cathartic.”
Saying that “singing is the same way”, Seyfried continued that while “emoting through music and melody is so magical,” she wasn’t convinced that she’d gotten it right: “When you feel like you’ve gotten there, where your voice is where it needs to be and your voice is as strong as it needs to be, it wasn’t.”
Continuing to shine a spotlight on the perceived negatives of her performance, Seyfried claimed that she was “very weak”. “I feel like I could definitely play Cosette now. I’ve been working diligently ever since Les Misérables to strengthen my voice and to have some stamina,” she carried on. “Plus working on my vibrato, which was completely lost. From a very technical standpoint, I was very unhappy with my singing.”
If she felt that way at all on set, then her co-stars would have refused to make it happen, with Seyfried gushing to Vanity Fair over the way Hugh Jackman always made sure that she was comfortable: “I just remember him being so warm, and him knowing that I was struggling and just feeling like he was there for me,” she said. “I just felt totally seen by him.”
Based on the reception to Les Misérables from all corners, Seyfried would appear to be in the minority of those who believe her work as Cosette wasn’t up to standard, although her lack of self-confidence and belief didn’t end up having a negative impact on either her or the film.
