Amanda Seyfried has no regrets about ditching Hollywood for a peaceful life on her 1930s farmhouse on the East Coast.
Seyfried admitted in a recent interview that she loves being tucked away from the chaos that Hollywood brings while living on her ranch in upstate New York.
“I don’t know if you know this, but Hollywood is really … it’s tricky, and it’s got a lot of personalities. There are a lot of people that are working in a way that doesn’t necessarily make it feel like a safe place,” Seyfried said on “CBS Sunday Morning.”
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“This is exactly what I have always wanted.”
She continued, “It’s my world now. Like, I’ve been in it for 25 years or whatever. And I, like, totally feel at home in it. And people know me well enough, I don’t feel like I have anything to prove. I’m nice to people. I’m not trying to cover up any scandals – yet! Wait! – and I’m not trying to, you know, hide or, like, run away from any bad press.
“So it’s like, I’ve made it easy for myself. So far!” Seyfried said.
Last month, the actress sat down with Forbes and shared that she left Los Angeles for New York very early in her career. After years in the city, she learned that Manhattan was still too urban for her, so she left and moved to upstate New York.
“I moved upstate long before I had a family. Staying here was the best decision for privacy, peace and nature. It offers a more balanced life than the city does,” she said.
She told the outlet in November that the move was “essential for her mental health.”
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During an interview with The Wall Street Journal in March, the “Mamma Mia” star said that shooting into the limelight brought on a lot of stress and anxiety early on in her career.
“I was born with obsessive-compulsive disorder. They didn’t figure that out until later, but the signs were there. If my socks weren’t a certain length, I could barely function. This was true about other things. I’d jump on floor tiles and not be able to continue walking until I was satisfied it was safe,” she told the outlet.
Aside from the stress of her acting career, her teenage years as a model also brought on body insecurities.
“Modeling was performing, but I had braces and noticed I was chubbier than everybody else, creating new anxieties. To be 11, 12, and 13 just sucked,” Seyfried said.
Now, Seyfried lives in a farmhouse in the Catskills region of New York with her two kids: Nina, 8 and Thomas, 5.
Seyfried told WSJ that her children are learning responsibility by being raised on a farm.
“I can see them learning what a responsibility and treat it is to care for pets, even at their young ages. I think all pets give us purpose. And because they do so much to enrich our lives, we are responsible for theirs — which includes managing their health and wellness,” she said.
The “Mean Girls” star said that moving to the farmhouse was the best decision to help her cope with some of her mental health struggles.
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“The house was small, so we built onto it to add a kitchen. We use the barns as a sanctuary for rescued horses, ducks, chickens, peacocks, goats, and other animals.
“I still have anxieties, but tending to the aging animals keeps me from obsessing over things that don’t matter. My pony, Cliff, is 38. Every day I have with him is a gift. It’s grounding,” Seyfried said.
Seyfried told House Beautiful magazine in November 2024 what a typical Saturday looks like on her farm.
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“On the weekends, I’ll wake up with the kids on Saturday mornings, I make them breakfast, and then I sit in the window box while the kids watch ‘Bluey.’ I’ll crochet there or just sit there—that’s me decompressing. It’s everything. It’s my happy place,” she said at the time.
According to Realtor, Seyfried sold her Manhattan condo for $3.25 million in 2022 after purchasing it for $1.9 million in 2010. The outlet reported that Seyfried and her husband still own a property in New York City.
