Why Amanda Seyfried Fled Hollywood

Amanda Seyfried is all that. She played the air-headed, lovable teen in "Mean Girls" and the angelic-voiced bride in "Mamma Mia." She also showed off her dark, dramatic side in acclaimed series like "The Dropout" and "The Crowded Room." And while she's seemingly the face of Hollywood, what you don't know about Seyfried is that she has far removed herself from full-time LA living. 

Her early 20s were filled with success, taking roles in films like  "Les Miserables" and "Lovelace." But slowly, Seyfried felt the pressure of Hollywood and knew she needed a sanctuary beyond the LA hills. After years of searching, she eventually found her upstate oasis on the other side of the country. The actor set up camp in a quaint farmhouse in New York's Catskills region, where she now tends to goats, horses, chickens, and a donkey, Gus. 

The rustic-style country home has lots of antique charm, with large windows and cozy, dark wood accents, all hand-picked by a team from General Assembly. Seyfried told The New York Times in 2020 that her years on this property have "solidified my need to be out of the game when I'm not working, to be in nature and to refresh."

"The farm just is tenfold," she told SheKnows in 2024. "There's so much peace that comes in from mother nature in general. It really is why I feel sane." Amanda Seyfried still constantly reads new scripts for future work projects, of course. It's just that now they are stacked under piles of animal feed and toys for her two children, Nina and Thomas, whom she shares with her husband, Thomas Sadoski. The mom-of-two knows how fortunate she is to be living in an area where her children aren't exposed to ruthless paparazzi. "It's so much privacy, it's insane," she told the outlet. "I love it. I wouldn't have it any other way and I'm so grateful that they don't have to worry about that either."

Her farm is not just welcome to her human family, but also a slew of barnyard animals. Part of the pack includes her dog, Finn, whom she adopted while filming her series "Big Love," and has been her safeguard ever since. Opening up to People about her struggles with OCD and anxiety in her 20s, the actor said of her furry friend: "I think he grounded me in a way that nothing else could have." 

Now she finds that same grounding feeling when she's caring for her other animals. It's one of the reasons Seyfried partnered with Synchrony's Credit Care and Pets Best insurance. "It's never-ending when you're a pet parent," Seyfried told SheKnows. "I love having them around and I love keeping them healthy."