ANGELA WEISS / AFP
Amanda Seyfried has publicly discussed her role in ‘You Can See Everything’ for the first time
Amanda Seyfried says she feels “relieved” and “excited” now that she can discuss her surprise involvement in You Can See Everything, the Elizabeth Holmes documentary directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim.
With the actress herself now talking about it, the veil on You Can See Everything’s big twist can now be lifted: Amanda Seyfried returned to playing the Theranos founder after winning an Emmy award for her performance in Hulu’s The Dropout. Seyfried’s original portrayal of Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout earned her
Her participation in the A24 film was kept out of its marketing before release and is a large part of the reason why critics and audiences alike are hailing the film as such a unique project. Seyfried is not only simultaneously playing herself (to remarkably charming effect) and a character she previously won an award for portraying, but she’s doing it in real time, too, effectively challenging the very nature of what a “performance” is and can be.
Amanda Seyfried has discussed returning as Elizabeth Holmes in You Can See Everything in public for the first time
Speaking to People at the New York premiere of her new Netflix animated movie Steps, Seyfried explained that she seeks unfamiliar work that challenges her, both as an actor and as a person.
“Relieved. Excited,” Seyfried said when asked how she feels now that she’s able to discuss the role (her reaction to a question about Holmes the weekend the film hit theaters went viral on social media).
“It’s important for me as an actor, an artist, I mean, a mom, of course, but as a person in the world who loves to work, to find things that I haven’t done before and to do things that scare me in a specific way. And when you follow through with something that scares you, and it comes out the other end that it’s something that’s having an impact, mostly positive impact, it always feels good because you take a risk.”
The documentary begins before Holmes reports to prison in 2023 following her fraud conviction, with Fielder filming her life with partner Billy Evans and their children. During filming, Fielder shows Holmes scenes from The Dropout. Later, Seyfried watches footage of Holmes reacting to her portrayal in the Hulu series. Seyfried then steps back into the role for reenactments of conversations the filmmakers could not record. Her appearance brings the actress who played Holmes in a scripted drama into the documentary about the real woman.
You Can See Everything is expected to be a major contender at next year’s Academy Awards and could make history doing so. A Best Picture nomination would be a first for a documentary, while Seyfried being nominated would also be game-changing, as it’s a hybrid role and one that she’s previously won awards for. It’s also been a massive box office hit, as its current total of $80+ million after just four weekends makes it the second-highest-grossing documentary ever in North America.