Photo: David Needleman
Amanda Seyfriedhad hesitations abouttaking on the roleof the disgraced Theranos founder,Elizabeth Holmes, in Hulu’s upcoming seriesThe Dropout.
The actress, 36, revealed in an interview withThe Hollywood Reporterthat she initially turned down the part — which wasoffered to herafterKate McKinnondropped out — because it would require her to be away fromfamilyand take on the challenges of playing the notorious figure.
“I had COVID. I was isolating in the basement of a gross townhouse in Savannah, Georgia, because my husband was working on a movie there,” she admitted to the outlet. “And now an L.A. shoot? Pass!”
By the next morning, however, Seyfried had a change of heart and told her agents she wanted to play Holmes. “It’s really going to be difficult,” she recalled thinking to herself. “It’s a huge challenge. But I can’t believe that I get a challenge like this.”
Beth Dubber/Hulu
“This is not just about showing all the points where this woman made bad choices,” Seyfried toldTHR. “We’re investigating why we love a fall from grace, why we want to watch train wrecks.”
“I watched and listened to all of it, but I learned nothing abouther,” Seyfried revealed. “It’s crazy that she can still be such an enigma with all the information surrounding her.”
Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes.Beth Dubber/Hulu
Holmes' deep voice, one of her most distinctive traits, was also one of the reasons that Seyfried believed she would be difficult to portray.
“I knew my voice was never going to be as deep as hers because I’m physically not capable of it,” she said. “Besides, I promised I wasn’t going to give myself a hard time and try to completely mimic this other human being.”
Despite her concerns about the role, the Oscar winner was able to understand why Holmes might have felt pressured to develop a unique persona in her job as a healthcare entrepreneur.
“I caught myself doing some [of] her mannerisms just the other day,” she added. “You can’t help it. We’re sensitive. We’re absorbent. We’re f—ing humans.”
Viewers first got a look atThe Dropoutin December, as photos revealed Seyfried channeling the Theranos founder with intense facial expressions and her blonde hair pulled back in a bun. Two months later, Hulu released the dramatic,first trailerfor the series.
In January, Holmes wascharged with 11 counts of fraud for claims made to investors and patientsof Theranos. The jury handed down a partial verdict, finding Holmes guilty of four of the 11 charges — three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She now faces a federal prison sentence of up to 20 years. A sentencing date has not yet been announced.
The Dropoutpremieres on Hulu on March 3.
source: people.com
