Amanda Seyfried says ‘The Housemaid’ success made her finally feel like a movie star

Amanda Seyfried says the success of The Housemaid in 2025 marked a major shift in how she viewed her career, leading her to finally embrace the description of herself as a movie star.

The 40 year old actress discussed her changing perspective during an appearance at Hamptons International Film Festival on October 4, where she spoke with moderator and festival co chair Alec Baldwin. Seyfried reflected on her career, which began with soap operas before she made her feature film debut in Mean Girls in 2004.

She later appeared in major films including Mamma Mia!, Jennifer’s Body, Letters to Juliet and Les Misérables. Despite those successes, Seyfried said she had traditionally resisted describing herself as a movie star because her career had included periods of varying levels of work.

When asked whether she had expected Mamma Mia! to become a hit, Seyfried said she never felt able to predict that kind of success. She also acknowledged becoming increasingly focused on the financial performance of studio films.

However, her attitude changed following The Housemaid, the thriller adaptation of Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel. The film starred Seyfried alongside Sydney Sweeney and Brandon Sklenar and earned $400m worldwide.

Discussing the impact of its performance, Seyfried said she now considers herself a movie star because of The Housemaid. The film’s commercial success also led to a sequel being announced.

Seyfried is currently promoting The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd, directed by Tim Blake Nelson. The film premiered at Toronto International Film Festival before screening at Hamptons International Film Festival.

Seyfried plays a teacher in an abusive relationship who takes a job at a maximum security prison, where she develops feelings for a charismatic inmate played by Scoot McNairy. The film currently has no theatrical release date announced.